Monday, February 9, 2015

Blog Due 2/17

Based on the reading in our text Fieldworking for today, what does a field researcher need to pay attention to when observing space? Please list two things. What do you think is most important to include when observing and writing about a space?

53 comments:

  1. Two things that a field researcher needs to pay attention to when observing a space is personal geography and what the space looks like. When focusing on personal geography, a field researcher recalls past places where he or she has gone, and those memories can be invoked by sensations and feelings that the place they are observing causes. When observing and writing about a space, I believe that personal geography is the most important. The feelings and memories that a certain space or environment prompts is what a reader would be most interested in reading about when compared to merely what the space looks like, even though a physical object or detail in the space would be the cause of the memories and feelings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I liked how you went into what you believed what was important in field work and also, I agree that personal geography is important in the line of fieldwork.

      Delete
    2. Comparing your past memories to the site your fieldworking is a good point made. I did not think about connecting the two aspects like that.

      Delete
    3. It is so true that people would be more interested in reading about the memories and connections you have with that location, keeping the paper interesting. Without having any personal experiences or connection a paper can become a little boring.

      Delete
    4. When you discussed memories I thought that was something I also found when I read this. I think that memories have a lot to do with connecting back to a business.

      Delete
  2. A field researcher needs to pay attention to when observing space is personal geography and how to look and read a space.When observing and writing about a space it is important to give good detail and choosing the right words when observing space. Personal geography is important to include when observing and writing about space. We all perceive things differently. This is important when observing because what you might see might be something different than someone else might see. When writing about that space you should be careful with your words using strong verbs and nouns.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Angela, I agree with what you're saying about observing the environment through your eyes alongside with the people surrounding you. The other people within the environment might have a different perspective towards than what yours is.

      Delete
    2. I also like how you said that what one person sees may be different than what someone else sees. I didn't think of it that way. Also, I agree with your point that strong language and the use of appropriate verbs and nouns is important when describing a space because you want your reader to be able to create an image of the space in their minds.

      Delete
    3. I agree that our perspectives can be different. Not everyone is going to see things the way you see them.

      Delete
  3. A researcher must include important yet interesting topics about the space they are researching. They must be able to describe what they are seeing to the reader but at the same time keep what they are describing interesting enough so that the reader doesn’t get disinterested. The observer needs to not only describe what the space looks like to who ever is reading his or her work but also be able to describe other senses to the reader like what the space sounds like, feels like or even smells like. The most important part for the observer reporting what a area is like is being as thorough and detailed as possible.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you when you said they must be able to describe the place they are observing and keep the reader interested at the same time. I kind of said the same thing

      Delete
    2. I agree, detail is very important!

      Delete
    3. I think that you made a good point that that is is important to be able to describe what you want the reader to be able to picture without them becoming less interested in it.

      Delete
    4. Posted on behalf of Zhenya:
      I agree with what you said about the researcher not only describing
      what they see, but also adding in the rest of the senses. I said the
      same thing. I think it is important to add in those other things so
      that the reader is able to completely place themselves into the area
      that the researcher describes.

      Delete
  4. A field researcher must pay attention to personal geography and what the space looks like when observing a certain space. certain places a researcher observes can bring back memories of a place that comforts them. Also the researcher is suppose to be able to describe their space in interesting detail so a reader will not get bored.The most important thong to include while observing a space is a map of your space. It lets the reader imagine what the place looks like in better detail while reading your ethnography.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, it does give readers an image of what the writer has seen.

      Delete
    2. I like the point you bring up about how places can bring up memories. I feel as though this is very important when observing a place because if those memories are good then it may bring a pleasant feeling whereas if those memories are bad it may bring a bad feeling. Btw, definitely not the most important thong.

      Delete
    3. Kyle, I agree with you that mapping out a space while observing it is very helpful to the reader. A researcher must bring detail to the environment they observe to allow the readers to imagine the place in their heads.

