purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to learn ethnographic research by conducting an observation and writing a qualitative analysis. Your research topic is to observe how people have adapted an element of everyday life during the pandemic. Overview of the assignment: You will spend at least one hour observing a public space where people spend their time: either on the T or other public transportation, a busy park, or another busy space of your choice. Take field notes during your observation, noting how people behave, what they where, how they interact, whether and how they speak to each other, thinking about how people may have adapted behavior during the pandemic. After your observation, write a three page paper where you describe in detail at least three key situations/interactions relevant to the research topic that you observed. Outline of your paper: Introduction (1 paragraph, 0.5 page) Summarize your entire paper including where you observed, what you saw, and what you learned about people’s behavior. Research Method (1 paragraph) Where and when did you observe? How did you choose this research site? What ethical concerns did you think about? Three Key Situations (1-2 paragraphs each) Discuss the key situation you saw. Describe in detail what was happening: what kinds of people were involved (men? women? wealthy? going to work? going to school? emotions?). Why was this a key situation or interaction that told you something about pandemic life? Conclusion (1 paragraph) Based on your observation and analysis, what is life like today during the pandemic? Compared to your own experience, how much is different or has stayed the same? What is a research question you have after completing this observation?
