Video

I have mostly interviews within my video. I have two images I consider to be major and that is of the belltowers of each university. I will show those images at the beginning of the video and my interviews throughout. My video was going to end up being a lot bigger since the students I recorded had similar answers for both the influence the religious denomination of the school and Greek Life of the school, but I narrowed it down and focused in on the religious denomination question.


Script: Picture of Belmont's bell tower fades into similar picture of Lipscomb's bell tower. Question is displayed on the screen- First interview comes up. Interviewee describes the rival humor between Lipscomb and Belmont- Second interview. More about the students being different-Third interview. Doesn't know much about Lipscomb accept for the stereotype "Church of Christ"- Scene immediately goes into how students answered the same question similarly while "Come Together" plays in the background. First interview- no influence- Second interview- Just so happens.. no influence.-Third interview- no influence-Fourth interview- no big deal.. no influence. Fifth interview- doesn't share the same denomination as lipscomb, no influence, ends with most students attending Lipscomb AREN'T Church of Christ. We're the same, though the assumptions of each university have lead us to believe differently.

First picture is what my video end up looking like, 2nd picture is what it was going to look like before I trimmed it down. ALOT :)

 

 

Update on Project

My project seems to be going well at this point. Everything seems to be a bit jumbled though. I've gotten interviews in from both friends and strangers (mostly questionaires). I've taken pictures of both campuses and have explored around a little, taking field notes and trying to really learn about the culture. I'm struggling because instead of finding differences, I'm finding similarities. I think that finding in itself may be a good focus for a video if I can figure out a way to do it. I've gathered some hardcopy artifacts from each campus/ maps of each campus. I'm going to try and squeeze in a few more interviews.

Methods?

               The best way to learn about a community is to become a part of it. I feel like I am already a part of the community at Belmont University, perhaps not as much as I used to be, but nonetheless I’m familiar with the culture. Lipscomb, on the other hand, I am not a part of that particular community. A technique that I have been using within my study is people watching in general. I have been taking notes on my surroundings and what I see and sense in the more communal of areas on the campus. I have so far issued a very helpful interview with two people at Lipscomb and I have gained information through that. I have also gathered physical maps of both campuses because one thing I noticed while studying Lipscomb’s community, is how much bigger the actual school felt. I personally felt this as an outsider. The girls I interviewed, however, stated differently. One of the reasons they loved Lipscomb is because they felt they could get anywhere on campus within 7 to 8  minutes. Another aspect I plan on incorporating into my project is the history of both universities and information on tuition and goals, for that may offer more explanation for the communities of each. This will be accomplished through research of each universities websites. I have taken photos of Lipscomb’s campus and plan on doing the same of Belmont’s campus.  By watching people I can get an outsiders view of the community and common habits. For instance, at Lipscomb I noticed that there was a much larger variety of people and that a lot more students seem to dress in windbreakers and sportswear than at Belmont where tighter pants and dressier outfits seem to be more popular. One thing that this concept misses is that it is just a view from the outside. A person can’t really learn about a community just by watching. I’m also planning on interviewing more students and getting an inside view of why people chose either Lipscomb or Belmont. By gathering materials such as maps and the history of each institution I gather information about the universities themselves, but not so much the people who are involved in the community. I hope by gathering this information I can get a better inside view of  the community of each university by learning more about individuals within the community and why they chose the university.

Archival Materials

• Papers on Belmont or Lipscomb
• Waybackmachine.com
• http://www.lipscomb.edu/
• http://www.belmont.edu/
• http://www.collegedata.com/

Since both institutions are trying to promote themselves mainly through their websites, I feel that those will be my strongest source.

Lives on the Boundary

Lives on the Boundary by Mike Rose is about, as the title says, boundaries. Its mostly about educational boundaries that most of America deals with, but emotional boundaries as well.
The author talks about his many boundaries of being poor which he had to surpass. From educational boundaries, such as him learning to spell correctly in graduate school, to the more difficult topics of him having to leave home because of the hopeless environment.
Everyone around him was just accepting where they were at and weren't pushing past the boundaries that were put on them. After a family friend shoots himself in Rose's home, and with the help of a kind teacher, Rose realizes he has to leave. Throughout the book Rose fights for equal education among students and talks about subjects such as America's small budget for education and why it is important for things to change.
The book was very inspiring. Mike Rose had been through a lot. He came such a long way from where he was raised. It was definitely an eye opener and an inside look of some of the students who have had to push past boundaries that some of us will never have to experience.

