For this week's blog response, I would like you to think about the work of a fieldworker and how a person doing research in the field communicates his/her findings to an audience.
Part of our responsibility as researchers and writers (and as intellectual thinker people!) is to publish and distribute our discoveries. One of the ways we are going to practice doing this, in FYW100, is through blogging.
The purpose of your own fieldworking blog will be to communicate to us and to everyone else in the connected worl, on a weekly basis, the progress of your fieldwork, from making initial contact to wrapping things up in December. You will write your posts as a kind of "memo" each week, updating us on what you accomplished since last week, what new photos you took or interviews you conducted, what fun facts you learned about your site or what neat experience from there illuminated a theme, motif or tension. Your blog will be a vessel for collecting your data and your thoughts about your experiences as a fieldworker. The writing you collect there will be so helpful to you as you move forward to write your final fieldstudy.
In preparation for this, I am asking you this week (in addition to creating your blog!) to visit the blogs below and to peruse the writings of a diverse range of fieldworkers. Note that many different disciplines are represented here, as are various interpretations of "fieldwork." Also, each fieldworker approaches his/her blog in a slightly different way, so try to pay attention to their content and design. Note who the author is and what they tell you about themselves. Note the background pattern and whether it reflects a thematic tone or pattern relative to the blog’s purpose. Note the content of the most recent posts and the numbers of comments and/or followers. Note the style, tone and vocabulary of the author’s writing, the presence or absence of hyperlinks and video to illustrate main points, the complexity or simplicity of the writing and consider "who is the intended audience?"
Once you’ve thoroughly checked out the blogs and made a few response notes about what engaged you, what was off-putting (and why!), and what intrigued you, please leave 400-500 word post here in which you address:
(1) what you noticed about the nature of fieldwork (the actual work out in the field),
(2) what you noticed about how fieldwork was represented (written about, displayed) on these blogs, and
(3) what's at the forefront of your mind as you think about your own choice of a fieldsite and/or writing publicly about your fieldwork.
Publish your comments by 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 6.
Science in Svalbard and the Adventures of Fjord:
Notes From The Field:
New York Times Scientist at Work:
Lawn Chair Anthropology:
Anthropological Fieldwork-LB's Blog:
Anthropology Fieldnotes:
Anthropological fieldwork in Beirut:
The Anthropology of Tibetan Buddhism:
Jon Hentik in Ifugao:
After taking a close look at each of the linked fieldworking blogs I can say one thing, there is no isolation in fieldworking, successful work means interactions with other human beings. Even in the studies which are not based in humanity, (such as the glacier and animal fieldworking) there is a distinct and almost instinctual recording of human interaction and personal views. While the subject matter may not be living, much of the fieldworking notes seem to denote interactions with other members of a crew, natives, or even reflections into the self. I also see that there is much comparison and contrasting occurring in the notes. While one fieldworker is in the forests of Vietnam for example, she compares the noises of the forest to the sounds of New York City during the morning. This goes to demonstrate to me that there is no fieldworking which exists without some sort of human aspect, as humans we will inject our ideas and experiences into our work, even if that experience is nothing but a lack of experience in any given topic. One thing I noticed about the nature of the blogs was that they were very friendly. In most cases common language was used rather than language which requires a dictionary to decipher. It seems as though fieldworking notes on blogs have a very personal and informal aspect to them. Many seem to move in chronological order and are mainly comprised of the "stream of consciousness" writing that we had discussed briefly in class before. I also noticed that the blogs presented a great deal of pictures. The only linked blog which did not have scenes from the study was the one which most recently discussed the lack of motivation to continue the study, ironically enough. Thinking in terms of my own fieldwork I've definitely decided to use a lot more pictures than I was planning. They allow a useful jump-in point of sorts to the reader to follow along with your updates in a better way than text alone can manage. Despite my fieldsite being relatively nearby, I think pictures of the people and decoration of the mosque will be extremely useful for my peers to understand the culture. In terms of my writing the blogs have reinforced my idea to write what comes to mind on my blog. The blog does not have to be a professional white-washed area which careful planning and editing rule the day, I believe it instead should be a place for anything that comes to mind to be jotted down and a place where the researcher can provide a vessel in themselves for which the reader can understand the study through, rather than a string of facts for which they have no lens.
