Week 16 - Research Method

Out of all the different types of research in table 13.3, I feel that ethnography is the most interesting out of all of them. I feel that getting in there and seeing everything unfold first hand whether the researcher is undercover as a pretend participant of the cultural group or his/her presence is being known and the people of the group are aware they are being observed, there is no experience like it. I have conducted many ethnographies as a Communication Studies major and I must admit, at one point the assignment no longer feels like an obligation and it becomes pleasure. The level of personal interest that I had in all my ethnographies were either extremely high or it got better as each day progressed.

If I were to conduct (another) case study of my choice, I would choose to study the culture of shoe collectors pertaining primarily to Jordan and Nike fanatics. The research question I would ask is - "What causes the fetish of shoe collecting for those who seem to spend all their free time and extra money into shoes, primarily Jordans and Nikes and is there any correlation between the shoes and sexual arousal."

I personally wanted to conduct this research before I graduated but unfortunately for me the classes I took in the last three semesters did not assign any ethnographies or case studies. Since I am graduating this May, I no longer have the opportunity to conduct this research for a grade. I am extremely interested in doing ethnographies overall because I learn so much and I am exposed to a whole new aspect of thinking and behaving. It was actually thanks to my Comm 156 (Qualitative Inquiry) course that made me drive to finish college. I conducted an ethnography on the football team I was coaching at the time, on locker room culture and how it is different from one the field behavior before, during and after practice and games. It was not my findings of the players that convinced me to get my college degree, but it was when I interviewed the other coaches. To make a long story short, I interviewed the coaches and based off their answers, I realized that a college degree is more powerful than I thought. The other three coaches do not have any college education and their answers were not only incomplete, they would contradict what they JUST said less than two minutes prior to the answer they were giving. Throughout the season I decided to continue my observations of the coaches and it just got worse each day. During the presidential election when Obama became president, NONE of the other three coaches(and keep in mind that the head coach is in his mid sixies, the assistant head coach is in his early thirties and the other coach is in his mid twenties), knew that the electoral college was what decided who becomes the next president. When I explained that to them it was like I was telling them 2+2= 5. They were not only in shock but told me I was wrong. Later, when they realized I was right, they all went on about how the electoral college is bullshit and it was "not like that for the other presidents."

As you can probably already tell, I have a passion for conducting ethnographies. I can seriously write a 30 page paper on the sneaker fetish without even blinking. I would choose the ethnography over the other methods because I get to experience something new in a hands on manner and what I find is going to shock me one way or another. The other styles of research involve studying and observing, whereas ethnographies require a hands on experience. There is no doubt in my mind that ethnography is the most interesting one to me. =)