Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.7.2, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Engaging Communities An Open-access Ethnographic Writing Text ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [EC News](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/ec-news/) ## Pages - [How to Use this Textbook](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/) - Welcome to Engaging Communities! You can access this digital text in multiple ways. To read online, select the chapters you would like to access from the menu on the right. On mobile devices, click the pages menu button to access the full chapter/module menu. We recommend that you start checking out the text with the - [2c- Eth­i­cal Conun­drums in Com­munity Research](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/framing-ethical-research/ethical-conundrums-in-community-research/) - Research and writing in general, and ethnographic research and writing specifically, require that you very consciously consider issues related to your role as author/writer and the representation of the community you are writing about. In this section you will find some typical and not so typical difficulties that students have experienced as they have navigated - [2b- Under­stand­ing Pla­gia­rism](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/framing-ethical-research/understanding-plagiarism/) - Very often, in a writing class, the ethics of writing is understood through the presentation of a single word: plagiarism. Most often, by the time students reach college, they know some definition of plagiarism and have a strong sense that plagiarism is BAD. However, precisely what those definitions are and what actual constitutes the act - [2- Framing Eth­ical Research](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/framing-ethical-research/) - Chapter 2 provides an overview of what it means to conduct ethical research, what sorts of issues one needs to keep in mind before selecting a research site, before entering the site as a participant-observer. Ethics matter in the research and the writing of ethnographic essays. Framing your work through an ethical lens from the - [1c- Rhetorical Strate­gies for Ethnographic Writing](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/defining_ethnograpic/rhetorical-strategies-for-ethnographic-writin/) - In our culture, (assuming here Western, American, capitalist) we often interpret experience with respect to what we identify as Cartesian thought, a process by which we organize data into binary oppositions: good/bad; light/dark, right/wrong, civilized/savage, young/old, smart/dumb, insider/outsider. Rather than presenting data in terms of two-sided notions, ethnographic writing works to multiply the levels of - [1b- Identifying with Ethnographic Writing](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/defining_ethnograpic/identifying-ethnographic/) - Actually, the truth is that regardless of your past success, every student who engages with their ethnographic project in an earnest, enthusiastic and ethical way will experience the excitement of original research. Even more, the writing you'll do, that the process you'll engage in won't be wholly unfamiliar to you. Despite the claims that this - [1- Defining Ethnographic Writing](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/defining_ethnograpic/) - Chapter 1 provides a basic definition of ethnography in order to situate an overview of the reasons for assigning, benefits for conducting, and characteristics of ethnographic writing. So, you've just been told that you are going to have to write an ethnographic essay. Great. Fine. But, you're thinking: What the heck is that? I never - [Introduction](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/introduction/) - This book exists, is here for you as a resource because we, the authors/editors of this text (Suzanne Blum Malley and Ames Hawkins), saw very similar, very exciting things happening in our classrooms using ethnographic research methods in our inquiry-based first-year writing classrooms. We have watched our students develop strong voices as writers, while also - [Teaching with EC](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/about-this-textbook/teaching-with-ec/) - Read through the Introduction to Engaging Communities then browse through the sample assignment files and teaching materials below. Feel free to use them as is or to revise/remix them. You can also visit the Teaching with Engaging Communities web site to browse through continually updated links to materials outside of this text that other teachers - [4b- Considering Types of Fieldnotes](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/writing-fieldnotes/4b-considering-types-of-fieldnotes/) - To help frame our approach to fieldnote writing, we present three types of notes. These are three ways of recording what happens at your site. We also present some additional (fun) ways to think about your fieldnotes on the video (below) and on the website "Considering Types of Fieldnotes" Headnotes Taking fieldnotes is both - [How to Become a Contributing Author](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/about-this-textbook/how-to-contribute/) - We want you to join us in this collaborative, open-access text project. We have a "bring what you know," build, adapt, and remix philosophy for this project, so we are looking for any teaching materials you have created (assignments, new chapters, adaptations of exisiting assignments and chapters, etc.) as well as examples of student work - [Supplemental Modules](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/supplemental-modules/) - We are actively seeking contributions to the supplemental module options for Engaging Communities. Scroll down for existing modules 1-6. Some modules have different versions (text, web, video, Prezi) to choose from. To view the Prezi modules, click the "Start Prezi" button and then toggle to full screen by clicking the full screen icon on the bottom - [4- Writing Fieldnotes](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/writing-fieldnotes/) - Chapter 4 provides a method for observations and writing fieldnotes as primary source material. “Hey, what are you writing in that notebook?” “Why do you want to know that?” “Put the pen down, you’re supposed to be bowling. Come on, you’re up.” During your ethnography project, you’ll collect most of your primary research by taking - [6e- Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Documenting Source Material](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/composing-the-ethnographic-essay/6e-quoting-paraphrasing-and-documenting-source-material/) - The