This assignment will focus on a form of qualitative research known as ethnography or fieldwork.
Ethnography is produced when a researcher immerses themselves into the social world of a particular place, activity, or culture. The goal of ethnography is to make sense of a setting by providing “thick description.” Thick description does not just describe the actions of people; it provides context for their actions. It’s the process of explaining what people are doing and why. It is attentive to different hierarchies, structures, interpersonal dynamics, and power relations.
This link from University provides some helpful suggestions for questions to ask when doing observations: Tips for Writing Thick Descriptions for Ethnographies and Case Studies
Your task is to observe any interesting social setting for at least 1 hour. While doing your observation, take field notes and then shape them into a 500-word ethnography.
