The Ethnographic Essay –Female Sports Fans

This assignment asks you to perform an ethnographic investigation into a subculture with which you are relatively unfamiliar here on campus, in the Lawrence/Kansas City area, or in an online community setting. Upon completion of your researching, observing, and participating in your chosen subculture, you will write a report (an ethnography or ethnographic essay) wherein you synthesize your observations, interviews, and other data gathered at your site with secondary research (from the library or electronic databases). Your essay should contain a significant observation that informs your reader about something you've learned about what is important and/or valued by the subculture you've observed. This significant observation should work as the "spine" of your paper - that is, it should operate as a "thesis" does, leading your reader to a deeper understanding of the subculture you chose to observe and any conclusions you've drawn about it.You will compile a thorough body of field notes (minimum of 1 typed page) obtained from first-hand observation of your subculture. You must arrange to observe your subculture as soon as possible. Field notes must be gathered, organized and typed. Do not write about Chinese or international group. 
Grading Criteria Your project will be assessed according to the following:
How well you address and integrate your observations, interview, and research.
How well you conduct a focused and compelling study of a clearly identified and real subculture to which you do not belong.
How well your ethnography examines the subculture in terms of the shared values, rituals, language, artifacts, behaviors, and reason for belonging in that subculture.
How well you demonstrate awareness both of your subculture and of your subject position as you observe your chosen subculture.
The clarity, specificity and relevance of your significant observation regarding some aspect of the subculture (and what is important and valued by the subculture), and how well your significant observation reflects your observations and research while avoiding speculation and conjecture.
How well you integrate (at least) two outside sources, beyond your field notes and interview.
Your ability to ethically address (and write about) your initial impressions or preconceived notions about the subculture prior to this project.
 Additional questions to keep in mind:
Have I completed each component of the project effectively, ethically, and by the assigned deadlines?
Is my paper clearly and thoughtfully organized, with clear and effective transitions between paragraphs and sentences?
Is my paper relatively free of grammatical and sentence-level errors?
Does my paper meet the minimum length and formatting requirements of the assignment?
Are my sources clearly and accurately cited, both in the text and on the works cited page, in MLA format?
Did I maintain regular attendance, come to class prepared, and participate in class/group discussions
 Unit #2 – The Ethnographic Essay: Ethnography as a Mode of Inquiry Rather than studying people, ethnography means learning from people.
 – James Spradley The point for the ethnographer is not to bring some external criterion for judging whether it is safe to believe what informants say, but rather to come to understand how it is that informants judge authenticity. – C. Hine Overall Task
This assignment asks you to perform an ethnographic investigation into a subculture with which you are relatively unfamiliar here on campus, in the Lawrence/Kansas City area, or in an online community setting. Upon completion of your researching, observing, and participating in your chosen subculture, you will write a report (an ethnography or ethnographic essay) wherein you synthesize your observations, interviews, and other data gathered at your site with secondary research (from the library or electronic databases). Your essay should contain a significant observation that informs your reader about something you’ve learned about what is important and/or valued by the subculture you’ve observed. This significant observation should work as the “spine” of your paper – that is, it should operate as a “thesis” does, leading your reader to a deeper understanding of the subculture you chose to observe and any conclusions you’ve drawn about it. Project Components This assignment will consist of 3 components, all of which make up a percentage of your final grade for this unit: field notes, personal interview, and ethnographic essay. ►   Field Notes (15%) 
You will compile a thorough body of field notes (minimum of 1 typed page) obtained from first-hand observation of your subculture. You must arrange to observe your subculture as soon as possible. Field notes must be gathered, organized and typed before October 10, 2019. ►   Personal Interview (15%) 
You will conduct (at least) one interview with a member of the subculture you are examining. You should schedule your interview as soon as possible. Interviews must be completed before October 10, 2019. ►   4-6 page Ethnographic Essay (70%)
For this essay, you should integrate the information collected from your field notes and interview with at least 2 outside sources (not from your field notes or interviews). These sources must come from a scholarly journal or book. Format
Papers should be formatted in MLA Style, typed in 12 point font, one-inch margins on all sides. Your essay should include two outside academic sources and a works cited page. Word count: 1000-1500 (4 -6 pages). Overall Process
Select a subculture to study.
It is important you choose a subculture that is interesting to you and unique to your life experience. Choosing a subculture made up of individuals who are willing to be observed is crucial as well, so keep this in mind as you brainstorm possible groups/cultures.
Deadline: October 3
Schedule and conduct your observation.
Scheduling a time to observe your subculture as soon as possible is essential to the success of your project. This unit will move quite quickly. Be aware of your deadlines and do your very best to arrange to meet with your subculture as soon as possible.
Schedule and conduct your interview.
Scheduling a time to interview a participant in your identified subculture is also vital to the success of your project. Because you’ll have to find a time that works for your interviewee’s schedule, as well as your own, you’ll want to have this interview arranged as promptly as possible.
Conduct further research.
Practice strategies of inquiry as you read through and evaluate potential research articles, identifying those articles that will be most useful to your project.
Synthesize findings.
Complete ethnography by synthesizing all gathered research.
Turn in printed final copy of ethnographic essay in class on October 24.
Purposes
1). One purpose of this assignment is to encourage you to learn about a subculture you know little about and are interested in learning more about. Try to avoid researching with preconceived notions about your subculture; the most successful essays will be those in which the writer has genuine curiosity. 2). Another purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to blend a variety of research (field notes, interviews, scholarly sources) effectively into your writing. 3). Finally, this essay requires a serious ethnographic study into your group or subculture. Your own personal bias or preconceived notions should be addressed in some way in the essay (what is commonly called ‘full disclosure’); this will enhance your credibility as a researcher/writer and help you avoid falling into stereotypical or common observations. Your essay should make some meaningful conclusion about the group or subculture, based on your outside research and the information gathered from your interviews and/or field notes and not solely upon speculation or conjecture.