      Delete
    4. Kyle, I agree with the mapping space. I think that while I read I also picked up on how important it is because it is actually helping out the reader get into more facts and detail about the environment.

      Delete
  5. I agree that when observing the space your suppose to be able to describe their space in interesting detail so a reader will not get bored. They need to go into good detail with strong verbs and nouns.

    ReplyDelete
  6. While I was reading, I noticed that it was based on the importance of the the researcher personally and the jobs that they have to do in order to come up with an interesting ethnography. The two things a researcher must focus on while observing a space
    is personal geography and the space as a whole. Personal geography is when a field worker remembers certain memories about a space and can connect to it on a different level. I think that personal geography is the most important because being able to connect to a space and then going back to it years later gives field workers the chance to go back and note what has changed in the space over time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you that personal geography is important when observing a place. and how it can being back old memories that would help you connect to the place on a different level. The connection you have with a place will effect your observations and opinions on the place.

      Delete
  7. A field researcher needs to pay attention to personal geography, and what his and her space looks like. personal geography influences our spacial glaze, and also a field worker must be able to be comfortable in their space, and be able to connect with the space. personal geography is when certain places a field worker have visited evoke past sensations, uncovering a geographical memory and it bring back a sudden urdge of images which is what I think is the most important.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree that personal geography is important when looking at space for all the same reasons as you. When past feeling are evoked there is not telling how much it could effect your view.

      Delete
    2. I think you are right in saying that, sometimes I feel when people give a description of a place they visit, they don’t always give the full feel of the environment of the place they are visiting.

      Delete
  8. Two things a field researcher should pay attention to is personal geography and a focal point. Personal geography is important because it can trigger past memory or feeling about a certain place. Even though the place may be unfamiliar certain aspect of the new place can look familiar, which could have an effect of your perspective on the place. I also believe a focal point is important while studying space because it kind of brings everyone together. It is a place where all there stories can be should and related too. I think that personal geography is most important because it kind of generates your feelings for a certain place and determines how you look at that space.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree these two seem to tie in with each other. They are both about understanding and perspective of a space.

      Delete
  9. While observing space a field worker needs to pay attention to the personal geography and what the focal point of the location is. I think that personal geography is important because it can make you connect a place to another significant place in your live. You might be able to relate the place to a memory or past event.Personal geography is important because even if you have never been to the place before certain aspects of it might bring back memories that help you relate to the place that you're observing. Everybody has a different perspective of a place so the way you feel about a place my be completely different than the way somebody else feels. The personal geography can tell how somebody relates to a place, it will show their feelings about the space they are observing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like that you said everybody has a different perspective of a place and how we need to make sure we realize everybody has different feelings when it comes to certain places.

      Delete
  10. A field researcher should pay attention to numerous things when observing a space, the main two that I believe are the most crucial would be personal geography and setting. The environment around you shapes your Personal Geography, (the way in which you view and make sense of the world around you). All researchers have different perspectives, and see things differently, and personal geography is different in everybody. Personal Geography is the most important, I think that because the researcher can note the things that have changed over time, and make connections to the space they observed throughout their whole lives.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you that Personal Geography is the most important and It's also important for the researcher to note what has changed because he can be making connections he never realized.

      Delete
  11. While observing a space a field researcher should pay attention to their personal geography and focal point within that place. Personal geography is based off of your own experiences depending on the places you have been and seen in your life. I believe that personal geography could easily factor into ones perspective of a particular place whether it is someplace they had been before or a completely new place. The focal point they place on their space also is important because that basically controls what they are paying attention to within their space. I suppose it would be pretty hard to accurately research everything there is to research about every little thing within a persons chosen space. Therefore a focal point would narrow it down and make it possible to achieve their research goals.

