1. I am representing my own view of the culture throughout most of the paper. There are times though that I have to represent my interviewers point of view as well. Most of my paper seems to be my own representation, but I have two or three interviews woven into the writing as well. There are also some points where I have added research information that I thought might enhance my thesis.
2. I chose to use subheadings to organize data by describing the features of Studebaker East that people might notice first. Then I tell how these things have influenced the students and how things might be different without those objects or rituals.
3. I try to give a detailed description of what is going on during the interview in the paper. How the surroundings are, what the interviewer is like, where they are from, and what their role in the dorm is. Hopefully this information will appeal to the reader.
4. I give detailed descriptions of the dorm as much as possible. At one point I discuss how the study lounges are useful and used and I give descriptions from what I see, to even the smells that I smell. In some cases, such as the elevator, I use my interviewers descriptions to get another person's point of view about what they are seeing.
5. I make the assumption that dorm life will be wild and crazy. I also assume that dorm life will not be beneficial to study since everyone will just be hanging out all the time. This is something I prove to be wrong within my paper. I mention small conflicts that have arose during the semester inside of the dorms, and how the students and facility of the building have dealt with these problems.
6. I think if I told the story from an outsiders view it might be different. Since I personally live within the dorms, I might forget to explain something at one point. It is important that I make sure to fully explain something where necessary or the reader won't understand it like I do.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Progress
I finished my rough draft of the final paper today. It wasn't as bad as I though. The organization was definitely the hardest part. It took me awhile to figure out how I wanted it. I will probably re work it some before the final paper is actually due. I had some problems posting it to blackboard though :(
It told me that the file wouldn't upload but it still showed up on the discussion board. I tried to click on it to view it, but it wouldn't load. I'm not sure what was going on with that. I emailed Ms. Murray to see what she thought I should do. Hopefully blackboard is just having some problems today. I'm not looking forward to peer revising two 20 page papers. I know it's good feedback, but that is going to be time consuming. I hope everyone's papers are coming together all right. :D
Here's some pictures I decided to use in my final paper.
It told me that the file wouldn't upload but it still showed up on the discussion board. I tried to click on it to view it, but it wouldn't load. I'm not sure what was going on with that. I emailed Ms. Murray to see what she thought I should do. Hopefully blackboard is just having some problems today. I'm not looking forward to peer revising two 20 page papers. I know it's good feedback, but that is going to be time consuming. I hope everyone's papers are coming together all right. :D
Here's some pictures I decided to use in my final paper.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Review of essays
We're not sure of what the author is trying to get out of this essay. He discusses the daily routine of telemarketers.
Which voices (colors) stood out in this essay?
The author has a balance between interviews and his own voice. There was a lot of blue and yellow.
How did the author incorporate secondary sources?
He had a references at the bottom but never cited them within the paper.
Where did they place them in the essay?
The references were at the end of the essay.
In your opinion, does the author of this essay strike a good balance between all three?
No. We can't tell what information comes from sources because there's no in text citations.
Do the voices of informants stand on their own, or are they overpowered?
Most of this paper is interviews. The writing that is included either introduces the next conversation or describes the surroundings.
How is the essay organized?
It basically tells the story of how his day of interviewing went in the exact order it happened.
Did the author use a particular method to organize the essay?
Not that we can see.
Is the organization reader friendly?
No, it is hard to read because it is not interesting or appealing.
In your group's opinion, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this essay?
He did a very good job with the actual interviews. They are frequent and very detailed. He doesn't really have a thesis statement. The references are not cited.
What did you like or dislike about it?
We feel like it didn't have a purpose because there was no thesis statement. We liked the interviews because they were detailed.
Which voices (colors) stood out in this essay?
The author has a balance between interviews and his own voice. There was a lot of blue and yellow.
How did the author incorporate secondary sources?
He had a references at the bottom but never cited them within the paper.
Where did they place them in the essay?
The references were at the end of the essay.
In your opinion, does the author of this essay strike a good balance between all three?
No. We can't tell what information comes from sources because there's no in text citations.
Do the voices of informants stand on their own, or are they overpowered?
Most of this paper is interviews. The writing that is included either introduces the next conversation or describes the surroundings.
How is the essay organized?
It basically tells the story of how his day of interviewing went in the exact order it happened.
Did the author use a particular method to organize the essay?
Not that we can see.
Is the organization reader friendly?
No, it is hard to read because it is not interesting or appealing.
In your group's opinion, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this essay?
He did a very good job with the actual interviews. They are frequent and very detailed. He doesn't really have a thesis statement. The references are not cited.
What did you like or dislike about it?
We feel like it didn't have a purpose because there was no thesis statement. We liked the interviews because they were detailed.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Organization
After thinking about how I want to organize my final paper, I think I've decided to do the headline thing that has been reoccurring in papers throughout the semester. I think I will start out with what people expect from dorm life, then move to the characteristics of the Studebaker East subculture, onto what makes them unique, and finish with an overall summary of what I've learned from researching this subculture. This is just a very rough draft of the lay out that I want. I have a lot to do this week and into the weekend. The rough draft is due on Tuesday. Hopefully I can manage the fifteen to twenty pages, but from all of the information that I have gathered throughout the semester I don't think the length will be a problem. Good luck with your final papers everyone!
