Chicago style
Answer the following questions (in essay format – do not list the questions and the answers. Answer
the questions within your essay.
1. Where and who are you observing? When were you there?
2. Describe in detail the physical setting in which you observed – pretend that the reader has
never been to such a place before and be specific (e.g., how big is the room in feet and inches?
How many tables, chairs, desks are there?). Maps and diagrams are helpful.
a. If you did this virtually, then include screenshots of some of the imagery being
discussed. What culture were you interacting with? (Remember cultures are not just
based on people’s origin/ethnicity, but can be based on common interests, skills,
arts…. We are all members of multiple subcultures.)
3. What are the stated and unstated rules regulating behavior in this setting? Give this some
thought, as this is a central feature of ethnography and cultural anthropology.
4. Note general patterns of behavior, speech, interaction – what are most people doing most of the time? (This is what I meant by “general summaries” above).
5. Describe those observed in general terms: how many of them are there, what are the
gender/ethnicity/linguistic divisions, are there other characteristic that distinguish them as a
group (uniforms, physical characteristics, et al.).
NOTE: Submit the paper as one single document. Do not turn your notes. Do not do the context
section as a numbered list of questions and answers – incorporate the questions into the first half of your essay.