ReplyDeleteSome of these blogs were very interesting and funny to read (I loved Fjord!). The fieldwork that most of them were doing required traveling moderately great distances. This is usually a first time deal for most of the fieldworkers, but they have a lot of knowledge about the place they are going and what they are there to discover. They were all enthralled with their subjects of study and were willing to go to great lengths to discover more. All of the fieldwork involved talking to people affected by that study, even if it wasn’t about the people. It is important to get information directly from a human source so that you can have a conversation and understand what and how they feel towards your fieldwork. Feedback is an important aspect in many of these blogs, which is why human interaction is so necessary. The blogs themselves were full of the author’s passion. Every detail was important to them because this was their way of casual documentation. The tone of most of the blogs was laid back, but still intelligent. A few were a little bit rigid, which made them less enjoyable to read. The authors usually would give some of their own background (where they live, education they may have had, prior knowledge of the subject, etc.) so that the readers could have a better understanding of them. They would also explain what they were doing, so the reader would know what the blog was about. Some of the blogs had lots of pictures, which made me happy. A couple even had short videos! It is a much better experience if you get to see what they were seeing at the exact moment they are describing it. The blogs that only had one or two pictures and lots of long paragraphs were automatically boring in my mind. They may have had good information, but they just weren’t as entertaining as the ones with pictures. They often tended to have fewer comments, which means less people took the time to read what they said. I also think that a huge part of the different blogs appeal was the initial cover photo (if there was one) at the very top of the page as well as the background pattern. First impressions are a very big deal; readers determine whether or not they will continue reading depending on whether or not they like the first things they see. I am really excited to make my own blog! I love designing backgrounds and making everything look professional, so this is going to be perfect. I also like that we can be casual with our writing on our blogs if we want, especially since my field site is a very comfortable and relaxed place for me. I can’t wait to share what I uncover with my readers!
ReplyDeleteEach one of the blogs was unique, not only was the information they shared different, but their styles, and how they decided to share and organized their discoveries. The authors who actually care about their research have designed it in such a way as to attract the readers. Some of the blogs are very picturesque and have many pictures, which makes you want to read their blogs, such as “Science in Svalbard and the Adventures of Fjord” and “Notes from the Field”, which were my two favorites. The color also plays a role in attracting reader. Most of the blog had few comments, but the ones with a lot of writing and no pictures had close to none. Some of the blog authors address their reader informally and even made jokes, others were more formal and concise. There was one blog in special, “Jon Hentik in Ifugao”, that emphasizes the importance of having a real interest in what you are researching about. He had barely made a few post and he was complaining on why he had picked to do his research about Ifugao. His blog was depressing too, it had no color, nor pictures, and no love. It seems like he didn’t put any type of effort at all. Most of the other blogs seem to care about their blogs and also showed to have built or are beginning to build a special relationship with their field site and the people there. Field work involves getting out of your comfort zone to interact with strangers , who hopefully will become friends, if not so, at least amicable acquaintances.it also involves energy, time, effort and some humor if necessary. It also requires to have an open mind when it comes to the new place and people, otherwise you will get upset and complain throughout your entire research. Furthermore, field work involves a common desired to share something that you love, find intriguing, and life changing. I hope that my field work will be inspiring, illuminating or just merely interesting to someone. I can’t wait to start my research and start sharing what I hope to be an interesting subculture to my readers and give an insight into something new. I already know I will be sharing many pictures and hopefully make a few new friends. My goal is to understand more in depth what enthralled me from the very beginning. I haven’t design my blog yet, but I already have the perfect picture, now I will go work on that. I’m very excited!