purpose of using quotations from other authors is not to provide “proof” of what you say, but rather to situate your own work within a certain academic conversation. It is also important to note some guidelines for actually incorporating these quotations into the body of your text. The following contrived example presents a way - [4a- Rhetorical Strategies for Writing Observations](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/writing-fieldnotes/4a-rhetorical-strategies-for-writing-observations/) - What does it mean to "do fieldwork,” to "take fieldnotes"? The answers to these questions are at once simple and complicated. Simply stated, one "does research" by hanging out in your research site, observing what goes on and participating in the activities and conversation going on around you. This process is understood as participant-observation research - [2a- Writerly Ethos](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/framing-ethical-research/writ­erly-ethos/) - Commitment to respect for the community you are researching is a first step, and it’s a step that must be followed by continued attention to your ethical behavior throughout the research process. In your fieldnotes (Chapter 4) and then again in your ethnographic inquiry essay (Chapter 6), you will become involved in the process of - [4c- Expanding and Revising Fieldnotes and Observations](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/writing-fieldnotes/4c-expanding-and-revising-fieldnotes-and-observations/) - After you have taken your jottings on site or completed interviews, you will want to expand them into fully developed sentences and paragraphs. This writing is referred to as expanded fieldnotes. In moving from jottings to expanded fieldnotes, it is a good idea to type the notes and store them on a hard drive and - [3- Proposing the Ethnographic Research Project](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/proposing-the-ethnographic-research-project/) - Chapter 3 provides basic information regarding the writing of a proposal for an ethnographic research project. Ask the average college student where they usually conduct research and chances are the answers will be the internet and, maybe, the library. Research understood this way is usually going to be secondary research, research that results in the - [3d- Rhetorical Strategies for Research Proposals](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/proposing-the-ethnographic-research-project/3d-rhetorical-strategies-for-research-proposals/) - Now that you’ve waded through some of the issues surrounding interest, access, and ethics, it’s time to pinpoint that perfect site. You may have sites in mind for your research, but you must also frame what you want to know. Is there something about the site or community that is worth finding out? As Harry - [3c- Access to Your Research Site](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/proposing-the-ethnographic-research-project/3c-access-to-your-research-site/) - No matter how excited you are about a group or site, if you don’t have access to a community, you cannot conduct ethnographic research. The three most common reasons that limit the type of access that students need are: There is no site or community. For example, one may have an interest in the issue - [3b- Selecting a Research Site](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/proposing-the-ethnographic-research-project/3b-selecting-a-research-site/) - Now that you are aware of some of the things you will be looking for and reading as a researcher, you can begin to think about possible sites for your primary research. Over the years, students using this text, engaging in ethnographic research projects, have studied a wide range of sites and communities. These sites - [3a- Examining Culture as Text](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/proposing-the-ethnographic-research-project/3a-examining-culture-as-text/) - Cultural texts are those objects, actions, and behaviors that reveal cultural meanings. A photo is an image, but is also a cultural text, a picture with cultural information beyond just the picture itself. Food and clothing also suggest cultural information, and it doesn’t stop there. The entire place and space, all of the people and - [5g- Building an Annotated Bibliography](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/researching-academic-source-material/5e-building-an-annotated-bibliography/) - As stated above, a particular instructor may or may not require an annotated bibliography as a separate writing assignment. Even so, this text can often be helpful to a larger research project. An annotated bibliography is essentially a list of the sources you find relevant, with all of the necessary bibliographic information (i.e. author, title, - [5f- Summarizing Sources](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/researching-academic-source-material/5f-summarizing-sources/) - After you have selected your secondary source material and followed our suggestions for “eating a book” or article, it is extremely important to take time to “digest” each source, to figure out the relevance of that source to your larger project. In this sense, the digestion itself might be viewed as another kind of translation, - [5e- Popular Culture Source Material](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/researching-academic-source-material/5e-popular-culture-source-material/) - You should find the bulk of your secondary source information in scholarly publications, but many ethnographic research sites also have natural connections to popular media. Films, television shows, documentaries, artists, art, artistic movements, advertising campaigns, novels, memoirs, albums, songs, heroes, websites, and icons are all possible genres of popular cultural source material. A popular cultural - [5d- Sorting Sources and Eating Books](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/researching-academic-source-material/5d-sorting-sources-and-eating-books/) - As you collect your book and article source material, you will be working toward a thoughtful consideration of how and why the works of those authors are relevant to your research. It is neither necessary nor advisable to think you should or will be able to read (in their entirety) the many sources you collect. - [5c- Impact of Technology on Conducting Research of Secondary Sources](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/researching-academic-source-material/5c-impact-of-technology-on-conducting-research-of-secondary-sources/) - Though