Online Community

Most of the Lipscomb chats I found ended up being focused on dating and singles from Lipscomb. I did find one website called chatBU that has scheduled chat sessions. I can see online communities helping with an Ethnographic study because it is easy to get in touch with people you don't know. It also works as a focus group in a way. (At least the scheduled chat sessions do). People come together to discuss their opinions on a similar topic. I feel that online communities also give people a chance to be brutally honest and speak their opinion more because you aren't face to face with someone. You have a screen and sometimes anonymous identity to protect you. This could be very helpful in an ethnographic study because it gives the researcher an honest inside look of the opinions of people from a certain culture.

Glossary of Important Terms

"man"/"Bro"/"Dude"- Terms of endearment or friendship among young adult males.
"girl"- Usually use at the end of a sentence.
"Hi! How are you?"- Greeting mostly seen given by a female(but not limited to) followed by a hug of the Greetee.
"Hey! Whats up?"- Greeting mostly seen given by males(but not limited to) followed by a high five and a masculing back pat hug.
"Stress"- A feeling mutually experienced by many who are a part of this community.
"Advisor"- A guide for the student in the context of his or her future schedule of classes.
"Party"- Term meaning gathering of community members mostly within the same age group. Usually takes place off of school grounds.
"Sleep"- not much is gained within this community. It becomes a cherished term during an individuals freshman year.
"Roomate"- A fellow college student (usually of the same gender) who one shares a living area with.
"Dorm Room"- A bedroom consisting of 2 or 3 beds along with either a sink in it or an attached bathroom which the roomates share with "suite mates".
"Papers"- Term heard often. Popular homework assignment in this community
"Professor"- A homework assigner, teacher, and mentor to the people of this community. some well liked, some not so much.
"coffee"- A liquid healer to most within this community. Especially since the so cherished sleep has lessened during their time here
There is no one popular language used within this community. It is a melting pot of people (mostly young adults). Some use a very educated language while others are much more "laid back" and do not use the same terms. This is a community where everyone is searching for their self worth and the differences between people are massive.

Unapplicable Interview

The "interview" I had wasn't really what I needed in an interview. I work with a girl who attends Nashville State Community College. After finding this out, I immediately asked her a question or two off the top of my head. Though her answers were very helpful, I have put off writing this blog, because I don't consider it an actual interview. I also have decided not to use Nashville Community State College in my project. I have narrowed my two communities down to Lipscomb's and Belmont's.
Regardless what my fellow employee shared with me was this:
-" There's never anyone hanging around. They just go to class and leave."
-" There are no extra curricular activites, no events."
-"I would like to go to and actual college"

From her helpful advice, I found that I could look into the extracurricular activities which both schools offer as well as the events that occur. Though this is not quite the interview which will be included in my project, it helped me gain ideas and pushed me forward in my search.

Its a little messy, but I think it helps me to understand why this particular space has such a sense of campus community. For starters it is in a very central and convenient area on campus. It sits beside the cafeteria and the Belltower (which is a symbol for our school). It also is next to campus ministries and security which both represent safety and comfort. It has a beautiful view of the stairs which lead to the Belmont Mansion and a great setting for people watching. A number of chairs and tables gives the chance for many people to enjoy this area and meet up with friends.

Cultural Artifact

For my study I have decided to research the discourses within a college community on different campuses. For my cultural artifact I decided on the epic backpack. Its the sack that has one or two straps which wrap around the students shoulders(or torso in the case of just one strap, sometimes it just hangs from one's shoulder). This bag leaves their hands free while the weight that they carry is rested on their back and shoulders.
The bag usually comes in an assortment of colors depending on the student's preference and usually contains 1 to multiple zippers opening up to different compartments.Sometimes it has a flap which covers the zippers. The material may be different on each bag. Some maybe be sturdier than others. Some maybe be more comfortable to wear than others. Prices range widely.
According to e.how, the bookbag has been popular for students since the 1960's when they began carrying books to and from school. In college a bookbag carries more than just books for the students. Some athletes carry their sporting gear inside a bookbag, others have food, or musical gear, sometimes all three at once. In all aspects this artifact seems to be popular and necessary for the culture of the college student, especially during time spent on campus.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6599118_book-bag-safety.html
http://fashionsrevenge.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/jansport-bookbags-2/
http://northfacebookbags.net/
http://www.discount-briefcases.com/briefcases.htm

