Writing Assignment 2: Food Ethnography (submit through this link)
Attached Files:
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ASB300_Assignment2Template.docx (19.67 KB)
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ASB300_Assignment2_Guidelines and FAQ(2).docx (19.044 KB)
Assignment 2 Instructions with cc (must be logged in via @asu.edu to access)
Time: Apprx 5-7 hours. This includes 1-2 hours of participant observation, 2-3
hours of
field note write-up, 2-3 hours to write up the assignment.
Points: 200
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this assignment is to give you hands-on experience in conducting participant-observation
in a cultural context. Additionally, this assignment will allow you to gather and interpret your own data on food and
culture in the same way that a cultural anthropologist would do. You will select a public space that focuses on food (e.g.
grocery store, restaurant, farmers' market) in which you can conduct observations and participate as much as is
appropriate and possible. You will document your observations and experiences. After the participant-observation is
complete, you will expand, reflect on, and analyze your initial notes. Ideally, youshould choose a place that you have
not been before as well as place that is of a different cultural context than your own (e.g. an ethnic restaurant
different from your own ethnicity) as you will be better able to take notes on things that are new to you than
something you see every day.
Possible places to conduct your observations include:
an ethnic food market, a public religious
meal, a farmers' market, an ethnic restaurant, or the food section of a street fair or
carnival. You need to pick a place that will allow you to make observations and record
notes of people eating, drinking, cooking, shopping for, or preparing food. If none of
these places/events are available to you, suggest something comparable to your TA
and get approval.
ATTENTION: You may need to ask permission (from a manager, etc.) to hang out for a
while and take notes in certain environments, like food stores. Explain your presence
there is for a class assignment at ASU. (It will help if you wear an ASU shirt and
possibly if you show your ASU ID.) Be sensitive to the fact that managers may not want
students interfering with their business and clients may be wary or even afraid of
strangers who seem to be conducting surveillance. You should adjust your behavior to
culturally appropriate norms. For example, do not take photographs during a religious
service, or of the contents of people's shopping carts. On a positive note, if you take a
notepad into a restaurant and order a meal, they may think that you are a restaurant
critic and take extra care when preparing your food!
CAUTION: DO NOT enter any site that you feel may be dangerous. If you sense a
situation becoming dangerous, leave immediately!
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INSTRUCTIONS:
Before you begin, be sure to watch the assignment introductory video above and review three important
documents: “Assignment 2 Guidelines and FAQ ”, the Murchison "Participant Observation" chapter, and
the Assignment 2 Rubric.
Choose the place you will visit according to the directions above.
Go to the place you selected and conduct participant observation for 1.5 hours. You may also "participate" if
you think it is appropriate and you are comfortable. For example, at an ethnic food market, buy one or two
small ready-to-eat products. As appropriate, eat what you purchased. Find a place to hang out and conduct
your observations. If you are at an ethnic restaurant, order and eat a meal -- but be sure to be watching
everything that is happening around you!
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Take copious notes; these are typically called “jottings” and done by hand. You should focus on documenting
PEOPLE and ENVIRONMENT. You should consult the "Guidelines" handout (above) for instructions on what
to document.
For example, if you visit a food store you should try to document: the products for sale, the layout of the store,
who comes and goes, any interactions you see or participate in, languages used, and (if possible to do
respectfully & at a distance) what people buy. Record your own reactions to the food you tasted, the site, and
the people you see there.
Once you get home you must expand on your field notes and begin to form them into a narrative. Download
the Assignment 2 Template and follow the instructions. This step should take 2.5 hours.
Transform your "jottings" into a written narrative that includes your expanded thoughts on your
observations. Minimum length is 2 single-spaced pages of text.
Perform a preliminary analysis by reading through your narrative and identifying 4 observations that you can
explain as being related to themes of food and culture that have been covered in class thus far. Discuss each
observation in a paragraph (on the assignment sheet).
Please note: In order to receive full credit for this section you must cite at least 4 course sources in your answers.
These sources must include at least 3 from course readings and 1 may be from the supplementary videos, but
you may not cite course lecture material as one of your 4 required citations.
Write a paragraph reflecting on your experience.
Write 2 questions you would follow up on in further research at your location.
Turn in your assignment sheet through the assignment link no later than 11:59pm (AZ time) on Friday,
April 13th.
Make sure that your file is saved as the correct file type, especially if uploading from a google document or
from a Mac computer. .gdoc and .pages are not acceptable files. The best way to check this is to view your
submission in BB after you have uploaded your assignment file.
Close attention to the information in the Guidelines & FAQ sheet will help you do well on
the assignment. If you need help with your writing or citation practices, please check out the resources
provided in the Writing Help Center tab.
ASB 300: Food and Culture
Remember to save file as your: LastnameFirstname_Assignment2
Assignment 2-Food Ethnography
Name:
Instructions: Download, fill-in, and submit this form. You must maintain this document’s 1-inch
margins, single-spacing, and 12pt font. Take note of the expected length given for each section.
Please read the instructions given through the course website and other documents and
make sure you complete Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
Field Notes Write-Up
1) Take the “jottings” you made during 1.5 hours of observation and type them into an
expanded narrative of what you observed (This means that you should write descriptive text
of what you observed. You must write in complete sentences). The minimum length for this
part of the assignment is 2 single-spaced pages of text. You may include photographs at the
end of the document, but these are optional and do not count toward the page requirement.
[Begin text here]
1
ASB 300: Food and Culture
Remember to save file as your: LastnameFirstname_Assignment2
2
ASB 300: Food and Culture
Remember to save file as your: LastnameFirstname_Assignment2
Analysis
2) Perform a preliminary analysis by reading through your narrative and identifying 4
observations of behaviors and/or activities that you can connect to themes of food and culture
that we have gone over in the course modules (at least 3 from course readings and 1 from
videos, not lectures). Discuss each theme in a separate paragraph (4-5 sentences). Include
your references in APA format below your observations.
Observation 1:
Observation 2:
Observation 3:
Observation 4:
2a) List the References you cited above in APA format here (not at the end of the
assignment). For information on how to use APA style, visit ASU’s library guides: In-text
Citations ; Reference List ; Sample References
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ASB 300: Food and Culture
Remember to save file as your: LastnameFirstname_Assignment2
Reflection
3) Write one paragraph (4-5 sentences) minimum reflecting on your position as a researcher.
How does your own cultural identity and background affect how you ‘see’ and understand
environments and activities? What are some possible biases that you bring to this research?
[Begin text here]
Follow Up Questions
4) Imagine that you have been awarded funding to launch a 5-year research study at your
restaurant/market/festival. Based on what you observed in your short time at your site, what
would you want to know more about and why? In the space below, pose 2 research questions
you would follow up on in further research at your site and explain your reasoning.
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Optional: You may insert photographs here, if you would like. IMPORTANT: Please reduce the
file size of the photographs before inserting them. Documents over 20MB cannot be processed
appropriately and your assignment may not be received.
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