Thursday, October 23, 2008
Annotated Bibliography Progress Report
As of today, I now have eleven sources for my annotated bibliography. I need to work on writing annotations for the new sources and using correct MLA format. Hopefully this week, I will have done the correct work. This situation goes to show how sleep deprivation affects visual and mental clarity and stability. I should've had a V8!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Progress Report
My observations thus far have been when I was in the second floor TA office, in route to Practicum, or in Practicum itself. I questioned approximately four people and got similar responses from three of the four. Interestingly the three persons in agreement are all MA Literature students and the fourth person was from the MAPC program.
Office
The literature students felt the most information they learned and best place to talk was in the TA office. One female said that the TA office allows the teachers to talk about their individual classes, how certain techniques are working, give each other feedback, and assure one another that they are in the same situation if one TA is worried about job performance.
The office also shared more pros and cons of working in the shared space. I will list the two below:
Pros
-always have someone else in the office if situation/conference with a student gets awkward
-crucial value is having "back up"
-Feedback is good
Cons
-gets hectic
-no one-on-one time when students come in for conferences (other people talking, internet surfing with music, and/or heating up food in the microwave)
The office dynamic as it is known from the three TAs who have similar office hours was agreed by all three members. "Jim" was characterized as the technical leader while "Amy" and "Ben" have a good relationship between each other. They agreed that the three TAs all worked well together, but simply distinguished "Jim" as their leader in this cooperative.
Practicum
On October 22, 2008 these were the observations from Practicum:
-Faculty leader addressed why many of the TAs had abandoned working from the syllabus and not told her
-Side conversations among TAs in class were minimal, if any. Room was very quiet
-Teacher addressed maybe their decisions and lack of communication showed a possible lack of trust or intimidation; expressed maybe office assistant should take over weekly sessions
-Asked TAs what it was that they did in their classrooms. Students replied saying they wanted feedback from their peers about how they are holding class. Other students said they wanted examples of student works and how to introduce theories
-Leader said she liked the idea students suggested about spending the first 10 minutes of class to talk about how they teach class
-Of 32 people in Practicum, 6 people sat with their hands on their faces in the "thinker" pose, several people were either yawning or napping, and approximately 5 people walked in late over the course of 25 minutes
-8 laptops were open and running programs such as online forums to instant messenger
-Leader decided to open the floor for questions and communication, trying to encourage the office atmosphere during Practicum.
-TAs learned about the Creative Suite 3 bundle that students [and themselves] could purchase form the Apple store on campus. Students could buy computer programs at discounted rates. This topic sprang from a TA's concern about how to address the final multi-modal assignment her class had to do and how she would explain it in a "dumb classroom".
-As Practicum neared the final 15 minutes, TAs slowly contributed more to the conversation
MAPC TA Headed to Practicum
-Admitted to spending a total of less than an hour in the TA office. Said students did not visit
-Literature students approach class vastly different from a MAPC student. Not a bad thing "Ken" said, but should reconcile the situation somehow.
-Half of the ENGL 103 kids want the MA Lit experience and half of them do not
-The syllabus and At a Glance observations are only useful if you can integrate them into major assignments
-Program as a whole has issue of consistency and certain portions being of little or no relevance
-Said specifically that the summer training session and the actual teaching seem to never intersect. They come bottom up and not top down
-Does not see sharing an office with 7 literature TA as "his thing"
-A big gap exists between MAPC and MA Literature students
-With regards to teaching, MAPC students are the product and Lit. students are the process
-"Ken" states that for one of his classes, he has to follow behind "Chuck", a MA Literature student. Some of "Ken's" students see all the written information that "Chuck" has left on the chalkboard from his class and seem to question "Ken" as to why they do not get that same experience from him.
Office
The literature students felt the most information they learned and best place to talk was in the TA office. One female said that the TA office allows the teachers to talk about their individual classes, how certain techniques are working, give each other feedback, and assure one another that they are in the same situation if one TA is worried about job performance.
