| SWRK 292 |
Dr. Hardina |
Nonparticipant Observation (Qualitative) Exercise
In groups of two or three people, conduct the following observation prior to the next class. During class, each group will be asked to make an oral report on the following aspects of the observation.
| Place: | Restaurant, coffee shop, free speech area,
shopping mall, museum, or any public setting. |
| Purpose: | To observe a complex public setting. There
should be natural public access to the setting and multiple viewing
opportunities for you. |
| Activity: | Nonparticipant observation. Take notes. Make a
floor plan. See what you are able to hear, see, and learn just by observing |
| What to look for: | The Setting: Look around you and describe
the people in the room. Focus on one or two people. What are they doing in
that social space? |
| The People: Look around you and describe
the people in this setting. Focus on one or two of the people in the
setting. |
|
| The Action: What are the relationships
between people and/or groups? Try to discover something about people in the
setting. |
|
| Demographic Comparisons. Describe the
groups and any common characteristics, for example, age, gender, dress code,
speech, activity, and so on. |
|
| Details: Focus on one person in your
viewing area to describe in detail, for example, a waitress, a
caretaker, a salesperson, and so on, depending on your setting. |
|
| Follow-up: If you had all the time in the
world to do a study, what three things would you look for upon returning to
the setting? |
|
| Discussion: | How did your approach this assignment? What difficulties did you encounter in the field setting? What would you do differently if you were to return? |
From Janesick, V. (1998). "Stretching" exercises for qualitative researchers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, p. 23.