Thickening the final paper
1. What's going on here?
Everyone in the dorm meets for floor meetings and hall events. All of the students are attending classes at Ball State University and are taking at least twelve credit hours to maintain living within the dorms.
The students are live in a tight knit area that has little private space. Everyone shares a room with another person and the bathrooms are shared by everyone on the floor. It is not hard to interact with people since there are approx. sixty people per floor and the building has eight floors.
I have interviewed people about the study lounges, elevators, and how they think life in the dorms may affect their later years at Ball State. I have been extremely surprised by the answers of some of the students, and I have expected some of the answers that were provided.
2. Where's the culture?
The fact that everyone is living in the same building with the same rules and similar routines helps convey that this is indeed a subculture within Ball State's culture. The language is that of a teenager, meaning that it is still developing towards that of an adult's. They also might use terms that older people may not understand like "creeper". The dorm was built in 1964 and students have been living there ever since then.
3. What's the story?
The culture for the students is just a living within a dorm and coping with everything around them while maintaining decent grades. I conducted this research while living with them. I am a part of this subculture as well and I am living it firsthand. The outsider might not think about all of the studying and hard work that is put into the students schooling since they only see them leaving the building to go to frats, sororities, or parties every night, but after taking a look inside of the building it is clearer to notice how much these students strive for success.
Everyone in the dorm meets for floor meetings and hall events. All of the students are attending classes at Ball State University and are taking at least twelve credit hours to maintain living within the dorms.
The students are live in a tight knit area that has little private space. Everyone shares a room with another person and the bathrooms are shared by everyone on the floor. It is not hard to interact with people since there are approx. sixty people per floor and the building has eight floors.
I have interviewed people about the study lounges, elevators, and how they think life in the dorms may affect their later years at Ball State. I have been extremely surprised by the answers of some of the students, and I have expected some of the answers that were provided.
2. Where's the culture?
The fact that everyone is living in the same building with the same rules and similar routines helps convey that this is indeed a subculture within Ball State's culture. The language is that of a teenager, meaning that it is still developing towards that of an adult's. They also might use terms that older people may not understand like "creeper". The dorm was built in 1964 and students have been living there ever since then.
3. What's the story?
The culture for the students is just a living within a dorm and coping with everything around them while maintaining decent grades. I conducted this research while living with them. I am a part of this subculture as well and I am living it firsthand. The outsider might not think about all of the studying and hard work that is put into the students schooling since they only see them leaving the building to go to frats, sororities, or parties every night, but after taking a look inside of the building it is clearer to notice how much these students strive for success.
Thoughts on presentation for final
I was thinking about what kind of multimodal presentation I wanted to do for the final presentation today, and I'm really starting to lean towards a video. I want to make a short film (7-9 minutes) combining everything I've learned in an interesting way. I think it would be neat to do some interviews and re enact a few scenes to make the presentation more enjoyable. The paper portion of the assignment doesn't seem so bad know that I think about it. Most of it should be information that I have already acquired throughout the semester. If anyone has suggestions about the video idea, feel free to leave a comment. :D
The 3 big questions
What surprised me?
One of the things that surprised me after doing research was finding out that the students in my dorm use their study lounges. After talking to students from other dorms, I realized that the lounges are not used very often for studying. It's nice to discover that the students in my dorm take advantage of the space that Ball State has provided for us. Although this is a small fact to discover, I believe it might say something about the students in Studebaker East and how they strive to achieve their best when it comes to grades.
What intrigued me?
I was intrigued at how dorm life might affect my life later on at Ball State. I wondered if living in the dorm would hinder me in some ways or strengthen me in others. After doing this paper, I think it is clear that dorm life may not be for everyone, but I believe the immersion in something like this can benefit almost anyone and teach them things they may not learn otherwise.
What disturbed me?
I was disturbed to discover how rude some people can really be. After doing some research throughout the dorm, I talked to a lot of different people and they told me stories of how loud people are at night or how disrespectful room mates can be. Problems are bound to arise, but I was a little shocked to see how many problems there really were.
One of the things that surprised me after doing research was finding out that the students in my dorm use their study lounges. After talking to students from other dorms, I realized that the lounges are not used very often for studying. It's nice to discover that the students in my dorm take advantage of the space that Ball State has provided for us. Although this is a small fact to discover, I believe it might say something about the students in Studebaker East and how they strive to achieve their best when it comes to grades.
What intrigued me?
I was intrigued at how dorm life might affect my life later on at Ball State. I wondered if living in the dorm would hinder me in some ways or strengthen me in others. After doing this paper, I think it is clear that dorm life may not be for everyone, but I believe the immersion in something like this can benefit almost anyone and teach them things they may not learn otherwise.
What disturbed me?
I was disturbed to discover how rude some people can really be. After doing some research throughout the dorm, I talked to a lot of different people and they told me stories of how loud people are at night or how disrespectful room mates can be. Problems are bound to arise, but I was a little shocked to see how many problems there really were.
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