The office also shared more pros and cons of working in the shared space. I will list the two below:
Pros
-always have someone else in the office if situation/conference with a student gets awkward
-crucial value is having "back up"
-Feedback is good
Cons
-gets hectic
-no one-on-one time when students come in for conferences (other people talking, internet surfing with music, and/or heating up food in the microwave)
The office dynamic as it is known from the three TAs who have similar office hours was agreed by all three members. "Jim" was characterized as the technical leader while "Amy" and "Ben" have a good relationship between each other. They agreed that the three TAs all worked well together, but simply distinguished "Jim" as their leader in this cooperative.
Practicum
On October 22, 2008 these were the observations from Practicum:
-Faculty leader addressed why many of the TAs had abandoned working from the syllabus and not told her
-Side conversations among TAs in class were minimal, if any. Room was very quiet
-Teacher addressed maybe their decisions and lack of communication showed a possible lack of trust or intimidation; expressed maybe office assistant should take over weekly sessions
-Asked TAs what it was that they did in their classrooms. Students replied saying they wanted feedback from their peers about how they are holding class. Other students said they wanted examples of student works and how to introduce theories
-Leader said she liked the idea students suggested about spending the first 10 minutes of class to talk about how they teach class
-Of 32 people in Practicum, 6 people sat with their hands on their faces in the "thinker" pose, several people were either yawning or napping, and approximately 5 people walked in late over the course of 25 minutes
-8 laptops were open and running programs such as online forums to instant messenger
-Leader decided to open the floor for questions and communication, trying to encourage the office atmosphere during Practicum.
-TAs learned about the Creative Suite 3 bundle that students [and themselves] could purchase form the Apple store on campus. Students could buy computer programs at discounted rates. This topic sprang from a TA's concern about how to address the final multi-modal assignment her class had to do and how she would explain it in a "dumb classroom".
-As Practicum neared the final 15 minutes, TAs slowly contributed more to the conversation
MAPC TA Headed to Practicum
-Admitted to spending a total of less than an hour in the TA office. Said students did not visit
-Literature students approach class vastly different from a MAPC student. Not a bad thing "Ken" said, but should reconcile the situation somehow.
-Half of the ENGL 103 kids want the MA Lit experience and half of them do not
-The syllabus and At a Glance observations are only useful if you can integrate them into major assignments
-Program as a whole has issue of consistency and certain portions being of little or no relevance
-Said specifically that the summer training session and the actual teaching seem to never intersect. They come bottom up and not top down
-Does not see sharing an office with 7 literature TA as "his thing"
-A big gap exists between MAPC and MA Literature students
-With regards to teaching, MAPC students are the product and Lit. students are the process
-"Ken" states that for one of his classes, he has to follow behind "Chuck", a MA Literature student. Some of "Ken's" students see all the written information that "Chuck" has left on the chalkboard from his class and seem to question "Ken" as to why they do not get that same experience from him.
Squirreling Around
As I read Denning's book, I couldn't help but think of Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson. What is it about furry animals that makes people have these great relevations? Ironically, the answer to my simple question is within this very story. Specifically, narratives work because people are able to see themselves in similar situations. They create a connection with the audience while not directly throwing information at them.
As seen with Diana, people (squirrels) in the workplace often fear trying new ways to communicate for fear of being rejected. Rejection in the professional world can cause people get blackballed or cost them their jobs. Hence, many people are scared to step outside of the box, or as Johnson puts it, find new cheese.
Lastly, in one part in Denning's book, the bartender tells Diana that many squirrels use narratives to communicate. Like many stressed and confused business-squirrel professionals, Diana could not see the big picture: make the information relevant to the audience and in a way the members will understand. She even complains about how her superiors only wanted "facts, facts, facts", but they eventually praised her presentation. Thinking about Diana's experience, I thought about how I learned addition in elementary school.
Before ever taking a math class, I could not have automatically made sense of the following problem because it had never been explained to me:
1-1= 0
As a matter of fact, it is probably safe to say that none of my classmates could. Eventually after we learned and/or memorized the concept, our teacher began to reinforce the theory by making it practical to us [Enter the third circle of grade school hell]: word problems.
