Fwd: [Qualitative Methods] Pao Yang - Research Paper 6 - Participant Observation

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From: "kubal" <tkubal2.2009@gmail.com>
To: tkubal@csufresno.edu
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2014 9:13:29 PM
Subject: [Qualitative Methods] Pao Yang - Research Paper 6 - Participant Observation

Pao Yang

Sociology 176

Dr. Kubal

March 9, 2014

Word Count: 1,236

Qualitative Data Collection Paper 6 – Participant Observation

            This week I practiced the qualitative research method of participant observation. I participated in a public march on March 4^th, 2014 at CSU Fresno in an attempt to bring attention to multiple issues. The date was specifically chosen on the March 4^th to symbolize "Marching Forward on March Fourth." There were approximately 60or so participants. I collected notes using the comprehensive principle for observation and will be adopting a question from the GSS as the main focus of my research.

Question: "Over the past 5 years have you done any of the following to

express your opinion about an issue or your support for a cause?

c. Join a protest rally or march."

The march was the final event of the day. Before the march, groups of students spread information regarding Animal rights, Education, Environment, Pretrial Expansion, Sweatshops, Hunger, Peace, Women's issues, and Sexual Violence (see pictures). I felt that one of the biggest advocated issues at the time was Hunger. Many of the signs made I saw were regarding Hunger and the Hunger group talked to me more than any of the members from the other groups. I was given a flyer of locations where I could go volunteer and help fight against hunger (see pictures). This is not to say that the other groups did not do a well performance at sharing information about social issues; I just simply noticed the Hunger group's presence more. The social issue that I mainly supported was Education. I wanted lower tuition cost for students. In the past 5 years, college tuition has been constantly increasing and I want that to change. I remember when I first started college, a whole year of tuition at Fresno State was just above $3,000 but currently tuition has more than doubled. I feel that this financial burden on students has and will negatively affect student's performance in school. I feel that Education should be more affordable because I believe that the high increase in tuition cost over the past 5 years is unjustifiable. I feel that students are the scapegoat when more money is needed. I participated in this march to show to the world that "Hey, I see what's going on and you all should too." We need to acknowledge the issues before we can change them. This march was a motivating first step for me towards that direction.

My Sociology professor Dr. Kubal led the march at the Free Speech area where we would take a lap around the campus (see route map). There were many participants in the march but something that I noticed right from the start was the level of talking that was occurring. Many were talking within their groups instead of forwarding their message to the public. Every participant had a sign or two in their hands but their voice was not used to the fullest extent. Participants were able to learn a wide range of information regarding some of the socials issues presented. It was much more difficult to spread this information outward because bystanders would have to voluntarily look over and read what we were protesting or come over and talk with us. I saw that there was a challenge in marching, in how difficult it may be to grab someone's attention and motivate others to want a change too. I notice one of the students in front of me with a sign reading "… Or Are you not a friend?" This was a provocative question and one that I would not personally ask but I can see how it caught my own attention and I was sure it caught the attention of a few individuals who we passed.  Although provocative, it was effective at gaining attention. Another participant would continually ask bystanders to "make a sign of something you don't like and march with us."  His message was quick and efficient at promoting marching. He challenged the audience and got them subconsciously involved. Even if they didn't literally make a sign and march with us, his question could have gotten a few to think about social issues that are bothering them personally too. Our march to bring awareness, although not as loud or intimidating as I had originally thought was actually working. People were noticing us and our concern. I felt genuinely proud to be a part of this group. I didn't think that I had changed the world, but I thought I could have planted a seed somewhere that may change the world, and even possibly in me.

            This was my first time marching for a cause. I have seen multiple marches but had never participated in one myself. I never really asked myself why I had not march before, maybe it was just because I didn't "need to" or didn't "have to" in my mind. I wanted the extra credit from participating in this march and that enticement convinced me to join the march. I did however genuinely believe and want our education tuition to be lower. I think that many of the other students who joined in on the march on March 4^th felt something similar. At the beginning of the march, I was somewhat nervous and not knowing what to expect. I did not realize how tiring marching could be. It was somewhat of a warm day and I had decided that morning to wear a long sleeve button up shirt and a sweater because I thought the day would be cooler. Needless to say, midway into the march, my sweater was off and my sleeves were rolled up. The march lasted a whole 50 minutes. I saw in others as I did in myself, a feeling of content and fulfillment in having marched that day. I had fun in this empowering atmosphere.

