Q Purpose: In two of the readings for this module, the topic of coffee was discussed in relationship to class (Roseberry 1996) and gender (Reitz 2007). Coffee has also analyzed for its association with neighborliness (Taylor 1981), its role in American history (McDonald and Tapik 2008) and for the unfamiliar language used by some coffee providers like Starbucks (Elliott 2002). These are just a few examples of the ways in which coffee has been used as a tool to investigate a number of different dimensions of culture. In this assignment, we are asking you to also use coffee and the coffee shop as a lens through which to observe, record, and analyze human behavior. Skills and Knowledge: Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to: • Apply basic participant observation and direct observation methods • Analyze people’s behaviors around a particular food item (coffee) • Describe the challenges of collecting ethnographic data • Reflect on your role as a researcher and your perceptions of food and identity Task: In this assignment, you will be practicing the anthropological methods of participant and direct observation. The first step in completing this assignment is identifying a coffee shop where you can feasibly complete this project. Please be aware that you may need to ask permission (from a manager, for example) to hang out for a while and take notes. If necessary, explain that you are there for a class assignment at Arizona State University. In fact, it will help if you show your ASU ID and possible even wear an ASU shirt if you own one. 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, the same way that anthropologists do when they are in the field. Make sure as well that you are in a safe location. If you sense a situation becoming unsafe, leave immediately! After selecting a coffee shop in which you can feasibly complete this project, you will need to find a time that you can do approximately 1-1.5 hours of observation there. Your first task to complete 20 minutes of participant observation. During this time, you should be taking a significant amount of notes. You should be writing down as many observations as possible. You can also interact with people and write notes based on those interactions. It is strongly suggested that you handwrite these notes so that the computer does not become a barrier between you and your environment. You might want to develop a short-hand system of abbreviations that you can use to speed up the note-taking process. You never know what might become important information later. (i.e. environmental conditions, color, weather, light, shapes, time, smell, taste, season, atmosphere, and ambiance). You also need to be specific in your notes. Don’t expect your memory to be perfect. Note the time something happens, what a sign says, etc. Your notes should focus on the physical space, including design and layout (consider drawing a quick map), your sensory impressions (tastes, textures, smells, and sounds), as well as observations about the other people in the shop and their behavior. The latter will likely be the bulk of your notes and you should focus on the following: • Appearance: (clothing, age, gender, physical appearance). Should be noted with respect to membership in groups – does it correlate with profession, social status, socioeconomic class, religion or ethnicity? • Verbal behavior and interactions: (who speaks to whom and for how long, who initiates interaction, language or dialect spoken, tone of voice). Note gender, age, ethnicity and profession of speakers and dynamics of interaction. • Physical behavior and gestures: (what people do, who does what, who interacts with whom, who is not interacting). Note how people use their bodies and voices to communicate different emotions; how behaviors indicate feelings, social rank or profession • Personal space: relationship between individual preference for personal space denotes about relationships with others • Human traffic: (who enters, leaves, spends time). Note where people enter/exit; how long they stay; who they are; alone or accompanied- Find people who stand out. Try to identify people who receive a lot of attention from others or you. Note characteristics of these people; what differentiates; are they consulted or do they approach others; are they strangers or well-known? Once you have completed 20 minutes of participant observation, you will need to stop and go back through your notes, filling in any information you missed, and summarizing your observations. Then, you will begin conducting direct observation. For the direct observation portion of your data collection, you should focus on the service counter at the coffee shop. You need to take note of every person who goes to the counter and their behavior. There is a table in the Assignment Template that you should use to record the characteristics of each person and their behaviors as you observe and interpret them. You should complete this direct observation for 20 minutes or until you have recorded 20 people, whichever comes first. After completing the direct observation, you will need to take time to immediately return to your notes to fill in any missing information or provide additional details. After you have completed both of your observations, you will need to type up your notes. You are required to provide at least two (single-spaced) pages of notes for the participant observation and a completed table for the direct observation. You will then need to identify four themes from your observation (two from the participant observation and two from the direct observation). At least three of the themes need to relate to a concept or idea that has been discussed thus far in the course. Each theme and its associated observations needs to be discussed and for the theme related to class concepts, course sources need to be cited. Finally, you will reflect upon the experience of completing this assignment using the questions posed in the assignment template. Criteria for Success: In order to be successful in this assignment, do the following: • Download and use the template to answer the assignment questions. • Use proper spelling and grammar, including sentence and paragraph format where appropriate. • Check out the rubric to see how the assignment will be graded. Compare your completed assignment to the rubric to ensure you have met every expectation. • ASK QUESTIONS IF ANYTHING IS UNCLEAR!!! Please use the Hallway Conservations board to ask us if you are unclear about any of the expectations of this assignment.