During that time, I hated word problems because they obscured the "raw data" and caused me to miss what I was to understand. Yet, now that I am an English major, I realize that maybe I was too busy analyzing the words instead of focusing on being in math class. At any rate, these word problems were forms of narratives for us. For a student who couldn't grasp the idea of 1-1=0, a story about how his two pieces of bubble gum turned to zero could make the information relevant.
As seen with Diana, people (squirrels) in the workplace often fear trying new ways to communicate for fear of being rejected. Rejection in the professional world can cause people get blackballed or cost them their jobs. Hence, many people are scared to step outside of the box, or as Johnson puts it, find new cheese.
Lastly, in one part in Denning's book, the bartender tells Diana that many squirrels use narratives to communicate. Like many stressed and confused business-squirrel professionals, Diana could not see the big picture: make the information relevant to the audience and in a way the members will understand. She even complains about how her superiors only wanted "facts, facts, facts", but they eventually praised her presentation. Thinking about Diana's experience, I thought about how I learned addition in elementary school.
Before ever taking a math class, I could not have automatically made sense of the following problem because it had never been explained to me:
1-1= 0
As a matter of fact, it is probably safe to say that none of my classmates could. Eventually after we learned and/or memorized the concept, our teacher began to reinforce the theory by making it practical to us [Enter the third circle of grade school hell]: word problems.
During that time, I hated word problems because they obscured the "raw data" and caused me to miss what I was to understand. Yet, now that I am an English major, I realize that maybe I was too busy analyzing the words instead of focusing on being in math class. At any rate, these word problems were forms of narratives for us. For a student who couldn't grasp the idea of 1-1=0, a story about how his two pieces of bubble gum turned to zero could make the information relevant.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Project Progress Report 1
So far, I have attended three regular meetings of the Clemson Gay Straight Alliance and one executive board meeting. I also spent some time at the table the club set up on the library bridge for coming out day.
Each meeting was organized differently. At the first one, a speaker was presenting her research on religious affiliation and attitudes toward homosexuality. The group engaged in a lively discussion as she presented her findings, some contributing their own experiences with religion. One young man talked about the Southern Baptist Church with which he was very involved. When he came out, the church community ostracized him, so that he was forced to leave. At the end of the talk, the executive board brought up some business manners. One member, "Max," who is new to the group this year, wanted the position of Diversity Liaison. But there was much confusion of what the position entailed. It is not in the Constitution and was created last year specifically for a graduate student who was interning in the Gantt Intercultural Center. Her job was to be the messenger between Gantt and CGSA. This year, none of the members work in the Intercultural Center. Max said that he wanted to make sure the organization was politically involved, but this didn't seem to be the job of the diversity liaison. After some arguing, in which it seemed that the majority of the members were confused, it was put to a vote and Matt was elected chief diversity officer. At the end of the meeting, some of us went to the front of the room to have our picture taken. These pictures were later mailed to all the faculty and staff who had gone through safe zone training. Some people chose not to be in the picture. We went through several different shots before the picture was pronounced good enough.
At the executive board meeting on Friday, the incident was brought up. The officers felt that the position of diversity liaison had not been explained correctly. They also seemed upset with the way some members who were not officers had taken over the voting process. Several of them thought it would have been better to eliminate the position of diversity liaison and allow Max to be a political chair. In this meeting, they also talked about plans for National Coming Out Week. Normally, it is just a day, but they chose to extend it to a week this year because the actual day fell on a Saturday. The main activity was manning a table on the library bridge all week with information about coming out and resources for the LGBT community. There was also an art exhibit with works by CGSA members in the Hendrix Center and a display of the bios of famous LGBT people in the library. The group's social chair, Bob, expressed disappointment at not being included in the committees for planning Coming Out Week and Winter Formal. He felt that others were horning in on his position. He had been so busy with other activities that he hadn't attended any meetings lately, so other people were taking initiative. This conflict was resolved by allowing Bob to be a contact person on all the committees. At the executive board meeting, the group also talked about revising the Constitution. When it was written, the organization established co-presidents, one male and one female. This was done because there was a lot of friction at the time between men and women and it was seen as a peacekeeping gesture. However, the members of the group seem to get along much better now, so the Constitution was revised to establish a president and vice-president. They also introduced procedures for the impeachment and resignation of executive officers.