            I asked my girlfriend if she had marched before and just like me she had not. She too supported the idea of lowering college tuition. The majority of the individuals I talked to about marching before had not marched also. This corresponded to the GSS statistics. In Figure 1, we see that only 6.3 percent of males and 5.2 percent of females who responded in the GSS had joined a protest rally or march in the past 5 years. It is safe to assume that the majority of people have not joined a protest rally or march within the past 5 years.

Because I had participated in this march, I felt that I would do a better job preparing for my next march if I ever join one. I hope to join more in the future. I had a fun experience doing this research. I had no idea how low the percentage was for people who had joined in a protest rally or a march in America. My questioning of individuals yielded similar but somewhat higher numbers because there was a majority of sociology students who had participated in marches before. If it was the general public, I would not be surprise to see lower numbers. I should have asked a wider range of question such as "why they had not march before?" I should have dug deeper and asked more question but because the march was somewhat an active environment, I was more focused on the cause at hand rather than studying participants. I believe I could have asked people before the march rather than during; this would have been more efficient and easier. I feel that I have much more room to grow in participant observation qualitative research method. I will work on asking more rather while flowing with the rhythm rather than just flowing.

Appendix

Pictures –

Students Sharing Information

Hunger Flyer

 

Map of Marching Route (yellow highlighted line)

Participants Marching

Figure 1 –

Field Notes –

Observation at Fresno State – March 4, 2014 – 1:30pm to 2:50pm
Space	CSU Fresno State, Free speech area, central campus, maple street, shaw avenue, open area, no big limitations or boundaries to limit your voice/opinion, outdoors
Object	Tables, Flyers, pamphlets, signs, Microphone/speaker
Actors	Most participants were students, a few professors and a few others. Total of approximately to 50 to 60 participants/marchers. Included me, school attire/casual clothing, non-professional clothing
Activity	Students/People spreading information regarding causes, people talking about issues, people/students holding signs, people/students walking with signs around campus, talking to others as they walk, spreading awareness
Events	Walking around campus, holding signs spreading awareness, a march draws attention to the marchers and in doing so, we hoped to bring awareness to the audience who we pass by.
Time	March starts at approximately 2pm, lasted around 50 minutes, the walk was around campus creating a full lap of the central area of the campus, (see map of march picture), we started and ended the march at the free speech area on Fresno State
Goal	Spreading awareness to people. Students/People in the march aimed at bringing awareness about certain issues to bystanders/onlookers. Some asked bystanders to join in the march or take a stand for something they believe in or against something they didn't like.
Emotions	Initially nervous, I sense maybe nervous because many of the students have not marched for a cause before. The start of the march felt motivating and empowering, The march became fun when you realize that there are people who are rooting you on for your causes. There was a feeling of content and fulfillment after the march because I felt that I've learned from this experience. I enjoyed the march along with fellow students and professors and other participants. Empowering atmosphere, (how I felt…)
Talk	Friendly talk about issues and concerns, There was also small talk about misc. topics that were not related to the issues and concerns. The walk was approximately 50 minutes so there was a fair amount of time to converse which lead to other possible topics of different individuals. Some individuals talked in small groups of 2 to 4. People passing by rooted/cheered on the march. Students cheered and yelled in a motivational way. There were moments of silence or small talk but a sudden yell from one individual or a honk from a car would rouse the whole group up for a short moment. Some individuals were more open and talked more openly about issues they were concern with. Others were much quieter but they still marched on. I was one of the not as voice-ful individuals. I yelled out "lower tuition cost" 4 times throughout the whole march but I think I could have done better/more. I also looked onward to the bystanders in order to grab their attention with eye contact. Sometimes it worked, other times time just ignored me.  I had my girlfriend participate with me in the march so I had company to talk with about social issues and how the march was going.

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Posted By kubal to Qualitative Methods at 3/09/2014 09:13:00 PM