This project has several objectives:
More generally, the ability of sociology students to use
their training to "see" things others may not see, from both an emic and an etic
perspective, is one way in which graduates can use and benefit from their background in a
combined program of sociology and anthropology. While the research paper is not due until
Tues. April 20th, it is essential to get working on it early in the semester.
For this paper I want you to choose a topic relating to social stratification that can be studied by ethnographic field observation techniques. While library research can certainly be used to supplement field observation, your paper should be based primarily on data that you generate yourself by making observations in a field setting. Furthermore, I ask that these field observations occur in settings unfamiliar to you; they should not be where you live or work, and they should be settings that are basically new to you.
You need to choose both a research topic and a research question. The research topic should involve some general research area in the study of social stratification: for example, social class and socialization; social class and education; social class and family life; social class and employment, etc. These areas are the topics of different sections in the Gilbert text; Chapter 5 is particularly useful for identifying useful general topics for this project.
Having chosen a research topic, you will then want to narrow it down to a particular research question. For example, if you chose social class and education, a possible research question might be: "How do kindergarten classes differ in poor and upper middle class areas? If you chose social class and health, you might ask: "How do emergency rooms in hospitals differ in communities drawing on populations of different social classes?" For social class and the justice system, you might ask: How and to what extent do differences in race, gender and class affect courtroom interactions and outcomes? For social class and socialization, you might ask: "How does early childhood socialization affect the occupational aspirations of children?" It is very possible that you might redefine or narrow down your research question in the course of doing your research, but you should start out with some question to guide your observations.
A typed statement detailing your
research topic, your research question,
and your method is due no later than Tuesday, March 7th.
Depending on your research question, you may choose to compare several different sites or focus on just one. Comparing sites in different areas is often one way to highlight the differences related to class, or alternatively to compare institutions (e.g. churches) that serve noticeably-different social groups. (It is said that Sunday at 11:00 is the most segregated hour in the week in the U.S.) For example, you might compare different examples of the following settings:
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On average, I expect you to spend a minimum of 2-3 hours observing on three to four different occasions (in other words roughly 12 hours total). If you are comparing sites, plan to revisit each site at least once.
Researchers generally start by carrying out a literature review to find out what other researchers have discovered about the general topic they are interested in. Since I want your major focus to be on your field observations, I am not formally requiring a library-based literature review, although I will certainly be pleased if you undertake one. Instead, what I am requiring of you is to use the online resources of the U.S. Census Bureau, particularly its 1990 Census Lookup site that allows you to call up information for geographical areas based on zipcodes. Using this site, you should create a table that provides a profile of the area(s) you chose for your field observations.
It is important that you take time as soon as possible after each field session to write down detailed fieldnotes recording your observations, in addition to whatever notes you may have taken in the field. These should include both observations from an emic perspective (staying as close as possible to the way your subjects perceive things) and from an etic perspective (your perceptions as an outsider informed with a sociological imagination). Be sensitive to the possibilities of producing quantitative data through qualitative fieldwork, e.g. by simple counting and classification of people, types of interaction, outcomes of encounters, etc. Such data can be nicely summarized in tables in your report.
It is essential that your report follow the format below, using the headings indicated:
Research Topic and Question: In the first section, you should identify your basic research topic and research question. You should explain why this question is sociologically interesting and significant to answer.
Methodology: In the second section, you should give a brief description of the method you chose and how you went about implementing it. You should explain why you chose the sites you observed and how you went about researching them. Note the dates and approximate times you made your observations. You should note any obvious limitations of your choice of sites or of your data.
Statistical Profile of Fieldsite(s): The following section should provide a profile of the geographical areas of your field observations, defined by zipcodes. Create a table based on the social indicators you consider most important for understanding social stratification in these areas that are available from the 1990 Census Lookup and (if you wish) elsewhere, and discuss it briefly.
Description and Analysis: In the heart of your paper, you should report on what you found out in your study, and analyze your data in terms of your research question. Feel free to quote directly from your fieldnotes. Through descriptive detail (and good writing), try to convey the texture of the social life you observed. Depending on the nature of your study, I encourage you to supplement your discussion with tables, diagrams, or typologies.
Conclusion: In the final section, you should present your conclusions, specifically responding to the research question posed at the outset. Your conclusions will be necessarily tentative, but feel free to speculate about the significance of what you have discovered.
Papers are due no later than Tuesday, April 20th. Length may vary, but 8-10 pages is probably about average. No extensions will be given and there will be a substantial penalty imposed on late papers. I will be happy to go over rough drafts if they are given to me at least a week in advance. I hope you will see this research project as an opportunity as well as a course requirement: in addition to the experience and knowledge gained from doing the fieldwork, strong papers have the potential to be presented at student research symposia and very possibly at professional meetings. Especially for those considering graduate school, this can be a major feather in your cap!
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Feb. 22, 2000