I spent some time at the table during Coming Out Week. I noticed a significant change. Last year, students were reluctant to man the table. This year, there always seemed to be four or five people hanging out there. In order to get people to visit the table, the group offered free candy. Many people took advantage of this, but only a few took some handouts. Some asked questions about the group and then seemed embarrassed when they learned what it was. Most of the members manning the table sat and waited for people to approach them. But one young woman, "Ashley," was very outspoken. She yelled at all the passersby, offering them free candy. She also tried to convince others that the group could also be for straight people. At one point, she asked me if I was straight. The question caught me off-guard, but I answered "no." Ashley did manage to get more people to get candy, but she also made some people uncomfortable. There was some discussion of the banner placed in front of the table. We had two available, one with a tiger in rainbow colors and one with text on it about Coming Out Day. Some people, including me, preferred the tiger, but others thought it was scary.
That week's meeting, CGSA provided pizza and soda. They had advertized the meeting as a game night, so I was looking forward to playing board games. I was somewhat disappointed that it didn't happen. Instead, we gathered in a big circle for an icebreaker in which we said our names and acted out our favorite activity. Since there were so many of us, this took a long time. Then, we were asked to share coming out stories. Several people did. Most of them had had fairly positive experiences, but a few told stories of rejection by close friends and/or family members. Several people were not yet out to their parents. At this meeting, I also got to see the picture we had taken. It came out well. Most of us were smiling. I noticed that someone had photoshoped the banner with the rainbow tiger into the background.
At the most recent meeting, Max, the new diversity liaison, shared some articles from the Journal of Homosexuality. I noticed that all the articles were about gay men. Much research has been done on men, but there doesn't seem to be much information on women. After that, the executive members asked for feedback on Coming Out Week. Most of it was positive. Then they talked about winter formal. After some debate, the theme of a masked ball was picked. Last, we discussed fundraisers such as bake sales and selling the pictures we had taken. The president reminded us to pay our dues. After the meeting, some people remained to join the Winter Formal committee. I stayed to pay dues and then ended up joining the committee. I didn't really want to, but I felt obligated since I was depending on some of the members for a ride home.
That night, we didn't go directly home. Instead, we stopped at Monterrey's for dinner. We discussed sexuality while we were there. Of the six of us, three were bisexual, one was straight, one was gay, and one was transgendered. "Jody," is in the process of changing from a male to a female. She just started estrogen therapy and always dresses like a woman and wears make-up. She plans to have surgery later to make the transformation complete. Jody sees herself as a woman and prefers for others to refer to her that way. In fact, she sees herself as a straight woman. When I said something about her not being straight, I think I offended her a little. We talked about the process of a sex-change operation and about would and would not change. Jody said that her hips will remain narrow and that her breasts will probably not develop very much. She also expressed sorrow at not being able to have biological children, as she will not have ovaries or a uterus. This conversation at dinner made me think a lot. I thought about how difficult it must be to be transgendered and how much someone must want to change to undergo a sex change operation. I also thought about the ambiguity in CGSA. Although some members' sexuality is easy to determine, there are others we can't be sure about. I am one of the people that confuses others, but I also get confused myself. When I was hanging out in Edgars Underground, a girl I recognized from CGSA came over to talk to me. I wasn't sure whether she was just being friendly or flirting with me. In an organization like CGSA it can be difficult to tell, and I feel that it would be rude to ask someone. This ambiguity about gender and sexual orientation is something I would like to follow up. In a way, it makes it awkward for members to interact with each other until they are sure of each other's status.
Each meeting was organized differently. At the first one, a speaker was presenting her research on religious affiliation and attitudes toward homosexuality. The group engaged in a lively discussion as she presented her findings, some contributing their own experiences with religion. One young man talked about the Southern Baptist Church with which he was very involved. When he came out, the church community ostracized him, so that he was forced to leave. At the end of the talk, the executive board brought up some business manners. One member, "Max," who is new to the group this year, wanted the position of Diversity Liaison. But there was much confusion of what the position entailed. It is not in the Constitution and was created last year specifically for a graduate student who was interning in the Gantt Intercultural Center. Her job was to be the messenger between Gantt and CGSA. This year, none of the members work in the Intercultural Center. Max said that he wanted to make sure the organization was politically involved, but this didn't seem to be the job of the diversity liaison. After some arguing, in which it seemed that the majority of the members were confused, it was put to a vote and Matt was elected chief diversity officer. At the end of the meeting, some of us went to the front of the room to have our picture taken. These pictures were later mailed to all the faculty and staff who had gone through safe zone training. Some people chose not to be in the picture. We went through several different shots before the picture was pronounced good enough.
