The Ethnographic Essay

Description: Your final project will consist of an original ethnographic study on a topic of your choice.  Since ethnography typically involves the study of a group of subjects in their own environment, in most instances you will be isolating a small, nearby community or local subculture for your project.  The project will consist of several components including “thick description,” interviews, archival or secondary research, autobiography, the use of photographs and other available images, and general sleuthing around. You may choose your topic in several ways.  Whatever approach you take, you will be writing a description of a place, interviewing at least three people in that place, writing a character sketch of one of these people, completing an analytical analysis of your observations, and writing a personal, autobiographical reaction to the subgroup in its environment. 

Due Dates:

Tuesday, September 5th: Prospectus due:  a one page typed description of your project, along with a summary of plans for collecting info.  Click here for details.

Friday, September 15th: A list of potential interview questions (15-20 from which you may select as many as you’d like during the actual interviews).

Monday, September 25th: First site visit due and a journal version of a place sketch .

 Tuesday, October 10th:  Second site visit and interviews due

 Thursday, October 26: Third site visit and journal version of character sketch due

 Tuesday, November 7th:  Completed versions of place and character sketches due (400 word minimums for both)

 Monday, November 20th: Final Ethnographic Essay Portfolio due including personal response essay (700 word minimum); this will also include cleaned up or changed copies of the place sketch, character sketch, and journal.  Any other media-related material should be attached and presented at this time.

 The Ethnographic Essay Proposal

Due: Wednesday, September 9th at the beginning of class

 On Sept 3, you should submit a one-page typed description of your proposed project, along with a summary of plans for collecting information.  This may be in outline form or in paragraphs.

 What I am looking for here is that you have a project that is

 In your proposal, you should include an explanation of why you have chosen this place and group, what you might expect to find, what stereotypes you might have, and why this is challenging and exciting for you.  I also welcome any other relevant information you can give me. 

 As you think about choosing your topic, consider the following options.  Remember that whatever approach you take, you will be writing a description of a place, interviewing at least three people in that place, writing a character sketch of one of these people, and writing a personal, autobiographical reaction to the subgroup in their environment. 

 1.) Choose a specific location about which you want to write, and then look at the people who frequent this location, the reason the location is there, the events that occur at the location, etc.   

2.) Choose a sub-group that you want to study and find a place that this subgroup inhabits. 

3.) Choose a specific community event about which you want to write, and then look at the people who attend this event and who sponsor it, why the event occurs, etc.  The event must be ongoing because you will need to visit the site three times at a minimum.

 Remember, I can’t tell you what is foreign to you, but I urge you to push yourself and your boundaries.  I may ask you to reconsider a project that seems too “easy”. In the past, student visits have included some of the following places:

Tattoo Parlor                                                  Various Places of Worship
Firefighter Station                                           Various Restaurants 
Homeless shelter                                            A public high school
Renaissance Festival                                        Organic Farm
School for the Deaf                                        Freedom Park
Roller Skating Rink                                         Ethnic Grocery Store
NoDa gallery Crawl                                        Paper Skyscraper (store)
Skateboarding Park                                         Time Out Youth Meetings
Yoga Studio                                                    Politician's offices
Teen Pregnancy Center                                     NASCAR
Organic Food Store                                        Auto Garage
Open-mic night/Coffee House                        Metro Bus Station
Houses                                                           And Many More . . .
Pottery Studio
 

IB English III – Check List for Ethnographic Essay

 Your final ethnographic project should include the following:

      ·         Title page with an original title (NOT UNDERLINED!), your name, my name, the date, the CCDS pledge with your signature.
·         Your original proposal – Unchanged
·         Completed and perfected place sketch (400 word minimum) and any rough drafts
·         Completed and perfected character sketch (400 word minimum) and any rough drafts
·         Completed Final draft of your personal reaction to the group and location you have studied (700 word minimum) and any
             rough drafts
·         Journal – Unedited
·         Optional – Photos, music, power point presentations, sculpture, plates of food, etc.

Don’t forget, your project should also be:

      ·         Spelling and grammar checked (see guidelines from my initial course expectations sheet)
·         Meticulously edited for quality of expression and factual accuracy
·         Double-spaced 12-point font

More specifics to help you check your work:

                                Place Sketch

        ·         400 word minimum – writing should be clean, economical, vivid (use good verbs!)
·         a “thick” description that relies on sensory details (the five senses)
·         A statement (implicit is best) about the sort of place it is
·         NOT a list of elements, components, products, etc – add meaning to these, put them in for a reason
·         NOT a narrative of your experiences in the place

                                Character Sketch
                                    ·         400 word minimum - writing should be clean, economical, vivid (use good verbs!)
                                    ·         A “thick” description that gives a specific picture/image of the person
                                    ·         A statement (implicit is best) about the sort of person this is
                                    ·         Some discussion of why this person is related to the place in which you found him/her
                                    ·         NOT a list of physical features, but features, actions, ways of speaking etc that give meaning to the                                                 overall characterization you’re trying to make
                                    ·         NOT a narrative of your experiences with this person

                                Personal Reaction/Autobiographical Narrative
                                    ·         700 word minimum – writing should be clean, economical, vivid
                                    ·         Your reason for choosing the place or subculture you chose – How did your view change, if at all?
                                    ·         Your experiences, feelings, observations in this place, experience, subculture
                                    ·         A more complete picture of the whole experience, place, subculture  
                                    ·         Conclusions you might draw from the experience (favorite parts, meaningful parts)

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