SOC/100 V9 Social Group Observation Template
SOC/100 v9 Social Group Observation Template
Below are 3 examples of how a sociologist might take field notes to record their observations. Use any of these styles to guide your note-taking during the observation portion of this assignment. The charts or story journal are optional, and your observation notes do not need to be turned in with your assignment. If you wish, you may create your own chart or use another method that works best for you. Change or add the categories or labels as needed for your group of subjects.
Example Observation Notes
Example 1: Table of Subjects
Subject | Estimated Age | Estimated Race or Ethnicity | Estimated Gender or Sex
1 | Around 12 | Hispanic | Male
2 | Maybe 40 | Black | Female
3 | Late 20’s | White | Other
Example 2: Category Totals
Category | Variable | Mark X for Number Observed
Age | Young/Child |
Age | Teen |
Age | Adult 20-40’s | XXXX
Age | Adult 40-60’s | XX
Age | Senior |
Race/Ethnicity | African American | XX
Race/Ethnicity | Asian |
Race/Ethnicity | Caucasian | XXXXX
Race/Ethnicity | Hispanic/Latino | X
Race/Ethnicity | Biracial/Other | X
Gender/Sex | Female | XXXXXX
Gender/Sex | Male | XXXXXXXX
Gender/Sex | Other |
Example 3: Story Journal
Saw the following: A family of five (White, mother and father look middle-aged, 3 kids: 2 boys, 1 girl, all young children).
An African-American woman around 50 with a 5-year-old girl.
An adult male appears to be Asian.
Two teen girls, likely Hispanic/Latino.
Group of four middle-aged women (1 Native American, 1 biracial, 2 White).
Your Observation Notes
Collect your field notes in the space below, using one of the field note examples from above or another method that works best for you. You might also want to include notes on any patterns of behavior and cultural norms that you observe in groups based on age, gender/sex, and race/ethnicity.
References
- Haralambos, M., & Holborn, M. (2013). Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. HarperCollins.
- Giddens, A., & Sutton, P. (2021). Sociology. Polity Press.
- Seidman, I. (2019). Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences. Teachers College Press.
- Babbie, E. (2016). The Practice of Social Research. Cengage Learning.
- Lavrakas, P. J. (2008). Encyclopedia of survey research methods. Sage Publications.
- Baker, T. L. (1994). Doing Social Research. McGraw-Hill.
- Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing Grounded Theory. Sage.
- Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods. Sage Publications.
- Lofland, J., & Lofland, L. H. (1995). Analyzing Social Settings: A Guide to Qualitative Observation and Analysis. Wadsworth Publishing.
- Schaefer, R. T. (2011). Sociology: A Brief Introduction. McGraw-Hill.