Research Project

Building on some of the conversations happening during the spoken word workshops, your research paper will focus on perception, and you will search for answers to questions revolving around stereotypes, biases, and “the danger of the single story.”

This is an ethnography project; there are many layers to this, and it will ultimately become your research paper. Ethnography is the study of culture. You will act as anthropologists, and you will study a particular subculture (for example, the “band” culture on campus, a particular fraternity, a religious subculture, Soul Fire, etc) by visiting a particular location and observing a group of people and the place where they hang out. You may choose a group that you are a part of, or one that you simply want to know more about.

1. You must observe your subculture no less than two times. When you observe you will try to, at first, be as objective as possible, and just write down everything you see/hear/smell, etc. without making any kind of judgments. This is one of those places where DETAILS will be key in your work. You must take notes as you observe—this is the data that you will be working with to create an essay. You probably also want to think about conducting interviews.

2. Once you have made your observations, you will then analyze your own findings. What does it all mean? In what ways were you surprised? In what ways were your preconceptions confirmed? Is the “space” in which they operate important? What does how they interact say about them as a group? We will do some more brainstorming about good analysis questions.

3. Then you will do some research. Read up on your particular group or subculture. For instance, what can you find out about fraternities in general? What about fraternities at HBCUs? You must include at least four outside sources into your paper: One must be a book source, one must be a scholarly journal, and the other two can be whatever you like. Things that you will want to tackle in your paper: Does your research match your own observations? What can your data add to the conversations already taking place about this subculture?

4. Then you will put everything together into a four page research paper. You have two different research components here. You have the primary research that you have done by observing, and then you have the secondary research that you have done by reading. The challenge is finding a way to tie everything together into a cohesive whole.

Research Proposal due: Monday March 30/Tuesday March 31: You will tell me what subculture you are planning to study; why this is something you want to know more about and when and where you will conduct your observations. Your Research Proposal should be typed.

Annotated Bibliography due: Wednesday, April 1/Thursday, April 2 (Four sources should be included and this should be typed and double-spaced)

Conferences: Monday April 6-Thursday April 9

Complete draft due: Monday, April 13/Tuesday, April 14

Final Paper due: Wednesday, April 15/Thursday, April 16