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was very helpful looking at these blogs for examples. Each one had similarities and differences but they all had the same point. Having a blog makes it easier to gain publicity for your field working site, and it's a nice way to personally keep all your information, pictures, findings, etc in one place. It's nice to read about the authors because each blog mentioned somewhere whether it was on the home page or on a different tab about the author and what they are studying and why. I noticed that as I quickly gave each blog an overview I spent more time looking at the ones with pictures and an interesting theme. I learned it is very important to pick good backgrounds, fonts, colors, layouts, etc. One blog that caught my eye was the Science in Svalbard one because it had a nice cover picture and the dark blue background fit nicely with the topic they were studying. It's nice when the theme of their blog matches what they are studying. I also noticed that these field working studies were very thorough! There is a loot of information, and they photographed a lot of evidence with it. One blog that didn't catch my eye as much was the Anthropology Field notes because there weren't many pictures. It'd be interesting to see the difference between a highly decorated blog and a simpler, plain blog with the amount of people visiting the site. The way each blog is represented should be related to the author. It should represent the author's style and the field site. After taking a closer look at each blog and reading some of their "about me" sections and posts, it was nice to see a couple of them had some humor! It definitely made me more opt to reading an interesting post compared to a very dry, informative one with no pictures, emotions, etc. Even with the more "dry" topics, the author can add their emotion and descriptions to the post to make it connect with the reader. Looking at these blogs definitely helped me think about how to format mine. I will emphasize my layout, by wisely picking the backgrounds and colors. Once I begin posting, I know that the readers like to see pictures! I also have an idea of what to post now. I want my blog to be interesting and attract attention. With a field site called "the Beef Barn", I'm sure it'll attract some interested readers to see what it actually is! :)
ReplyDeleteLooking at these blogs really helped me see what a blog can look like. From what I noticed the sites that they chose were far away. They had research about their different topics and from there they ventured into their topics to provide first hand information. I liked how the blogs had pictures because it is interesting to see what it is like at their field sites. I believe that the pictures keep the audience engaged and it provides a lot of information in itself. I really liked how the Science of Svalbard presented their data. The titles were really efficient and right there you were able to understand what the picture and the topic were. The ones without pictures were a little different and I feel that it doesn’t grab the reader as quickly as the others do. Not all of the blogs dealt with talking to the people in the field. For example in the blog Kazakhstan Paleolithic fieldwork: Valikhanova, most of their data came from surveying. Although the blog “The Anthropology of Tibetan Buddhism” didn’t incorporate pictures in the blog, the information was still prevented in a cool way because the important things were bolded. The words that were bolded were cool facts and it made me go back and read the blog. By looking at these different things it helps me think about the type of things that I might use in my blog. I also noticed that the blogs weren’t full of facts where it bored you; they were presented like a story. Human-Forest Mutualisms in Kenya, I believe, is one blog that did a really good job telling a story with their information. Anthropology Field Work presented their information a little differently but it was still interesting to follow. In this blog the subtitles helped split up their fieldwork and they arranged it to the times they completed their work. This way was organized and you can follow their work form the beginning to the end. When I put together my blog I would like to have a lot of pictures that tell a story of my fieldwork. I really liked the idea of splitting up my information into different sections so it can be easy to follow and I hope to make my blog pleasing to the eye. I would also like to put little pieces of my interviews in my blog so people can see firsthand the information I collected.
ReplyDeleteWhen looking at these blogs, the first thing I notice is how each blog had a different background and theme. The different themes reflected usually the topic, or mood of the field-working project. For example, the field-working project ‘Science in Svalbard and the Adventures of Fjord’ had a blue back round on their page, which connected to the idea of coldness in the climate, which they are venturing too. It reminds me of ice and Svalbard has a very cold climate. I enjoyed going through and reading some of the posts because even though science does not interest me very much, the way the author wrote made it a little more enjoyable to read. I also loved the inclusion of the photos of Fjord, the reindeer. It was so cute to see the stuffed animal included in various pictures of their work and made me want to continue reading to see where Fjord would be next. This differs from the blog about human-forest mutualism in Kenya. The background for this blog is black, and there seems to be a more serious tone about this project. The photos are not tried to be made cute or funny but instead just show the honest truth of what the person is investigating in Kenya. There are some beautiful photos of the scenery but there are also photos that made me cringe looking at- for example there is one photo of a very large spider, and I am very afraid of spiders. There was a lot of writing about this field site, but usually each blog included both text and multiple pictures. Looking at the various blogs, I am excited to see that a lot of these field-working projects did include photos and videos, because I would love to include this in my project. It was also interesting seeing some of the blogs have huge time gaps where they don’t post anything at all. I’m excited to finally start my blog and design it since I run 2 other blogs already so I know what it takes in order to run a successful blog. I hope others will enjoy reading my posts and that my blog will have a sense of happiness and fun to it that will draw outside readers in.