At the executive board meeting on Friday, the incident was brought up. The officers felt that the position of diversity liaison had not been explained correctly. They also seemed upset with the way some members who were not officers had taken over the voting process. Several of them thought it would have been better to eliminate the position of diversity liaison and allow Max to be a political chair. In this meeting, they also talked about plans for National Coming Out Week. Normally, it is just a day, but they chose to extend it to a week this year because the actual day fell on a Saturday. The main activity was manning a table on the library bridge all week with information about coming out and resources for the LGBT community. There was also an art exhibit with works by CGSA members in the Hendrix Center and a display of the bios of famous LGBT people in the library. The group's social chair, Bob, expressed disappointment at not being included in the committees for planning Coming Out Week and Winter Formal. He felt that others were horning in on his position. He had been so busy with other activities that he hadn't attended any meetings lately, so other people were taking initiative. This conflict was resolved by allowing Bob to be a contact person on all the committees. At the executive board meeting, the group also talked about revising the Constitution. When it was written, the organization established co-presidents, one male and one female. This was done because there was a lot of friction at the time between men and women and it was seen as a peacekeeping gesture. However, the members of the group seem to get along much better now, so the Constitution was revised to establish a president and vice-president. They also introduced procedures for the impeachment and resignation of executive officers.
I spent some time at the table during Coming Out Week. I noticed a significant change. Last year, students were reluctant to man the table. This year, there always seemed to be four or five people hanging out there. In order to get people to visit the table, the group offered free candy. Many people took advantage of this, but only a few took some handouts. Some asked questions about the group and then seemed embarrassed when they learned what it was. Most of the members manning the table sat and waited for people to approach them. But one young woman, "Ashley," was very outspoken. She yelled at all the passersby, offering them free candy. She also tried to convince others that the group could also be for straight people. At one point, she asked me if I was straight. The question caught me off-guard, but I answered "no." Ashley did manage to get more people to get candy, but she also made some people uncomfortable. There was some discussion of the banner placed in front of the table. We had two available, one with a tiger in rainbow colors and one with text on it about Coming Out Day. Some people, including me, preferred the tiger, but others thought it was scary.
That week's meeting, CGSA provided pizza and soda. They had advertized the meeting as a game night, so I was looking forward to playing board games. I was somewhat disappointed that it didn't happen. Instead, we gathered in a big circle for an icebreaker in which we said our names and acted out our favorite activity. Since there were so many of us, this took a long time. Then, we were asked to share coming out stories. Several people did. Most of them had had fairly positive experiences, but a few told stories of rejection by close friends and/or family members. Several people were not yet out to their parents. At this meeting, I also got to see the picture we had taken. It came out well. Most of us were smiling. I noticed that someone had photoshoped the banner with the rainbow tiger into the background.
At the most recent meeting, Max, the new diversity liaison, shared some articles from the Journal of Homosexuality. I noticed that all the articles were about gay men. Much research has been done on men, but there doesn't seem to be much information on women. After that, the executive members asked for feedback on Coming Out Week. Most of it was positive. Then they talked about winter formal. After some debate, the theme of a masked ball was picked. Last, we discussed fundraisers such as bake sales and selling the pictures we had taken. The president reminded us to pay our dues. After the meeting, some people remained to join the Winter Formal committee. I stayed to pay dues and then ended up joining the committee. I didn't really want to, but I felt obligated since I was depending on some of the members for a ride home.