many of you are too young to have experienced a shift in the way library research is conducted, it is important to note the extent to which technology—specifically the computer—has affected secondary research. Even as recently as fifteen years ago, most libraries organized and kept record of their volumes using a card catalog. Each - [5b- Ethical Considerations when Conducting Research of Secondary Sources](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/researching-academic-source-material/5b-ethical-considerations-when-conducting-research-of-secondary-sources/) - Ethical implications regarding the difference between how people in general speak about an idea and how it may be understood and classified by the Library of Congress is readily illustrated by the difficulty with which a recent student had in looking up information about what he called “male bonding.” “Male bonding” is the term one - [5a- Searching for Sources: Keywords, Databases, Catalogs, and Shelves](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/researching-academic-source-material/5a-searching-for-sources-keywords-databases-catalogs-and-shelves/) - In most all libraries today, initial research is conducted at a computer terminal. We advise that you make an appointment with the reference librarians at your library. The librarians will be more than happy to illustrate to you some of the best ways to conduct research using the online system specific to your college or - [6g- Reviewing and Revising Your Essay](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/composing-the-ethnographic-essay/6g-reviewing-and-revising-your-essay/) - So, what is the difference between revising academic prose and re-presenting ethnographic writing? The short answer is, nothing really. There really isn’t a difference, except in your own perspective, except in terms of the ways that you might think differently about these two activities. Students often understand the revising of academic prose as an activity - [6f- Concluding in a Meaningful Way](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/composing-the-ethnographic-essay/6f-concluding-in-a-meaningful-way/) - After the long work of spending a semester, trimester, or quarter conducting ethnographic research, building your essay, making meaningful connections, using effective supporting detail from primary and secondary source material, and writing evocative prose, two words can call to you –“The End.” The desire to finish, to be done, to turn in the final paper - [6d- Selecting Effective Secondary Source Evidence](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/composing-the-ethnographic-essay/6d-selecting-effective-secondary-source-evidence/) - While your primary data/evidence/observations are indeed central to the writing of your essay, you will also need to consider the role of the secondary source, the theoretical statements, or academic opinion in propelling your discussion. As already stated, secondary sources should not be considered as “evidence.” They do not contain the proof, or evidence of - [6c- Selecting Examples and Evidence](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/composing-the-ethnographic-essay/6c-selecting-examples-and-evidence/) - If you have had any kind of writing instruction prior to this class, you probably already know that one of the most important elements in developing an idea is providing examples to guide your assertions. In the case of ethnographic writing, these examples are drawn from your memory and your fieldnotes. Your fieldnotes, as primary - [6b- Presenting the Methodology and Focus](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/composing-the-ethnographic-essay/6b-presenting-the-methodology-and-focus/) - Following your introductory piece, you will shift into what you might consider the more traditional, nuts and bolts, section of your introduction – your methodology and focus. In this section, you will discuss the process you went through as a researcher and expand your broad focus statement so that it details for your readers exactly - [6a- Introducing your Research](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/composing-the-ethnographic-essay/6a-introducing-your-research/) - Often, students begin the writing process without ever thinking about a potential audience. The focus is only on completion of the task, the crafting of a piece of writing that fulfills the requirements of the assignment. Whether or not the piece is interesting or accessible is often beyond consideration. This makes a kind of sense - [1a- Connecting to Ethnographic Writing](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/defining_ethnograpic/connecting_ethnographic/) - One of the main purposes of creating a course structured around ethnographic writing is that ethnography, as a methodology, is used in many, many different fields. In addition to composition studies (the field that informs writing teachers) and anthropology (the field that largely invented ethnography as a methodology), ethnography and ethnographic writing are recognizable in - [6- Drafting Your Ethnographic Essay](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/composing-the-ethnographic-essay/) - Chapter 6 provides a step-by-step process for developing, writing, and revising your ethnographic research essay. Finding a Focus, Choosing a Controlling Idea for Your Research The first step in finding a focus is to read through all of your fieldnotes two times. As you read, notice when and where you become particularly interested in what - [5- Researching Community with Academic Source Material](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/researching-academic-source-material/) - Chapter 5 focuses on the gathering of academic sources—books and articles—that you will need in order connect your own research to a larger academic idea, conversation or concern. It will be a relationship between your fieldwork—your primary data—and your library research—secondary sources—that you will work to illuminate in some way in an ethnographic inquiry essay. - [Table of Contents](http://www.engagingcommunities.org/about-this-textbook/table-of-contents/) - You are invited to pick and choose from the modules or "chapters" listed below in any sequence that works for your research or for your course. Introducing Cultural Inquiry Defining Culture, Worldview, and Mindset Considering Community Becoming a Writer-Researcher Rhetorical Strategies for Engaging Community Framing Ethical Research Conducting Human/Humane Research Writing, Representation, and Authority Considering