Paper Question

Sample Field Log

Below is a brief field log to give you an idea of the social interactions and institutions you might look for in your

day. With the observations are sample course concepts that relate to the observations. Be creative in exploring

and applying concepts- we will all apply concepts differently even if the scenes we observe are very similar.

5:45am: Wake up, interact with children.

Gender roles, nuclear family, folkways

6:30am: Interact with spouse and children. Eat breakfast, run, shower.

8:00am: Arrive at airport, check in interaction with airline customer service; interaction with TSA.

Social structure, bureaucracy, norms, mores, social control

9:00am: Wait with other passengers to board flight; purchase a drink at coffee shop; employees have a tip jar; a

family sitting close by is watching the news and commenting on what they think is wrong with other cultures.

Emotional labor, ethnocentrism, Piaget’s stages of development

9:30am: On flight with family having a difficult time with small children; flight attendant offers to help them.

Emotional labor, gender roles, family

12pm: Arrive at destination airport; drive two hours to see extended family. Along the road there are farmers

with fruit stands. See homeless person asking for assistance in exchange for work.

Poverty, inequality

4pm: Extended family arrives for potluck dinner; look at family photos together and share family memories.

Watch evening news- local robbery and assault.

Social deviance, material culture

6pm: Stop at church to meet family friend, see a bible study group inside; lots of religious symbols; someone

remarks on a new church being built to accommodate a different racial group.

Religion, race, monotheism