ReplyDeleteThese blogs were extremely helpful for me and were great examples of what a fieldwork blog should look like. They covered a wide range of topics, but all had common themes. They all had extreme detail when describing their fieldwork. Not only did they talk about what they physical saw or were doing, they talked about how they felt. This helped me feel more connected to what they were doing. Even though I only skimmed through these blogs, I somehow felt connected to their field sites. All were very personal when describing their experiences. Feeling connected to something is important because the more connected you are, the more willing you are to learn more about it and truly care. They described all the interactions they had- human or not- and reflected upon these interactions. Interacting with others and the places we go is the best way to stuffy a field site. I think that is the biggest aspect of a fieldwork project For the most part, they used simple and straightforward language so it was easy to follow along. The somewhat informal aspect of all the blogs made me feel like I was reading a friend’s blog, not a research project. I also loved the blogs that had pictures. The pictures really helped illustrate what they were talking about and helped me get a better sense of what they were doing. Like everybody says “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Even though that is a cliché, it is true. The pictures made the post easier to follow along and broke up all the information. I also liked how the first blog incorporated maps. I think all the blogs were designed and set up nicely. They were simple, clean, straightforward, and right to the point. They had pretty neutral backgrounds and clear font. It was easy to see where the information was located and where different info could be found. I think this shows that the emphasis is truly on what is being written. The clean layout made it easy to simply read the post and not get distracted about what was going on elsewhere in the blog. Looking at these blogs were extremely useful when thinking about my own. Unfortunately I created mine before looking at them. However, I’m thinking about going back and choosing and a simpler background so the focus will be on what I am saying. I also plan on taking a ton of pictures when I go out and take field notes. They will help back up what I am saying and make things more clear. I also now have a clearer idea of what I should be saying in the future when we start creating posts. Can’t wait to start!
ReplyDeleteThe fieldwork of these bloggers varied greatly; it seemed that no two topics were alike in any way. Each writer had a unique perspective, which no other writer could have replicated. Some topics were more intriguing for me than others. I am unsure whether this was due to personal preference alone or partly due to the nature of the work and its presentation. Topics that I found particularly interesting (and that I would consider reading more about on these blogs) included the fieldwork presented on Lawn Chair Anthropology, All Bran (Anthropological Fieldwork in Beirut) and the New York Times blogs. It appears that those blogs which simply present logbook-like data and facts tend to be the least intriguing, while the most intriguing generally make use of relevant stories, information and pictures presented in an aesthetically pleasing setting. For example, Science in Svalbard and the Adventures of Fjord, as well as Jon Hentik in Ifugao, both offered some irrelevant, unnecessary or difficult to interpret information. In Science in Svalbard, most of the information is written as if it is there solely for the personal record of a scientist; the writers, at one point, even note that they are unsure if they still have any readers, whom it appears the writers made little effort to reach out to in their work. I was even further disinterested when I went to Jon Hentik’s blog, only to find that the first thing on the blog was a post expressing his boredom and irritation with his subject. (I certainly hope that this does not happen to me.) I was very surprised to see this, particularly because, if Hentik cannot maintain interest in his own subject, how does he expect his readers to?
ReplyDeleteIt seemed that most of the layouts, unlike the topics, were generally the same. I did find, however, that I was more engaged by blogs which displayed multiple, shorter posts on each page than I was by blogs with one long post per page. I was off-put by the abundance of solid backgrounds (though I suppose they are practical and go well behind writing, they were not eye-catching at all.) Some blogs actually looked at least a decade older than they actually were. I was surprised to see how much the representation of the writing affected my interest in it; I would venture a guess that those authors who put time and effort into their blogs’ appearances end up with more successful and engaging blogs.
I suppose what I have taken away from these blogs is that two of the best ways to keep a blog engaging are simply to keep content relevant and comprehensible and to put effort into the blog’s appearance. These will both go a long way, and hopefully, will not only keep readers more engaged, but also may help me to become more engaged in my work.