That night, we didn't go directly home. Instead, we stopped at Monterrey's for dinner. We discussed sexuality while we were there. Of the six of us, three were bisexual, one was straight, one was gay, and one was transgendered. "Jody," is in the process of changing from a male to a female. She just started estrogen therapy and always dresses like a woman and wears make-up. She plans to have surgery later to make the transformation complete. Jody sees herself as a woman and prefers for others to refer to her that way. In fact, she sees herself as a straight woman. When I said something about her not being straight, I think I offended her a little. We talked about the process of a sex-change operation and about would and would not change. Jody said that her hips will remain narrow and that her breasts will probably not develop very much. She also expressed sorrow at not being able to have biological children, as she will not have ovaries or a uterus. This conversation at dinner made me think a lot. I thought about how difficult it must be to be transgendered and how much someone must want to change to undergo a sex change operation. I also thought about the ambiguity in CGSA. Although some members' sexuality is easy to determine, there are others we can't be sure about. I am one of the people that confuses others, but I also get confused myself. When I was hanging out in Edgars Underground, a girl I recognized from CGSA came over to talk to me. I wasn't sure whether she was just being friendly or flirting with me. In an organization like CGSA it can be difficult to tell, and I feel that it would be rude to ask someone. This ambiguity about gender and sexual orientation is something I would like to follow up. In a way, it makes it awkward for members to interact with each other until they are sure of each other's status.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Ethnography links
Here are the sites we looked at (or tried to) in class:
Fighting IT failure with ethnographic research [podcast] | IT Project Failures | ZDNet.com
A SAMPLE ETHNOGRAPHIC INTERVIEW on worship experience - good questions
Welcome to EPIC 2008 | EPIC 2008
Fighting IT failure with ethnographic research [podcast] | IT Project Failures | ZDNet.com
A SAMPLE ETHNOGRAPHIC INTERVIEW on worship experience - good questions
Welcome to EPIC 2008 | EPIC 2008
Annotated Bibliography Proposal
There are several workplace topics I have been thinking about for my annotated bibliography, mostly relating to women in the workplace. The readings we did a couple of weeks ago made me think about sexual harassment and working mothers among other things. It's been hard for me to narrow it down, but I finally decided on intra-office relationships. (This is the correct usage. Inter-office would be between different offices as opposed to the same office.)
I just saw an episode of "The Office" that dealt with that issue. (I've got hooked on the show recently). The human resources guy advised against intra-office relationships, but said that if a relationship was already begun the employees should fill out official forms and turn them in to the corporate offices. I'm wondering what real life corporate policies regarding relationships are. When I worked at a movie theater, I was told that we could date anyone on the same level as us, but no one above or below (meaning supervisors couldn't date the people they should be supervising). This makes sense, because of the imbalance of power; it would be difficult for an employee to break off a relationship with his/her boss without fearing repercussions. I think that intra-office dating (even among peers) is inadvisable, because of the inevitable awkwardness that would happen if the relationship ended. It's hard to maintain a professional attitude towards an ex.
That said, I have thought about Dan's post from a couple of weeks ago. It does make sense that we would be attracted to people at work, especially since we seem to be spending more and more time there. Just as students date classmates, co-workers may want to date. It may be difficult to find a suitable partner outside of the office. In this annotated bibliography, I want to learn how company policies involving intra-office dating have evolved and what issues are still problematic.
I just saw an episode of "The Office" that dealt with that issue. (I've got hooked on the show recently). The human resources guy advised against intra-office relationships, but said that if a relationship was already begun the employees should fill out official forms and turn them in to the corporate offices. I'm wondering what real life corporate policies regarding relationships are. When I worked at a movie theater, I was told that we could date anyone on the same level as us, but no one above or below (meaning supervisors couldn't date the people they should be supervising). This makes sense, because of the imbalance of power; it would be difficult for an employee to break off a relationship with his/her boss without fearing repercussions. I think that intra-office dating (even among peers) is inadvisable, because of the inevitable awkwardness that would happen if the relationship ended. It's hard to maintain a professional attitude towards an ex.
That said, I have thought about Dan's post from a couple of weeks ago. It does make sense that we would be attracted to people at work, especially since we seem to be spending more and more time there. Just as students date classmates, co-workers may want to date. It may be difficult to find a suitable partner outside of the office. In this annotated bibliography, I want to learn how company policies involving intra-office dating have evolved and what issues are still problematic.
