OBSERVATION EXERCISE

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OBSERVATION EXERCISE
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PHASE ONE Friday Afternoon

• In groups of five six you will be dropped off
  at different places in Durban
• Beach Promenade
• The Workshop Shopping Mall
• Mitchell Park
• Flea market center of town
• Pavilion shopping mall

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• Upon coming to the destination, the group will
  split up and find a suitable place (safe,
  comfortable and possible to write without too
  much interference) to observe for ONE AND A HALF
  HOURS

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Verbal Snapshot

• You will write down all your observations, taking
  notes systematically in a fashion which will
  permit you to understand them at a later moment.
• The idea is that your notes will convey the
  sensations and images needed to write up a
  verbal snapshot when you get back to the hotel.

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• You can change your location one time BUT
  DEFINITELY NOT CONTINUALLY.
• Think carefully about the spot you choose. Can it
  give more information about the dynamic, things
  that repeat, etc.
• Try not to get involved in conversations with
  bystanders, passer-bys, etc. But if it is
  inevitable this should also be included in your
  notes.

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• Return to the pick up point after an hour and a
  half of observation.

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• Question What should you write down?Answer
  EVERYTHING!!!
• Observe so that you can give an idea as to what
  happens there on a daily basis or on a Sunday
  afternoon.
• Everything means Description

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• Everything means Descritpiton
• Physical description of location (colors, odors,
  organization.
• Make a map of the location and trace the
  different peoples movements.
• Important to include gender, race. What type of
  store where was the store situated, etc.

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• Events Has something out of the ordinary taken
  place?
• Shoplifters are caught (what happens, is there
  dialogue, think of the sequence of events)
• Someone is singing who is singing, where , how
  are people reacting to him or her? What song are
  they singing, are they playing an instrument?

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• Feelings
• Can you observe the feelings in the interactions?
• What are your own feelings?
• How do you feel observing?
• How do you feel being looked at?
• Does your own feelings interfere in the exercise?
  How?

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PHASE TWO AFTERNOON/EVENING

• Think about your impressions and how you could
  make it into a coherent story, which does not
  repeat everything, but presents a verbal snapshot
  that will convey to someone who was not there
  what it was like to be there.

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• Write a consistent story which represents your
  experiences and captures you observations as
  accurately as possible.
• Try to explain and describe in detail.
• Keep to the sequential order of things.
• It is important to know when to omit certain
  observations which are too much detail.

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• You dont have to repeat the color of someones
  jacket every time the person is mentioned.
• You may be creative, literarily inclined. Make it
  come alive.
• Maximum five type written pages.

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PHASE THREE Preparing the Presentation

• In your groups each person will shortly present
  their general observations of the site.
• Discussion will follow along the following
  questions

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• WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES?
• WHAT ARE THE SIMILARITEIS
• WHAT CAN THEY BE ATTRIBUTED TO?
• GENDER, RACE, AGE
• PLACE AT THE LOCATION
• WHAT DOES THIS TELL US ABOUT SUBJECTIVITY AND
  RESEARCH?

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• Piece together your different observation
  experiences to come up with a more general
  picture of the site.
• What generalizations can you make?
• Can the general dynamics of the site be recorded?
• Give an overall description and view of the
  going-ons at the site.

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• Make a twenty minute presentation in which you
  present to us your findings about the site and
  give a general idea about the discussion you had
  concerning the different questions about your
  experience of using observation as a research
  method.
• Remember you are presenting a verbal snapshot.

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• What were your personal feelings about
  observation as a research method.
• How do you feel observing
• What did you learn from the exercise?
• Is it a method you would use again and under what
  circumstances?