The word fieldworking is a little off putting after looking through all of these pages and reading their stories, since it hardly seems as if they are doing work, instead it almost seems like they are just absorbing the culture of the place they visit. I especially liked the article and pictures about the “Human-forest mutualisms in Kenya”, since the pictures bring it to life and the last picture of the empty, smooth beach is truly amazing. I also like how some of them are so simplistic and yet have the same impact as longer articles with dozens of links to different pages, highlighting even more the vast amount of ways to approach this assignment. I have to say that I am a huge fan of writing based on fieldwork, since through all of the blogs and papers that we have read, it seems that the people working don't even consider what they are doing to be work. It seems that what they are studying really means something to them, and if you write about something you are passionate about, it really shows in your writing and won't feel as boring or mechanical as normal writing. I also am a fan of how the blogs aren't super formal, they have pictures, stories and don't have to be perfectly organized like a research paper, instead you can just write it as it is. Also, because there is no set template for how a field working blog is supposed to be kept, it allows a lot of freedom and uniqueness, which really shows in the authors' writings. No two blogs are exactly the same, and that makes them a lot more entertaining, you never know what to expect, maybe a photo, or somebody's personal story from the site. So I believe that creativity will play a big part in our writings, and that excites me because I love a chance to be different in schoolwork, comparing what you did to what others did and maybe talking about why you decided to do it how you did. All of this makes me even more intrigued in researching my field, since I believe it has a lot of potential in hearing the stories of all of the people that go to it day after day, whether they are waiting for a bus or walking toward a towering building. I also have been playing with a few ideas of how to format my own blog, taking in ideas from all of the articles that I paged through, and want to stay with something simple yet immersive, hopefully finding a way to properly incorporate photographs from different times to show the different audiences that go to Kennedy Plaza.
ReplyDeleteThese other field site blogs are extremely helpful in helping me see what I am going to be jumping into as I start working on my filed site. I found it notable how one of the articles said they became very tired of the site after studying it for so long. “I also find myself in a state that best could be described as anthropology-fed-up-ness.” This can seem comical from the audience view point, but now that I realize this is a possibility I really hope it does not happen to me. I hope that I do not grow sick of my filed site, because vocal music is something I love and I never ever want to grow sick of, and I hope that my field site will remain as a rock in my life, for it is something I feel as if I want to be in till the end of time. So as a result of these article I know some of the fine details that I need to put into my filed site, and I know it probably will not be easy.
ReplyDeleteEvery single one of these blogs is different, different field sites and subject matters, different layout, different styles, everything. Well, everything except for the passion and interest they have for their field work. The researchers were all willing to go above and beyond in order to find out about their subject, including traveling all over the place. The pictures that were added to the blogs really enhanced them, allowing the actual site to be displayed in pictures as well as words. I definitely feel that the pictures made the blogs that much more interesting, because I could see exactly what the researcher was seeing. Many of the blogs were bright and colorful, with a layout to match their field site, which also simply enhanced the experience. Many of the backgrounds were simple and monotone, however, and I can’t help but think that perhaps there is more that could be done with background to make it even more field site specific. The authors also all had their own style when it came to writing, which helped keep the blogs unique, and some of them even used humor to keep the audience engaged. Not all of the blogs were as interesting, however, and I found myself spending a lot more time on some blogs and significantly less time reading others. The work they all put into the blogs truly shows how much they have all put into researching their field sites and how much they truly care about the place and people that they are studying. As I am writing on my blog, I hope to use many of the things that I have observed from reading over these example blogs. Perhaps I might include some pictures of the Madonna Manor facility and the people that I end up interviewing. With my choice of field site, there is certainly a lot of potential for photographs. Making an interesting background and theme that fits the blog is also something that I will definitely work on as well, because I found that the visual effects is one of the first things that attracted me to certain blogs as opposed to the others which may not have stood out as much. With any luck, I will be able to use these blogs to inspire the way I want to run my own blog and use many of the techniques that I have observed from them.
