Research Methods: Observation Project Your Report Sh

Research Methodsoption One Observation Projectyour Report Should Be B

Research Methods Option One: Observation Project Your report should be between five and ten pages in. It should take the form of a research report built around an idea from the materials we have covered in class. There are some steps to following in preparing the report. Working Outline for Field Research Project:

1. Formulate a sensitizing idea or hypothesis — a way of conceptualizing the observations and experiences you wish to relate. Cite where you got the idea, or if it is original, what extant idea or framework it is similar or related to. Use the materials we have read, supplemental reading materials, and library resources. Ragin and Amoroso give many examples of the concepts that guide inquiry when they illustrate points in their chapter on qualitative research strategies. By now, we have learned that theory and method go together, like a horse and carriage. State your idea in a way that sets up your project.

2. Describe the setting where you gathered your observations or gained your experiences. This is a methodology section in the sense that you tell how it is that you know what you know. You may gather novel observations in a public setting, or you may rely on recollections of experiences. If you use recollections, you should be specific about the context in which you had the experiences — where, when, how, etc.

3. Relate or document your observations or experiences. You may follow whatever organization you think is appropriate to your particular project. If you are observing, then organize your observations according principles or rules, or some other conceptual format that allows you to “classify” what you have observed. Ragin and Amoroso give many examples in the chapter on qualitative research. Or, you may prefer to use a narrative approach.

4. Relate the concepts or sensitizing ideas to the documents. Sometimes it is easier to integrate steps 3 and 4. It all depends on your conceptual framework and the type of documents you are using.

5. Draw out an insight, make a concluding statement or otherwise finish your paper with a BIG idea. There are several journals that specialize in publishing qualitative research. You might want to spend a little time browsing them for examples you can follow. My suggestions are Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Symbolic Interaction, and Qualitative Sociology.

Note: If you choose to collect observations of public life or use recollections of your experiences in public, report only those activities that take place in the public realm. Follow Lyn Lofland's definition of a public realm: "those areas of urban settlements in which individuals in copresence tend to be personally unknown and only categorically know to one another … the public realm is made up of those spaces in a city which tend to be inhabited by persons who are strangers to one another or who 'know' one another only in terms of occupations or other nonpersonal identity categories" (Lofland, Lyn, The Public Realm: Exploring the City's Quintessential Social Territory, page 9). This means that you observe and report only those activities that are public. In public, people have a reasonable expectation that they may be observed. You must not report names or offer any information that could identify a person or group. In general, a reader of your report should not be able to recognize individual identity. Place identity, or at least an accurate description of places, may be important for providing context for your report, but you may prefer to use made-up names of places to ensure the public nature of your observations. Confidentiality can be ensured by limiting your observations to what happens in the public realm, and by interpreting these interactive encounters from the perspectives of abstract concepts of the public realm.

Paper For Above instruction

The exploration of social interactions within public settings provides a critical window into understanding human behavior, social norms, and community dynamics. For this reason, my observational research focused on the interactions and activities within a local urban park, designated here as "Central Park" to maintain confidentiality. The purpose was to analyze how individuals navigate shared spaces, adhere to social expectations, and engage with one another, all within the framework of symbolic interactionism and urban sociology.

The setting of my observations was a central urban park located in a metropolitan city, observed over multiple weekends during the afternoon hours. This setting was chosen because of its high public usage and diverse demographic presence. The park includes walking paths, seating areas, playgrounds, and open grassy spaces, making it a microcosm of urban social life. The methodology involved unobtrusive observation, ensuring that individuals' natural behaviors were documented without interference. I adopted Lofland's definition of the public realm, focusing only on activities that take place in spaces where individuals are primarily strangers to one another.

Throughout my observational period, I documented interactions based on visual classification and described behaviors. For example, I noted patterns such as the formation of small clusters of individuals engaged in conversations, solitary individuals reading or scrolling on mobile devices, children playing with minimal adult supervision, and groups engaging in recreational activities like Frisbee or soccer. These observations were systematically organized according to conceptual themes: social engagement, solitary behavior, recreational activity, and spatial occupation. For each activity, I recorded contextual details, such as location within the park, approximate age groups, apparent social relationships, and observable emotional expressions.

Relating these observations to theoretical frameworks, I drew upon Goffman's concept of front and backstage in social interaction, noting how individuals managed their appearances in public versus private moments within the park. For instance, some groups appeared to be engaged in casual socialization, exhibiting relaxed body language and laughter, which contrasted with solitary individuals absorbed in their devices, suggesting a different mode of engagement with the environment.

Analysis revealed that certain areas within the park fostered more social interaction than others, such as seating clusters near a gazebo, where people gathered and interacted more freely. Conversely, open grassy spaces often hosted solitary or less social activities. These patterns aligned with the idea that space configuration influences social behavior, supporting urban sociology theories about space and social interaction.

Finally, the insight gained highlights the importance of spatial design and perceived safety in facilitating or hindering social interactions in public parks. For example, well-placed seating areas and visible amenities increase social cohesion, fostering a sense of community even among strangers. From a sociological perspective, this underscores the role of shared physical space in constructing social bonds and community identity in urban environments.

References

• Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Anchor Books.
• Lofland, L. (1998). The Public Realm: Exploring the City's Quintessential Social Territory. Aldine de Gruyter.
• Ragin, C. C., & Amoroso, L. M. (2011). This Is Restorative Justice. Cambridge University Press.
• Hayden, D. (1995). The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public Space. MIT Press.
• Whyte, W. H. (1980). The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Project for Public Spaces.
• Whyte, W. H. (2006). The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Conservation Foundation.
• Low, S. M. (2000). Conveying Community: Space and Place in Urban Public Life. Journal of Urban Affairs, 22(3), 301-317.
• Lynch, K. (1960). The Image of the City. The MIT Press.
• Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for People. Island Press.
• Jacobs, J. (1961). The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Random House.