    ReplyDelete
  12. As a fieldworker we enter the surroundings of others. As we step out of familiar territory we examine unfamiliar landscapes. As we are researching an unfamiliar territory we must look through the eyes of both the ourselves and the others taking part in the environment. We also must look and describe a particular space. A researcher must make sensory details of the site they observe. I think the most important part of observing is looking what exactly goes on in a particular environment. A researcher must come to understand the field site and how informants regularly interact with one another as well as with the environment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think in my opinion your response was the best explained because it was understandable and other people that don't know about field research would understand more about it

      Delete
  13. Two things a researcher needs to pay attention to when observing a space is, personal geography and focal point. Personal geography is the past memories that are uncovered while researching. For example, you are doing your fieldwork in an ice cream shop. The smell of the ice cream brings up memories of when you use to go to the ice cream shop with your father when you were little. The focal point is what the place your fielding looks like,"there can be no place description without an author"(Fieldworking 166). As the author, you have to prove an accurate and extremely detailed description of your place. The whole point is to create a mental picture for the reader. The most important thing to include is strong adjectives, adverbs, nouns, and verbs when giving a description, this will help in achieving the goal of the mental picture.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree that with personal geography it brings up memories and a certain perspective for each person

      Delete
    2. I agree, understanding of your field with personal geography because it gives you a better opportunity of what your going to be getting into. I also like your quote on how it brings back memories.

      Delete
  14. As a fieldworker there are many things surrounding us that we need to pay close attention to. The two main things we need to pay attention to as we observe our site or any space is personal geography and focal points. Personal geography is how you connect to to the site. It is your own experiences that come to you while surrounded by certain sights, smells, sounds and so on. It could bring flashbacks and memories, that could give you a different perspective on the space you are observing then someone else would have if they were also observing the same space. Now focal point has to do with exactly how the space looks. You are being specific, noticing every detail. You may focus on certain things more then others, but your purpose is to be able to make a visualization for yourself of course but, mainly for someone who is basically in the dark about the space. I think that personal geography is most important because it is how the researcher or observer directly connects to the space.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I definitely agree with expressing your own connection to space, because it will give the audience relevance as why it is important to you and therefore should be to them. However, I think included should be how those being observed also connect to the space.

      Delete
  15. Two things that a field researcher needs to pay attention to when observing space are the personal geography and the selective perception of the place. I think the selective perception is the most important because it gives you the author’s own personal taste on how he views the space and is essentially how you the reader is going to view the space for the rest of the excerpt. The personal geography is just as important as it gives you the view of the landscape but when the author starts going into detail about a certain spot in the space and adding his own twist of how he views it is definitely more important to me as a reader.

    ReplyDelete
  16. When a person is observing a location, while field working two things they must pay close attention to is the the personal geography and a focus on a particular place within the location. The personal geography is important because it is the time you take to make personal connection with your location, using information you know from the past or present, using memories to help you understand the environment you are observing. Having a focal point, one important aspect of your location can be extremely important and helpful, main reason being that if you try and observe or do too much you may find yourself getting overwhelmed and having too much scattered information. Your observations to those who view them may then seem confusing if you jump from one to another rather then sticking and focusing on one focal point. I think it using personal geography is more important because having that personal connection with the location and/or culture you are observing will help you do better field working. You'd be able to use what you already know and add on what you're learning.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Two things a person must pay attention to when observing is the personal geography and the selective perception of the place. I think personal geography is important because you get to make personal connections with the people already in the field. Also, having a focal point is important because no matter how familiar or unfamiliar we know of a place, there can be no place description without an author. Plus, it can be helpful rather than observing one place or another and getting too overwhelmed about it. Personal geography is important because it can give you a better undertake of the field you're observing.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Two things that a field researcher needs to pay attention to when observing a space is personal geography and the focal point of the space. I think personal geography is really important because it shows your persoal connection with the location. if everyone researched the same location, you would get a different insight or perpective from everyone because everyone has their own experiences to connect it to. Everyone sees things differently so personal geography is important because it makes the research unique and helps you learn about the researcher.

