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DOING SOCIOLOGY: The methods of research, focusing on the nature of sociology and the method of science as it applies to sociological inquiry.
Assignment 2B - Finding Patterns in Everyday Life :
Watch the video below about Being Sociologically Minded and the Role of Patterns.
Observing Social Interactions Each student chooses a public setting where observation will take place. Take picture of setting and post in Flickr. Take video (mindful of privacy rights) and post in YouTube. Upload written observations in our Wiki. When all 5 observations are complete, post reflections about patterns and anomalies observed.
Life is fall of patterns. The trick is learning how to observe then and analyze them.
Decide on a specific location that you want to observe – its must have more than 5 people. (See example below).
§ Prior to observing write up what you expect to find.
§ For 5 days (over a 7 day period) observe that specific behavior for at least 15 minutes each day.
§ Write up the situation, where did you do the observing, who did you observe, what was the setting.
§ After each of the 5 observations write up what patterns you observed? Don’t analyze here – write up exactly what you observed.
§ How did the observations change during the 5 times?
§ Did you observe anything unexpected?
§ What do you think the pattern (or lack of pattern) tells you about the people you observed?
§ Did your “subjects” know that they were being observed?
FOR EXAMPLE:
§ When I took my first Sociology Course, I was living in the dorms at Douglass College. We were required to observe a location and then write it up. I chose to observe the bathroom on the floor in my dorm. Initially I had no idea what I would find. I went to the bathroom (with many stalls, showers and sinks) for 5 mornings. I observed that 16 of the 22 women on my floor consistently chose the same stall, the same shower and the same sink, every day, even if it meant that they had to wait while another was free. Observing this pattern in people made me think about our habits.
I want you to do something similar. For 5 days observe a specific location (of your choice). Write up what you expected to find PRIOR to the observation? What patterns did you observe? Was this expected or unexpected? What do you think the pattern (or lack of pattern) tells you about the people you observed? Did your “subjects” know that they were being observed?
RUBRIC can be found at: http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=ShowRubric&rubric_id=2189039&