Annotated Bibliography Proposal
The annotated bibliography for this study will analyze whether or not romantic work relationships affect an organization’s communicative environment. To learn more about this topic, representatives from various companies and position levels will be asked to describe their personal experiences and/or knowledge of amorous work relationships. Coupled with past ideologies about this topic, the results from this research will redefine or reaffirm the definition of professionalism and reveal how workplace values, rituals, and norms have changed or remained.
I have seen the effects of such relationships and how they affected communication and other relationships within my former place of employment. However, my experience is just one account of this subject. Hence, I do not seek to focus on the romantic relationships themselves; rather, I’ll investigate how other employees and the couples react to each other. This research should also reveal how the interaction between amorous couples and their colleagues affect the organization itself.
I have seen the effects of such relationships and how they affected communication and other relationships within my former place of employment. However, my experience is just one account of this subject. Hence, I do not seek to focus on the romantic relationships themselves; rather, I’ll investigate how other employees and the couples react to each other. This research should also reveal how the interaction between amorous couples and their colleagues affect the organization itself.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Taking on an observational role
I found these chapter's in Driskill and Brenton to be helpful as I continue my cultural analysis. I have already observed two regular CGSA meetings as well as a meeting of the executive board. In addition, I have helped to man the table for National Coming Out Week that was up all last week on the library bridge.
Looking at the four major observer roles, it is clear to me that I am a participant-observer. I feel that I am participating fully in the observation; when I attend meetings, I do not simply take notes in the back, but offer my input. I also volunteer my time outside of the meetings. At this point, it wouldn't be possible for me just to observe, because I was an active participant in the organization last year and am known by several other members. I have also let the members know of my role as participant observer. Because some members of the organization may wish to remain anonymous, I feel ethically obligated to tell them that I am observing them, although I also made it clear that my study will not be published and I will not use names. I also emphasized my status as a participant; I don't want the members of the organization to feel that I am only there to watch and take notes. I also enjoy attending meetings and socializing with members.
I am aware that I will not be an objective observer, but I don't think that it is ever possible to be completely objective. We all have our own biases which we bring to research. I think my status as a participant helps me in gaining the trust of members, so they will feel comfortable being honest when I interview them.
Looking at the four major observer roles, it is clear to me that I am a participant-observer. I feel that I am participating fully in the observation; when I attend meetings, I do not simply take notes in the back, but offer my input. I also volunteer my time outside of the meetings. At this point, it wouldn't be possible for me just to observe, because I was an active participant in the organization last year and am known by several other members. I have also let the members know of my role as participant observer. Because some members of the organization may wish to remain anonymous, I feel ethically obligated to tell them that I am observing them, although I also made it clear that my study will not be published and I will not use names. I also emphasized my status as a participant; I don't want the members of the organization to feel that I am only there to watch and take notes. I also enjoy attending meetings and socializing with members.
I am aware that I will not be an objective observer, but I don't think that it is ever possible to be completely objective. We all have our own biases which we bring to research. I think my status as a participant helps me in gaining the trust of members, so they will feel comfortable being honest when I interview them.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Driskill and Brenton Chapters 5 and 6
The chapters on observation and interviews and surveys will not only be helpful to me for this study, but also for my thesis. Before reading these chapters, I had a general idea of how I should ask questions: create a trusting environment for the participant and ask open-ended questions. However, this reading has provided me with other pertinent variables to consider. For instance, I will first have to determine which observation role I will be in the study. This choice will affect the questions I ask, and possibly, the answers also.
Looking ahead, I foresee the following being a challenge for me as the interviewer:
-noting the mundane
-distinguishing/overlooking rituals
-using the bracketing technique
-accurately deciphering survey and/or interview results
These two chapters will serve as excellent guidelines for me as I conduct these two studies. At first, I was fearful about what my research will actually reveal. However, I know the first step toward improvement is recognizing my weaknesses. Writing a detailed plan will help me to address each of my challenges and should ensure that my research is focused and meaningful.