    ReplyDelete
  19. As a field researcher when observing we need to pay attention to personal geography and the focal points as stated in the reading. Personal connection is very important during field research because you can see everything that relates to you and that is personal geography for you. Focal point is the second important during field research because no matter if we know the place or not we can observe and grab information about the field research. Everyone's field research is different because everyone has different views but personal geography and focal points are the two most important during field research.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with what you said. A personal connection to the place is always a good thing to have and it will really help you in the long run.

      Delete
  20. Posted on behalf of Zhenya:

    The two things that a field researcher needs to pay attention to when
    observing space are personal geography, and selective perception.
    Personal geography is when a researcher is in any area, familear or
    not, and they see, touch, taste, hear, or smell something that evokes
    memories of the past. These memories are usually of a place that the
    researcher is somehow connected to or very comfortable with. It is
    very important that they pay attention to their personal geography
    because the memory of the other nice place can make them completely
    oblivious to more important matters. Selective perception is when a
    researcher can observe an area, and write about it in the same way
    that the group of people he or she is observing, would be able to
    describe it. It is crucial that they pay attention to selective
    perception because if they focus only on what they are seeing the
    written observations may not be as good to read because they do not
    sound real. I think it is most important to include descriptive
    language when writing about a space. The observation would not be
    complete if I did not include all the five senses. For example, a
    researcher cannot just say what they saw;
    it would not be accurate. They have to also say what they smelled, how
    they felt, a description of the atmosphere, ETC.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Two things a field researcher needs to pay attention to when they're observing space is First, The Personal Geography and Second, The Focal Point. The Personal Geography is ones personal views on themselves. Everyone has their own personal geography because we are all different in our own ways. I think that Personal Geography is the most important because it gives the reader more detail. More detail means more understanding for the reader.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I think the two things that a researcher needs to pay attention to the most is the personal geography and the focal point. I believe that it is important because it shows the connections with the place that the person has with it. With focal point it doesn't matter is we know anything about the location, we just need to be able to get information about it and observe it.

    ReplyDelete
  23. It is important for a field researcher to focus on using words and phrases that will spark the audience's ability to vividly perceive the space being depicted. Doing so will cause readers to hold interest and to almost feel that they are experiencing that which is being described. In addition, a field researcher should not necessarily depict his or her own personal geography but instead, if he or she can understand it, that of those he or she is studying. For example, in the excerpt on pages 170 and 171, Henry Glassie described the space from what believed to be the perception of those he was studying. He put into their own words, so to speak.

    ReplyDelete
  24. The two aspects that I find most important for a field researcher to focus on is personal geography and the focal point. I think that personal geography is something that shows passion. Bringing back old memories with the use of pictures or even your senses to bring back memories from years and years ago. This will allow the person to go back in time and you will find them become really emotional. Selective perception means that in any given location, how you portray the situation or how you perceive it to be just like other people explaining it. These both are extremely important when being a field researcher because you don't want to lose focus or sight of what really matters.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I think the two most important things to include when observing and writing about a space is Personal Geography and the Focal Point. Personal Geography is all about how a site is related to you and the places you been. When focused on a new site and you think about what other sites remind you of that one. Whether it is smell, sight, sound its all about getting to know your site through your memory and what is connected. Understanding you place as a overall theme. The Focal Point is very important because when observing its all about perspective. That will become your theme, your reason and how this space can be seen through your eyes.

    ReplyDelete
  26. When observing a space, it is important for a field researcher to pay attention to what people are saying and what people are doing. Overhearing conversations can be useful for your writing. Noticing the environment that the people are in is very important when observing and writing about a space. The environment that these people are in plays an important part in who these people are and where they come from. Also interviews are important because you get to hear people's backgrounds.

    ReplyDelete
  27. A field researcher depends of well detailed observation in order to read the space in all of its potential and weakness. Specially when it comes to a space frequented by people, a researcher have to pay attention to the content of the conversations in which will lead to the understanding of its context. Personal geography is extremely vital in determining or viewing the different perspective of the subjects that are being observed, since we all have different point of views. When reporting the observations made it's very important to express it in a clear way with strong verbs and nouns in order to get a well detailed message to the audience.

    ReplyDelete