PROJECT: STREET WORK - AN ENCOUNTER WITH PLACE (20 POINTS)
Geography is first of
all knowledge generated by observation ... The mode of locomotion should be
slow, the slower the better, be often interrupted by leisurely halts to sit
on vantage points and stop at question marks. (Sauer, 1956)
Geography ... has always
itself emphasized the intellectual demands of observation, what John Ruskin,
that peerless observer of Venice, called "the argument of the eye."
(Cosgrove & Daniels, 1989)
Although separated by more
than 30 years, the two quotations above both underline the importance of
observation as a research method in human geography. Those intervening
years, however, witnessed the quantitative revolution during which the
academic credibility of research methods such as observation was called into
question by many geographers. It is only with the recent revival of interest
in qualitative research in human geography that qualitative methods are
being taught alongside statistical techniques.
In contrast to
quantitative techniques, which are perceived by many students as inherently
difficult, observation is not only regarded as inherently easy but also of
limited value in telling us anything meaningful about the world. Thus one of
the challenges of observation lies in demonstrating both the complexity of
and the intellectual need for observational field work. Statistical research
not withstanding, only detailed observation can communicate a sense of what
life in a community is truly like.
The aim of this
project, then, is to get you to think about the potential value of data
gathered through detailed observation.
For your project, I want you to encounter a
place with which you are currently unfamiliar, to open yourself up to
the urban experience, and to describe and interpret the symbols and meanings
that are conveyed through that experience. As human geographers, you will
need to question the extent to which people and place are indivisible. To
begin with, you will be an outsider, open to features that may have become
commonplace or routine for local people. Your perceptions may be more acute
that an insider's less focused curiosity, dulled by routine observation and
habitual experience. But you may be unaware of the subtle nuances of meaning
that structure and hold communities together in place. Take your time to get
used to the area you choose and don't make hasty judgments. The aim is to produce an
interpretive account of your chosen area, conveying your experiences as a
traveler and explorer. Think carefully about the language you will use, the
analysis you will make.
Where?
Choose
somewhere you don't know well. Spend time looking around until the area feels
interesting. Exercise your intuition and empathy (you've all got it!). The
place could be an older street, a modern suburb, a fading shopping center,
an industrial backstreet, a neighborhood park, a market, a modern housing
estate, a major development, a gentrifying neighborhood or an ethnic
enclave. Look
for signs that you are moving through areas of differing political control.
Look for changes in patterns of residential development, economic activity
and population and note other markers that may signify a changing social and
cultural geography. For example, the ways in which advertising changes to
target people of different incomes, ethnicity or sexuality, or simply the
ways in which road surfaces and infrastructure change as you move between
highly distinctive areas of wealth and poverty. In some areas a major
highway is
one of the key
features shaping an area's segregation (as people are able to move between
one environment and another without confronting intervening districts). Even
before choosing an area, try to begin looking at your surroundings through a
totally different sort of perspective.
How? Become aware
of your environment: watch, look and listen more acutely than normal.
Concentrate on specific features of the environment (colors, sounds, faces,
architectural styles, graffiti, street furniture, clothes) ... whatever
makes the area feel different or distinctive. Talk to people, ride buses,
buy things or ask directions. Take photographs, make sketches, draw maps
and/or keep a diary. Find out about the area's history, about important
features or famous residents. Find out what issues concern people in the
area. I am NOT asking you to do all (or even any) of these things - you have
a limited amount of time to spend on your project - but rather making
suggestions of things for you to think about as you proceed.
What?
I do not want you
to come to the conclusion that "anything goes" in observational
research.
Do NOT spend several hours
attempting to act as a human sponge, noting down anything and everything
but never developing any clear focus or purpose to your observation.
Rather, it's important
that you reflect critically on the practice of observational fieldwork. To
that end, I want to help you structure the process by focusing your
observations on the five themes we've
looked at this semester. I've listed the five themes below along with some
sample questions for each. However, most of the questions are illustrative
only ... You are welcome to use the information you learned in the margin
notes and power point presentations to develop your own questions for each
theme.
physical
geography
What is the specific location of
the area observed?
What makes this area a discrete unit?
In other words, why did you include this side of 1st Avenue but not
the other? Answering this question will most likely require elements
of the other themes as well.
What is the
basic physical geography of the area?
What physical geographic features
influence the area - topography, surface water, soil, etc?
cultural
geography
Does the basic
history of the area seem
reflected in any way in the area?
Are there
symbols evident that play a role in constructions of identity and
the enculturation of space and place?
SYMBOLIC CULTURE
Are there any
signs of social restructuring in the
area?
Do there appear to be competing
cultures in the area?
population
geography
What racial,
ethnic, gender, age or other demographic patterns are evident in the
people you see?
Do other
characteristics of the area - use of space, architecture, commerce,
etc - reflect those demographic patterns?
political
geography
What characteristics of the area seem
to reflect the distribution of power - either comparing the area to
surrounding areas or comparing one part of the area to another?
economic
geography
Are there signs
of inequality and/or difference in the area?
Are there signs
of opportunity, wealth and/or poverty?
Is there anything in the area to
indicate its economic base ... how the people make a living?
Are there any
signs of the economic restructuring of the
area?
Whatever you do, do not try to compose a
third-person, formal report of your observations. I
really do want something
different for this project - an interpretation of what you observed,
written from your own point of view. Write your analysis as informally as
you wish but be careful to include the
following items.
-
the specific location of the
area you observed [WARNING: If you do not include a specific
location so that I am able to visit the area for myself, I will
return your work for correction. That will not, however, extend your
deadline.]
-
a summary of your area's physical
geography that includes
concepts from your course materials
-
a summary of your area's cultural
geography that includes concepts from your course materials
-
a summary of your area's population
geography that includes concepts from your course materials
-
a summary of your area's political
geography that includes concepts from your course materials
-
a summary of your area's economic
geography that includes concepts from your course materials
-
what it was
that epitomized for you the character of the area you observed ... an
artifact or experience that distills for you the essence of the area
-
your conclusions about the advantages and limitations of
observational research as a method and in particular the role of
direct experience in the construction of knowledge
-
correct spelling and grammar
A NOTE OF CAUTION: This is a 20-point
assignment ... the detail & comprehensiveness of your response should
reflect that additional weight.
By the deadline shown in the Course Schedule
on the main page of the syllabus:
-
Send your analysis containing the nine items requested in the body of a
new email to
dramyglenn@earthlink.net.
-
Put only your name and Project at the beginning of your email.
-
Be careful to use the correct subject line.
-
Late
analyses will lose one point per day late, including weekends and
holidays. (Although I do take
late assignments, I do not take assignments past the end of the
semester. Check the Course Schedule on the main page of your
syllabus for the final date I will accept assignments.)
I designed the information in the links below
to help more with observing behavior (in SOCI 1301) rather than observing
environments. Nonetheless, it may be of use to you as you get ready to begin
your observations. If so, feel free to use it.
WHAT IS
OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH?
HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE OBSERVER
9 THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH
OPTIONAL DOWNLOADS: