This new topic actually has presence in my life since both my older brother and younger brother are avid gamers. This idea didn’t really come to me until I was in the Office of Financial Services at the College of Charleston. The article was talking about how famous men are avid gamers and how they receive ridicule from mainstream culture because video games are a “boys” activity. This to me was of great importance because I realized just how important video games are to American culture, and more importantly, how great their influence is on “boys” my age. I can remember back to the age of about six years and watching my older brother playing on Atari and associated games with that system. Following a time line from six years of age to my age now, I am seeing the importance of video games and the culture associated thereof. Keeping up the neighbor mentality set in and my brothers and I had to keep up with the gaming system and associated games with those systems that were most popular. But this is no separate incident. Boys, and their parents, all over America and abroad had to keep up with the most popular game and gaming system. Thus the great “race for the moon” of the gaming systems began and it has never been the same since.

Gaining entrée to the gaming community shouldn’t be that hard of a task since I have been in and out of it since childhood. However I do not own any gaming systems and have not played video games in quite sometime. This does not hinder me from gaining entrance however because the gaming community is very open and friendly. This research can begin as of right now because I know a great number of video gamers and getting into the culture of video gaming only requires you to buy the respective gaming system and game. Also although the gaming community is rather splintered, that does not mean one can not gain access to a particular niche of gaming community. An example would be if you are an X-box 360^tm owner or a Sony Play-Station^tm owner and do not own the other that does not mean that you can not gain access to the gaming community. All you must do is have a gaming system and a game.

The physicality of my research site will not change because my site will be the gaming community and associated gaming equipment. If it does change it wouldn’t be the community itself, but rather the means to join the community through a different gaming system. This site will allow me to do a great deal of participant observation of varying degrees, unobtrusive observation, and interviews using both audio and written.

I truly think I have found a topic that will not only shine light on the gaming community, but also give an insight to a culture that is not fully understood. To be a gamer is to be a “boy” or a “girl” in a grown up world. Through this research however, I hope to show that even “grown” and “responsible” people play video games and lead a mainstream American life.

Some sample questions:

How long have you been playing video games? What was it like to play video games growing up? Did your parents buy you your system and games b/c it was what you wanted or did you tell your parents thats what you wanted b/c your friends had it? What games did you play growing up and which one was your favorite? least favorite? How often do you play? What kind of games do you play? What system do you use? Which system do you find superior? Which system has the best games?  Do you play with friends? if so, how often?

Second Set of questions will focus on just this semester thus far.

What games if any have you purchased this semester? How many hours on average this semester have you spent playing video games? Do you think that playing video games effects any aspect of your daily life? Has playing video games changed how you view the world? Do you as a person think that playing video games helps or hinders you? If either, both, or neither why so? do you think you will continue to play video games when you finish college? How about when you get married? Have Kids?

Set 3 questions will be a follow up of remainding questions from Set 2.

All Interviews will be done in both audio and written “fast” note style.

-Byron_

I am not sure yet whether my project is going to concentrate more on the facial expressions during storytelling or on what it is like growing up hearing in a deaf family.  Here are some questions for both topics:

1.  What was it like for you growing up hearing in a deaf family?

2. How do you think your experiences growing up in two separate cultures has affected you?

3.  What kind or role does storytelling play in deaf culture?

-Do you find deaf storytelling or hearing storytelling more expressive?

4.  What misconceptions about the deaf would you like to clarify for those who do not know very much about deaf culture.

****If anyone can think of any more questions let me know.  What kind of questions would YOU, personally, want to ask a hearing person who grew up in a deaf household?

I chose to do my research on Deaf culture, more specifically, storytelling in Deaf
culture.  At first, I wanted to do research on something involving medicine like EMT or
nursing.  However, as I thought about it more, I realized that it would be very difficult to
actually carry out any of the research.  I would not have been able to film or take any
pictures in a hospital or doctors office if I did nursing.  Even though I found a way to be
able to go on ride-alongs on an ambulance, I still would not be allowed to film or take
pictures of anything other than the actual ambulance and the EMT’s outside of work.
Last year I took a language and culture class with Dr. Weissman.  An entire section of the
class focused on deaf culture and she even brought in two lectures from the deaf
community.  The little that I learned on deaf culture in that class really stuck with me and
I even looked into learning ASL.  So, when I saw that Byron was interested in deaf
culture I decided to change my research topic and partner with him.

Deciding what to focus my research on was less difficult than choosing the broad
topic.  One of the lecturers that Dr. Weissman brought into our class was a deaf man.  I
noticed that when he would tell us stories or just sign to us, he was very animated. Even
without the translator, you could still understand the general idea of the story.  I would
even say that he was a better storyteller than most hearing people I know.  So, when it
came time to focus my research on a more specific topic I knew right away that I wanted
to do something concerning storytelling, body gestures, and/or facial expressions of the
deaf.

I e-mailed Dr. Weissman about the lecturers she brought into class to see if they
would be interested in helping me with my research.  Byron contacted a friend of Dr.
Quinn’s whose parents are deaf and whose daughter wears a cochlear implant.  She said
that she would be more than willing to help us with our research and we are meeting with
her this week.  This is perfect for us because our contact is actually hearing and she
knows ASL so she can translate for us.  It is going to be strange, at first, communicating
with someone who can not hear what I am saying, but I think that having someone there
who can translate for me will ease the transition in becoming more comfortable.  Also,
we have more than one deaf person to interview and observe telling stories.  However, I
am not sure if we should continue with the Dr. Weissman’s contacts or is Byron’s
contact will be enough for our research.

I of course hope to learn a lot about my research topic but I actually hope to learn
a lot more. I am excited about learning a little ASL.  I am also excited to just learn about
and be able to observe the normal everyday life of a deaf person, a hearing person raised
in a deaf household, and a person with a cochlear implant.

-Robyn

Background

When you listen to music, especially jazz, you become emerged in a complex and layered communication. My primary focus is going to decipher the language of jazz. I may go about this in a few ways. First, I’m going to compare learning to play jazz to language acquisition. This involves interviewing musicians about their experiences in learning, exploring questions like innate vs. learned ability, proficiency, and fluency. I’m also going to look at the different styles of jazz (there are many being played in Charleston) as different dialects or accents within the language. Jazz is an inherently eclectic music, and it would be interesting to sift out some of the cultural underpinnings of jazz performers and their preferred style of jazz. Also, what are the musicians expressing or attempting to express through their music? What does this say about the jazz culture and spirit, and do they feel their communication is effective or that their language is adequate?

Additionally, I’d at the language and of jazz on a more tangible level. This includes analyzing communication of jazz musicians, both amongst each other and between the audience, examining proxemics, inaudible communication, and the influence of the jam space.

Lastly, it would be interesting to see how the jazz language has coped with technological change. The creation of new ‘words’ aka new musical concepts, techniques, and abilities could be examined. Has jazz lost its heritage or has it redefined itself to stay relevant in a world of unthinkable technological advancement?

Some sample interview questions

• Was learning to play jazz a conscious experience?
• When did you first see yourself as a jazz musician?
• How much of playing jazz is do you feel is imitation/emulation and how much is original?
• To what extent is learning to play jazz a developmental process?
• How important is the audience to your performance?
• What is your ideal venue? Audience?
• What are you trying to achieve through your music?
• Who are you trying to reach?

(I’m open to ideas and suggestions)

Fieldsite Selection

My participant-observation field site for the semester is a bar and music venue called Voodoo in West Ashley. Although it is known for hosting a variety of music, it is known for its unique atmosphere and is a good spot to experience a more raw and improvisational style of jazz.

The setting is ideal for my research. It is only a short drive away, and I have reliable transportation so it should not be a problem. Jazz is played on the weekends, which are open for me this semester. The venue is comfortable and has good ambiance. From my first few visits, I can tell it is a popular spot and draws a diverse crowd. Anyone from college students, young professionals, and older people pack in to hear the tunes. The venue is interesting in that it is divided in two, with an area for the music and the bar on the other side. The contrast is funny, as atmosphere is so much different on either side of the wall.

The demographic mixture of the people to me is a good sign. I’m looking at this as an opportunity to get different viewpoints, perspectives, and opinions in my interviews. At the same time it is slightly intimidating approaching people I across racial or generational gaps especially if I do not know them. However, I’m sure this will get easier as time goes on and I get more comfortable in the field. I don’t think I will have any problem psychologically accessing the venue and its people. Jazz is played on Saturday nights, which seems to be a well known fact to even casual observers of the Charleston music scene. Like many venues around the city, they have their designated night for jazz, featuring different bands and styles from week to week.

Conducting field work should be pretty viable in this setting. There is a good amount of seating, open space, and room to move about and set up and relocate if necessary. I think this is definitely possible to carry out in an unobtrusive manner. Conducting interviews with the musicians may initially difficult, as they have their priorities. Nonetheless, video, picture taking, and interviews should be fine. Participant observation is one thing I would absolutely love to engage in. Just being in attendance and listening and reacting to the music is participant observation in a sense. However, I would actually like to play or simply jam with some jazz musicians. I have been playing guitar and bass guitar for the better part of a decade, and I think it would be a learning experience to engage in jazz culture. This too can be intimidating because these musicians are so skilled and talented.

In terms of gaining entrée and special access to the music world, I have spoke with several people. A few students in our class have been kind enough to hook me up with their friends through the college that play throughout the city. I’ve also talked with half a dozen or so owners of restaurants/bars that host jazz. I’ve explained my project and they seem interested and willing to help. I’ve also met a few avid jazz fans at Voodoo, who gave me some great insight into the Charleston jazz scene and just jazz as a whole. These folks may prove to be my most valuable and reliable source of information.

Note: there are literally dozens of venues in Charleston and surrounding areas that host jazz. Astoundingly, I have yet to find one place dedicated to exclusively playing jazz. Also, due to the number of places and scheduling of the music, I have not made it to every venue. This should be accomplished in about a week’s time. I’ve heard people raving about this club or that club, so it should be interesting to if I can find that one amazing place that is even better than Voodoo in terms of music, vibe, and accommodation.

If anyone knows of any cool venues or has connections in the Charleston jazz world please let me know, it would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone has any suggestions or ideas regarding my project I’m welcoming any and all feedback

My semester-long research project will be an ethnography of ghost-storytelling culture in Charleston, South Carolina, and the surrounding areas (namely, Georgetown and Pawleys Island). The fieldsite will include the major cultural vehicles through which ghost stories are conveyed. The popular tourist-targeting ghost walks or tours will be one significant site, where I will get a sense of how a historic cultural staple has evolved to fit the cultural needs of today’s Charlestonian (or tourist). For an account of the traditional oral accounts of ghost stories, my fieldsite will encompass encounters with members of the older generations of the lowcountry. Interviews with these important informants will, I hope, enable me to gain a sense of how ghost stories were told, heard, understood, and thought about generations ago. These two main components of my fieldsite should enable me to view the evolution of ghost storytelling culture in the area, and give me multiple perspectives on the social relevance of the tradition.

Ghost storytelling is a well-known tradition in the American South, especially in the Charleston area. In fact, the city of Georgetown, about an hour from Charleston, is known as the most haunted city in America. Despite this enormous cultural presence, the tradition has not been thoroughly examined academically within this particular context – that is, the history of the Charleston.

Charleston is a city which has been on the “front lines” of trade, cultural change, and political upheaval in America. Most of the African slaves traded into the early American economy passed through the port of Charleston. Ghost storytelling is in many ways one of the legacies of this historical reality. Therefore, my research will aim to identify the relationship between today’s ghost story culture and the historical cultural influences of a huge African presence in South Carolina hundreds of years ago. This research I will apply to my observations (through library research, interviews, and participant observation in the field) on modern race relations in Charleston, as seen through ghost storytelling. I think that this social subject is extremely worthy of examination, and I think to do it through the medium of such an intimate, personal tradition of storytelling will be particularly effective and illuminating.

The fieldsite should be accessible for my needs. Ghost tours occur weekly, and in some cases, daily. Employees of these businesses should be available for interviews as well. I expect a friend of my family, “Doc” Lachicotte, of Pawleys Island, to be my most valuable older-generation informant. Doc has lived in Pawleys his whole life, and as the area’s most successful realtor, he has a lot of clout in the community, and a lot of contacts who will be helpful in my research. He has generously agreed to help me, and will be a very important gatekeeper for my research.

I expect to use video and audio recording, as well as still photography, in my research. Storytelling is a performance, and I expect to gain a lot of insight into the field from the body language of my informants. The ghost tours should be especially visually stimulating. I will also be able to engage in participant observation during tours, as I will be a paying customer of the tour-giver. I look forward to observing the tour-giver/storytelling as well as the other individuals on the tour (hopefully, with these tour participants’ agreement, I will be able to distribute questionnaires after the tour which participants will mail back to me, with some of their responses and reactions to the ghost tour they just experienced).

An additional resource which I believe will be very illustrative of ghost storytelling’s historical trends and characteristics is the voluminous collections of ghost story anthologies from the region. These publications are most often authored by non-academic individuals, and can be fascinating subjective snapshots of the most popular stories and the social perspectives that inform them.

I expect this project to really dissect the ghost story of Charleston, and identify some of the historical social realities that informed them, and led them to their prominent position in southern culture today. Please see the attached for a working list of sources that will inform this research.

For my participant-observation field site, I selected to do research in a local tattoo shop in downtown Charleston. The shop I choose is Holy City Tattoo on upper King Street.  The reason I choose this specific site is because I have visited this location before and received a tattoo from the owner. Having experienced the atmosphere of this shop before, I decided it would make a good choice to return to conduct my research project there.

The setting of a tattoo shop interests me because so many different people visit it and they all have different ideas. The eclectic atmosphere makes being in a tattoo shop very interesting for an observer because of the variety of conversations and ideas being discussed. I believe it will be enjoyable to frequently visit the site numerous times throughout the semester because it is a chance to dive into the heart of the subculture of tattooing.  Some of the things that I would like to know that I do not know already are questions like; How does someone become a tattoo artist? Do you as an artist ever have to talk someone out of a bad idea? Is there anything you will not tattoo? Is there anyone you will not tattoo? Is there any certain place on the human body that you will not tattoo? What is your favorite thing/style to tattoo? Etc…. For the person getting tattooed I would ask other questions such as; What made you get this tattoo? Why in that place on your body? Is this your first? Last? How many do you have now? Why did you choose this tattoo shop? This artist? Do you feel like you now belong to the tattoo culture?, etc…

Unfortunately, since I will be observing an art form that takes place under sterile conditions, there is limited ‘hands-on’ activity that I can participate in. Mainly observation and questioning will achieve the experience and knowledge I wish to gain. The setting within the artist’s booths is an area designated to the artists and the person getting tattooed, the rest of the shop I open area. The main concern is not having a lot of people in the booth for sterilization and artist comfort purposes. The overall setting of the tattoo shop is not unusual for me, but for people who are getting a tattoo for the first time, it may seem a little nerve wrecking, especially because of the sound to the tattoo gun which is similar to a dentist’s drill sound. However the unique aspect of a tattoo shop is its clientele. Anyone from any social class, background, ethnicity, gender, and anyone 18 (or 21 in South Carolina) and above can enter and get a tattoo. This makes the subculture of tattooing interesting because any one person can have a tattoo. Its unique to think that you can be connected to any one person with a tattoo because you share an experience, although experienced at separate times and places, it is still a shared experience.

The tattoo culture has long been a subculture within American society. People with tattooed bodies were once treated as ‘freaks’ and outcasts. This immediately placed them into a subculture of the main stream culture.  However, in modern times tattoos are becoming a more acceptable part of everyday society. The tolerance of acceptability varies regionally but even still the acceptance has come a long way since the early 1900’s and the ‘freakshows’. The growing acceptance has allowed for more tattoo shops to be established around the country where previously tattooing was outlawed. South Carolina had a ban on tattooing for decades and just a few years ago the ban was lifted, allowing for tattoo shops to be established in industrial areas of the city. This accessibility makes my research project possible, because just a few years ago I would not have even had the option to study the tattoo subculture within the local tattoo shops.

Accessing the tattoo shops does not present a problem since they are within the city, the only problem I could foresee happening would be the lack of clients on any given day I am in the shop observing. This would inhibit the observation of artist-client interaction. However, I feel as though that would only be a temporary problem pertaining to that certain day of fieldwork. Since I plan on interviewing a few clients, I would hope for a variety of clients to come to the shop and be willing to volunteer to be interviewed and photographed. Since I have already made entrée with the owner of the shop, I have already cleared it with him about taking pictures, video, and interviews with him, his artists employed, and some clients.  I have been informed by the owner that consent forms must be given out and signed in order to protect his business. This would be the only ethical issue that could present its self within the research. However I feel as long as I have the correct consent forms, the owner should be fine with the picture/video and interviewing.

Overall, I am confident that my participant-observation field site study in local tattoo shop will be successful in that I have already established entrée, and a gatekeeper, and received permission to sit and observe and take pictures. Cooperation with the owner makes it possible to achieve my research goals throughout the project so I will make sure to have the consent forms that he requested.

Field Site Proposal

How do Germans take their coffee? This is a question I have been asking myself ever since I have noticed a pattern in German coffee culture within my own extended family. I intend to answer this question by observing and participating in the German custom of coffee and cake at various locations around Summerville, SC. My field sites will be the homes of German women who host coffee and cake, including my own home.

Since this is a subject that is very familiar to me I don’t expect difficulty with entrée. Some of my informants will be family members in the US and in Germany, friends of my family in the US, as well as people unknown to me from the German Club in Charleston. What they all will have in common is their nationality. Without exception I will interview only German women. I would like to narrow my informants down to women only, because men do not host “Kaffeekränschen” and because they do not usually contribute much to this custom. I will, however, inquire about the participation and roles of men during coffee and cake during my interviews with my female informants, so as not to exclude men from my study completely.

My research will include personal interviews with German women from the local area, questionnaires for those women I can not interview personally because they live in Germany, participation and observation of coffee and cake at various homes in the local area, including field-notes, sound and video recordings, and publications that give information about the custom and history of coffee and cake. I am able to make use of several sites because I expect to find them all very similar in their function and setup, but I expect to see some differences in the routines and behaviors of hosts as well as guests.

Three interviews into this project I have already noticed differences in my informants’ answers. I started out with the belief that I had been taught the proper ways of coffee and cake, and have come to realize already that my expectations of similarities might fail me. Stubbornly I try to ask my questions differently, hoping to get the answers I want (answers that match my upbringing), but I have come to the conclusion that the definition of coffee and cake will vary with every family. I say family, not individual, because coffee and cake is nonetheless a tradition passed down through the women in the family, so I expect everyone in that family to serve coffee and cake as their mother did.

I expect to have several opportunities to join “Kaffekränschen” at different households throughout the semester. Germans are generally very eager to invite someone over for coffee and cake, so I do not foresee a lack or shortage of field-sites. During each of these visits I hope to be able to film, take pictures of, and voice record the hostess and her guests.

Concerns I have about my project are (1) my bias towards my own coffee culture, (2) that some women may not want to speak too openly with me because they know me or my mother and fear being the subject of future gossip, (3) that some of my questions may be insulting or disrespectful to my informants, and (4) that I may not come up with a large enough sample size. Another concern of mine is that I feel as though I am unmasking a part of German culture that Germans did not consider culturally significant to begin with, and my research of their culture may make them feel akward about their customs. If I demystify coffee and cake, will they still be able to enjoy it without feeling self-conscious about their behavior? At the same time, will my attention to this custom inspire my younger informants to maintain a tradition they may have otherwise considered outdated because they did not realize the cultural value in it?

This semester I want my field site to be at the Trident Literacy Association’s downtown location, also known as the TC Drayton Center.  It is located on Meeting Street across from the Piggly Wiggly and next to the Sherwin Williams paint store.  The center is a non-profit that works with adults in the downtown area who are illiterate, functionally illiterate (have basic reading skills but not enough to perform everyday tasks effectively), or learning English as a second language.  The students range from 18 to as old as 83.  Most of the people who attend the center are black and live in the surrounding government housing.  The younger students usually come to prepare for the GED, while the older students usually want to learn to use computers.

I must disclose that this site is also my internship location this semester.  I am required to work there 9 hours a week.  I go on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am to 2pm.  I spoke to my internship supervisor about the possibility of me using this as my research methods field site as well.  She has some reservations about making sure the students’ identities are protected.  I’ve promised her to run any paperwork or updates with my project by her first.

I think this field site is a good pick because I will gain a new perspective on the disadvantaged in the downtown area.  The students who come to the center are people our school system (and society to a certain extent) has failed.  But at the same time, these are people who are striving to improve themselves.  I think I’d like to look at the motivating factors that keep young students (18-22) coming in regularly as opposed to students who rarely come in or stop altogether.  I’d also like to learn why they dropped out of high school in the first place.  This is often boiled down to pregnancy, poor grades, bad teachers, etc.  However, this happens in all communities, and there are not nearly the same number of high school dropouts in white communities in the U.S.  I know this is broad right now, but I think as I start looking with my “anthropological eye” I’ll be able to narrow my focus.

I plan on making a short film.

This will be done in a movie/documentary style.

-Michael

***Sorry this is longgg, Joey! Its kind of a weird format because I based it off of the textbook…
A Passion for Pizza: An Ethnographic Study of Pizza Shop Culture and the Artistic Aspects of its Success

Summary: This study proposes to discover the intricacies behind the popular setting of neighborhood pizza shops and the artistic elements associated with pizza making, as well as those needed to create a casual environment that is expected of pizza shops. This will be accomplished by “making strange” with this familiar scene, specifically at D’Allesandro’s and Andolini’s, two popular pizza shops in downtown Charleston, SC. Research will be conducted through observation, interviews, film, photography, and hopefully participant observation. It is expected that the outcome of this study will inform the public of the details, talent and pride behind what is often considered to be an informal and perhaps “unimportant” practice that is taken for granted in American culture.

Rationale: This study is worthy of research because there have not been any extensive projects completed on this specific topic. The study is also a reflection on trends in American society, which is a common basis for research. In this trend, pizza shops and the performance of their employees are seldom recognized as noteworthy. In fact, society often considers people associated with this business to be lazy or unprofessional due to the laid-back environment associated with their work. Yet, Americans are incredibly reliant on pizza shops, in particular their delivery service, which is a reflection on how much Americans desire and crave pizza. The culture of pizza shops and the art behind their tasty creations are greatly taken for granted by those who have come to expect this service as a norm or standard in American culture. This study will uncover the dynamics of keeping a business local and popular, and reveal the rivalries that exist between the shops who accomplish this best. It may also heighten the general public’s awareness about the unknown and seldom recognized artistic aspects of pizza shop culture, reducing the stereotypes of a skilled and interesting group who have been forgotten amidst the expectations for their services.

Conceptual Areas of Inquiry: This study hopes to inquire about the untold aspects of pizza making and pizza shop culture through their unwritten rules and routines. This may include the “art” of making a pie, discovering whether a hierarchy exists between cooks, delivery drivers and servers, how to maintain the casual environment that is expected from a pizza shop, the rivalries that can exist between similar businesses, stereotypes associated with the occupation, the presence of secret ingredients or recipes, and how entertainment and décor play a role in establishing a popular pizza shop.

Hypotheses/Research Questions: There is no formal hypothesis for this study, given that the objective is to interpret and discover the feelings and ideas about pizza culture that are held by its members. Research questions include:
-    Do employees feel that making pizza requires talent? Would they consider it creative or a form of “art” by any means?
-    Do employees think that customers who eat pizza in their shop have a different experience from eating at a corporate/chain pizza shop or eating a delivered pizza in their home? If so, what elements are needed to make this experience possible?
-    How do employees feel that they are stereotyped when working at a pizza shop? Do they, themselves, take their job seriously? What sort of pride is associated with working at “their” shop?
-    In such a laid-back environment, how is authority established among employees?
-    Do hiring managers consider a certain type/style of person that they think will uphold the image of the pizza shop when choosing future employees? Does a certain type of person eat at the shop? Is it a welcoming environment for the general public?
-    How do employees attempt to expand people’s view on various types of pizza instead of sticking to the popular cheese or pepperoni? Do they think there’s a limit for creating new pizzas that are too strange or unexpected, regarding topping combinations?

Methodology, Protocol, and Logistics: The selected research methods will produce data that address the study’s goals by maintaining focus of the main objectives. The protocol for this study involve confidential interviews, photography, voice recording and film taken after consent from the subjects, respectful observation, and frequent reminders that subjects are participating by choice and are free to leave the study at any time.

Analysis: Analytic procedures will include reviewing voice recordings, transcriptions, and answers to written interview questions and surveys, as well as interpretation of the subject’s comments, responses and attitudes to assess their reliability and the validity of the information they provide as a legitimate source of insight into pizza shop culture.