ReplyDeleteThe blog about Fjord the reindeer was definitely my favorite blog to read. I thought it was a good idea to involve some comedy to liven up a somewhat boring topic. This reminds me of my friend’s dad who, instead of having a Facebook of himself, draws a smiley face on his pointer finger and posts statuses and pictures from the perspective of his finger. He named his finger friend Dexter Pointer. One thing I noticed is that many of the field studies were at far away locations for their field site. The fieldworkers centered their studies on people and the environment. The fieldwork that didn’t actually include human interaction studied the location and environment. Also, the researchers always got interviews with people who had knowledge of the field site or field study. The field notes were very personal to the perspective of the researcher. The blogs aren’t even long pieces of writing. The blog posts could just be short little updates on how the research is going. The blog posts are very relaxed and easy going. It’s like a public diary for your thoughts. Most of the blogs had pictures involved in the field notes. I personally believe that pictures make the blogs more interesting and they capture my attention. It’s nice to see actual images of what the researcher describes. Also, the videos from the blogs help the reader experience what the researchers are experiencing. The “Scientists at Work” blog wasn’t as visually eye catching as some of the other blogs. The background was just a plain and boring white. Even the font they used for their blog was the standard Times New Roman. I want my blog to be engaging for people to want to come and read. Looking at these blogs shows me that presentation is everything. Even if my information is actually interesting, it is not going to attract a reader’s attention if my blog doesn’t look interesting. It’s kind of like food; if it doesn’t look good, chances are you’re not going to eat it. Also, organization is very important. The “Science in Svalbard” blog was very well organized and everything I wanted to look at was easy to find and easily accessible. My field site is going to be a farm so I can’t wait to go on a nice sunny day and take some really good pictures of the apple orchards. Maybe if my blog is interesting enough, it will encourage others to actually want to go apple picking!
ReplyDeleteI found that some of these blogs were rather interesting. The first one I read was Science in Svalbard and the Adventures of Fjord. I love the fact that they added pictures because it’s great to create the image in your head but to be able to see it is amazing. I love winter so these pictures help to spark my interest in their topics. Also I love the fact that they had a stuffed reindeer named Fjord that was included in the research. It’s awesome to create a perspective that everyone can relate to because who doesn’t love stuffed animals and we all did that at one point in our lives. I bet it also was interesting and entertaining to create this mascot or character because they see everything from a different view. He experienced everything with them and he had his side of the story to tell like going for a jog because he was riding in the backpacks too long. Another blog that caught my interest was Anthropology Fieldnotes. Their blog gave insight to their digs and the tools and technology they use. One reason I found this interesting was for the simple fact that I have Anthropology: Intro to Archaeology. Reason number two we have a project in which we have to find sources that demonstrate what archaeologists do, which this blog does a pretty good job. I found it interesting that the staff were trained to use the tools and how to properly handle artifacts and excavate them without damaging them. I figured they would have people with experience, digging and searching and not a bunch of newbies. Also it shocked me that many of them also never used GPR, ground penetrating radar, or never even seen it before. We talked about it in class and saw one being used in Mythbusters when they were testing the myth that a mobster was buried at one of the football fields in either NYG or NYJ stadiums since they weren’t allowed to dig up the turf. As I began to read Chasing Ifugao Christians with a lack of motivation, it surprised me with the title as the first few paragraphs matched the title. He was talking about the fact that he was bored and regretting he trip after the first day. He felt little sympathy for his subject and in a way used his blog as a rant. It felt like his perspective was that of a teenager who hated school and everything about but is forced to go by parents and law. one thing I may takeaway from this insight is to post pictures with my blogs. Also considering its fall and snow will be falling soon so its a great time of year for some landscape photography.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I noticed was the different design of all the blogs. Backgrounds usually reflect topic or personality. I went with neither approach when creating my own personal blogs; it’s usually whatever is free and will actually load. I loved the pictures some bloggers posted, I’m a visual person and took photography classes, and really appreciate the uploaded photos. Some were more striking than others, emotionally that is. Some blogs were cute; others were more on the horrifying and striking side that really tugged at your heart strings. Honestly the spider terrified me. I will run screaming from a room if there’s a spider in it. I’ve tipped kayaks and jumped out of boats fully clothed. I loved the pictures and videos and would like to at least include pictures in mine. I have my own SLR and would enjoy taking pictures, at least of the outside.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that’s in the front of my mind right now is the interviews. I’m scared people won’t want to talk to me. I’m also worried about my interviewing skills, or the lack there of. I don’t want to scare people away from Zip’s or have the people that work there not like me. It’s one of my favorite places to eat and I don’t want to be unwelcome there. I have trouble with talking to people, I really don’t mind listening to people though, I’m a people watcher and listener. I think some people at the diner will accept me because it’s such a friendly environment. I think the approach will be hardest, like a band aid I guess.