Cultural Observation Template and Helpful Hints
Instructions: I would like students to observe something outside of our classroom that relates to our course content and discussions this semester. For example, observing gender norms or roles in your family, gender in the workplace, or something in your community that relates to our course. You might choose to write about oppression or privilege during the COVID-19 pandemic, a #BlackLivesMatter vigil or protest, or something that your family or community is advocating for. Maybe you want to observe something that relates to the LGBTQ+ community or observe how gentrification is affecting your community. Maybe you want to talk about an advocacy group in your community that is raising awareness of gender-based violence or oppression. Your observation can be something that is a part of a larger movement or something that is very personal to you. If you are still having trouble with this, do not hesitate to reach out to me to talk about this in a Zoom meeting.
After the observation, students will write a reflection that states what the event or space was they observed, who was there, where and when this observation took place, and what their experience was like. The reflection must also reference at least one author or topic from our class. This essay can be done in the first person. Below are some points to make sure to include in the essay. If you have a solid paragraph for each of these questions, you should have no trouble meeting the word requirement. Remember to really pay attention to things that you might not have noticed before our class. The goal of this exercise is to encourage us to critically observe social change in our own lives.
What did you observe?
Who did you observe?
Where did your observation take place?
When did the observation take place?
Why did you choose this observation?
How does this observation connect to our class?
