Mini Ethnographic Project - Covering your face
Ethnographic report:
No less than 5 double-space pages,
People cover their faces for different reasons. To hide their emotions, for hygiene, religious mandates, modesty or to conceal identity, among other things.
This assignment requires you to go out into "the world" and participate, observe, and if possible, interview someone and collect their opinions about covering the face. You can use zoom, phone, or social media, to collect data, and you can present your project results as a written or power point report. Either way, you will do a “mini” ethnographic study to explore the use of face masks, or other face coverings. Yes, many people still use masks for protection, they are expected in doctor's offices, and many places as banks forbid them now, and in some cases they are illegal. You will use ethnographic research methods to answer a Research Question using the Scientific Method:
Research Topic:
The cultural phenomenon of mandatorily covering your face.
You are researching symbolic and material culture.
Select one type of face covering and analyze its cultural implications. Explain what is your position and what are your biases about this topic (e.g. You think that using face masks is totally unnecessary to control the spread of disease), or if you think that ICE officers should not cover their faces, or if there is the problem with veiling women in Islamic countries.
What is your position about people covering their heads and/ or faces.
Research Question (RQ):
Explain what are you investigating about this topic?
What do you want to find out?
Why did some people not want to cover their faces?
What kind of face coverings are acceptable?
Why do you think people in other cultures have covered their faces for centuries?
Hypothesis
What is the answer you predict for your Research Question (RQ)?
For example: You are going to investigate if people who don’t wear masks do it because they have a respiratory medical issue. Or because they want to defy authority, or they “don’t believe in Covid,” because they think Covid is a hoax, because they are lazy, or because masks really do not help at all, or some other possible explanation.
Literature Review
What have previous researchers discovered about this topic?
Use the readings assigned, and at least two other authors you find in the library or the internet from a creditable source.
Methodology:
Describe what method(s) will you use to gather data to prove or disprove your hypothesis?
You can use one method or a combination of any of the following research methods:
A. Example of Observation. e.g. You stand in a corner, the subway, a doctor's office or park to observe people, count the people who are wearing masks, and compare with those who are not doing it. You can design a template for your observations. Give percentages. Think about possible questions: What kinds of masks are they wearing? Material, designs, colors, statements, etc. Are they covering their noses? You can do this discretely in a bus or a subway car, or any other public place. Count how many are men, how many women, calculate their ages, describe their ethnicities. Would you say that men (white, older) are more reluctant to cover their faces? Why? Describe them. You need to take notes, and record your observations.
B: Participant observation, you are participating in a social activity with a small number of family members, friends or coworkers (No more than 10). You observe their behavior, and your own behavior. You take notes. You can ask for permission to record their answers. You can ask them how they feel about wearing masks, and what do they think about people who don’t. What do they do to protect themselves in case they are faced with someone who is not wearing any face coverings.
C: Interviews, You can ask similar questions, but you select a small number of people and interview them over the phone, zoom or directly, keeping your distance and covering your own face. You can interview one or two people, and ask them additional questions about covid, if they have taken the test, if they have been sick, if they have suffered hardship, etc.
D. You can also design an online survey, E. or conduct a textual analysis. Search on line and collect information from newspapers, blogs, and social media about face coverings. What are people writing about it? What are their opinions?
E. You have the option to talk about your own and your family's experience during the first year of the Covid pandemic.
7. Analysis of data and Research Report. Describe the type of data that you collected: quantitative data or qualitative data? How many participants, how many men, women?
Include in your explanatory analysis of the data your findings.
Your personal opinion about the data (or lack of data) you found. According to your research and your interpretation of it why is it so?
Did your research data prove or disprove your hypothesis?