Looking ahead, I foresee the following being a challenge for me as the interviewer:
-noting the mundane
-distinguishing/overlooking rituals
-using the bracketing technique
-accurately deciphering survey and/or interview results
These two chapters will serve as excellent guidelines for me as I conduct these two studies. At first, I was fearful about what my research will actually reveal. However, I know the first step toward improvement is recognizing my weaknesses. Writing a detailed plan will help me to address each of my challenges and should ensure that my research is focused and meaningful.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Cultural Analysis Proposal
Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Submitted to: Dr. Susan Hilligoss
Presented by: April Davis
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this study is to do a cultural analysis on Clemson University’s English Teacher Assistants’ (TA) communal work environment. Interviewing members of this group will reveal the how employees feel about their jobs, relationships with their superiors, and relationships with each other. Researching these factors will disclose the values and rituals of this group and will identify whether they share, embody, and reflect the values of their superiors and the program.
OVERVIEW STRUCTURE
Part I will provide an overview of the program (mission, structure, history) and discuss the methodology for the study itself. Part II will address four major themes of the study, which consist of the following:
· Community (structure, values, leadership)
· Perspectives on Teaching
· Rituals, Ideals, Narratives, and Practices
· Ethical Issues
METHODS
As a participant observer, I will interview and observe fellow TAs while also record my own observations. The interviews and observations will take place in or near the TA offices as to not interfere with their required office hours. Individual interview sessions will last approximately 5-10 minutes and the office observations for 30 minutes. The participants will be asked questions individually, and then conversational topics will be asked of the group as a whole. The comments from these talks will be recorded in detail. The interview participants will be any TAs currently in the office.
ANALYSIS
This cultural study will use the root metaphor approach. In such, each of the four major themes will be analyzed according to two of the three major research traditions of root metaphor:
· Culture as shared cognition
- Thought process and patterns of logic
· Culture as systems of shared symbols
- Language, nonverbals, and organization semiotics
Major Themes:
Theme 1: Community
Theme 2: Perspectives on Teaching
Theme 3: Rituals, Ideals, Narratives, and Practices
Theme 4: Ethical Issues
CONCLUSION
This study will measure how well or poorly assimilated TAs are with the English department’s values and goals. While not the focus of this study, the results may potentially yield some correlation between TA work ethic and satisfaction to ENGL 103 students’ comprehension.
Submitted to: Dr. Susan Hilligoss
Presented by: April Davis
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this study is to do a cultural analysis on Clemson University’s English Teacher Assistants’ (TA) communal work environment. Interviewing members of this group will reveal the how employees feel about their jobs, relationships with their superiors, and relationships with each other. Researching these factors will disclose the values and rituals of this group and will identify whether they share, embody, and reflect the values of their superiors and the program.
OVERVIEW STRUCTURE
Part I will provide an overview of the program (mission, structure, history) and discuss the methodology for the study itself. Part II will address four major themes of the study, which consist of the following:
· Community (structure, values, leadership)
· Perspectives on Teaching
· Rituals, Ideals, Narratives, and Practices
· Ethical Issues
METHODS
As a participant observer, I will interview and observe fellow TAs while also record my own observations. The interviews and observations will take place in or near the TA offices as to not interfere with their required office hours. Individual interview sessions will last approximately 5-10 minutes and the office observations for 30 minutes. The participants will be asked questions individually, and then conversational topics will be asked of the group as a whole. The comments from these talks will be recorded in detail. The interview participants will be any TAs currently in the office.
ANALYSIS
This cultural study will use the root metaphor approach. In such, each of the four major themes will be analyzed according to two of the three major research traditions of root metaphor:
· Culture as shared cognition
- Thought process and patterns of logic
· Culture as systems of shared symbols
- Language, nonverbals, and organization semiotics
Major Themes:
Theme 1: Community
Theme 2: Perspectives on Teaching
Theme 3: Rituals, Ideals, Narratives, and Practices
Theme 4: Ethical Issues
CONCLUSION
This study will measure how well or poorly assimilated TAs are with the English department’s values and goals. While not the focus of this study, the results may potentially yield some correlation between TA work ethic and satisfaction to ENGL 103 students’ comprehension.
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