Field Research Paper - Sociology Anthropology 21 P

Fr. Roberto E. N. Rivera, S.J.

Final Paper Deadline: Friday, September 21, 2012. Hard copies of your papers can be given: 1) during class that day; 2) by 5:00 pm of the same day at my office on Room 203, 2nd Floor Mayo Hall; or 3) by 10:00 pm of the same day with the porter/operator of Loyola House of Studies. Late papers will be lowered one grade level, e.g. from A to B+. Goal: The aim of the paper is for you to observe how the processes of socialization and enculturation are at work in settings outside the family and the school. This is a chance for you too to get an experience of field research, albeit with highly limited constraints. Length: 5 to 6 pages on short bond paper or A4, double spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman font, 1 margins. Research Requirements: Your field research should involve at least one field interview, in a setting outside your homes or the Ateneo, and not friends or relatives (nor friends of relatives, relatives of friends, friends of friends, etc.). You can do multiple interviews, but these are not required and will not necessarily result in extra credit. Remember that your interviewee(s) should be considered key informant(s), i.e. a person/people who by your judgment is/are knowledgeable enough about the social/cultural setting you chose. Composition: You may write in either English or Filipino. The first part of your paper (3 to 4 pages) should include a brief background of the social/cultural setting you chose to study, some information on the interviewee(s), and highlights from the interview(s) that you did. These highlights should be a summary of the important points emerging from the interview(s), interspersed with actual quotes from the interview(s) (in the original language, no need to translate). Do not quote the interview(s) in its/their entirety. The second part (2 to 3 pages) should involve your reflections and analysis of the interview(s) and social/cultural setting, based on these topics we have taken in class: 1) Structure and agency. What structures does/do your interviewee(s) encounter in the situation/work you are investigating? How does the interviewee(s) exercise agency despite the constraints of these structures? 2) The individual perceived as deviant from either absolutist or social constructionist perspectives. How does the public/society view and judge the person(s) you chose to study? How does/do your subject(s) deal with such perceptions? 3) The social/cultural self (Symbolic Interationism). The individual as always perceiving him/herself in relation to others, and undergoing socialization/enculturation processes to help him/her integrate into society/culture. What socialization/enculturation/role playing processes does/do your subject(s) undergo to be familiar with the norms and practices of the particular setting/situation/work, and to be integrated in it? 4) The individual as influenced by both his biological/physical make-up (nature) and the influences of society/culture. How does/do your subject(s) reflect these influences in the particular social/cultural setting? How does/do your subject(s) overcome the limitations imposed by nature or nurture. Needless to say, you should devise your interview questions in a manner that will help clarify the above points. Once again, a premium will be placed on coherent, creative and lucid writing. You may choose to cover all of the points above (in which case you will be evaluated for your ability to integrate these topics), or to dwell on one point (in which case you will be evaluated for the depth of your discussion). References: Unlike the previous paper, this will not be a reference heavy work. However, if you do have any sources you wish to cite using footnotes, please use the Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style format.