Mini- Ethnographic Account

I chose my roomates in my apartment to study. I live with three girls. Normal attire is usually sweat pants with t-shirt, no one tends to linger in work clothes around these parts. We always greet each other in motherly ways almost. "Hi, how was your day?" or "Hey, how was class?"etc. We have 2 bathrooms. 2 of us share a rather messy bathroom. Hair is everywhere, make up is scattered about. Nothing too gross, but could be cleaner. The other two share a cleaner bathroom. We speak to each other in soft tones, comforting tones usually with the occasionally breaking out of the stereotypical southern hick or ghetto voice that we might have heard on a tv show or something. Laughter takes place a lot. I have very musical roomates. A girl singing can usually be heard when you walk through the door, along with a guitar in the background depending on the day and the roomate. They create a home away from home environment. When we have company over it sometimes can get really loud with the enjoyment of a funny movie or baking cookies in the kitchen. I would describe it as a warm and inviting culture. I enjoy it.

Fieldworking Notes

For my first time note taking in the field, I chose the community at Hillsboro Village. I sat outside of Whole Foods for an hour and took about 6 pages of notes of what I observed.

What surprised me?- I think what surprised me most was seeing how many people were there on a cloudy Tuesday, and just how much there was to observe and write down. I love people watching as much as the next person, but when you actually go somewhere with that as your sole purpose, it feels pretty intense. I also felt protective over my notes. I tried to casually hide them from people if they walked by me too closely. For some reason I just didn't want anyone to know that I was people watching.

What intrigued me?- Well looking back through my notes, I notice couples. I have at least 4 different observations of pairs of people that I saw who I immediately thought to be a couple even though they might not have been. Maybe that's just a cultural thing, but its obviously something I was intrigued by and noticed most.

What disturbed me?- The assumptions I constantly make. If there is a child with a woman I immediately tied a mother-child relationship to it. If there was a guy and girl walking I immediately tied a couple relationship to it. If they had a baby with them I immediately thought married couple with child. If it were two of the same sex I thought friend relationship. All of these assumptions could have been completely wrong and yet I still make them almost subconsciously.

These are just 2 pages of notes I took.

Ethnographic Study

I would like to study the communities on different college campuses. I feel like there would be a major difference in the community on Belmont's campus compared to that of a state college such as TSU or MTSU, or even a community college such as Nashville State or Motlow College that is a little southeast of here (more where I'm from). There might even be a difference between two colleges that are relatively the same such as Belmont and Lipscomb. I just think it would be interesting to see the discourses within each and compare them.

I also think it would be interesting to study different shopping areas. For my first field notes, I went and sat outside of Whole Foods, in The Hillsboro Village in Green Hills. Seeing the different discourses in that area compared to an indoor mall or larger mall would be interesting or the discourses that take place in malls in different areas.

Discourse Youtube Video

 Two discourses that play a role in this commercial both have to do with the displays of identity. Instead of Betty White, picture the man playing football like Betty White (the view of his fellow teammates).  The main character was failing to display his identity as a young man who was in the least bit decent at playing football with his friends. This could make him seem like "an outsider with pretensions to being an insider" as Gee says (p.529). A more physical identity discourse takes place comically as we watch Betty White play a very aggressive sport, get tackled into the mud, and even bad mouth a teammate about his girlfriend. Betty White who is now 89 years old (ChaCha), would not be physically capable of going through this aggressive behavior of being tackled. The badmouthing however, though possible for Betty White to spout out, I feel like primary discourse comes into play here, where she is an older woman, raised more strongly on moral values within her family circle and wouldn't be talking about another player's girlfriend in that manner. That is just my opinion though. These two discourses create humor and a perfect commercial sales point for Snickers. "You're not you when you're hungry" or in other words there is a major discourse here where the "you" everyone thinks you are is out of place.

ChaCha:http://www.chacha.com/topic/betty-white/news/happy-birthday-betty-white-how-old-is-she-today

Rules for Writers

     Many grammar rules were taught to students in the beginning years of writing. I remember a specific book from which my classmates and I learned rhymes about prepositions and nouns. Though I think the name of that book was Shirley something, I can only remember some of what it taught me, not specifics. I do remember not being allowed to write the word "Because" or "However" at the beginning of a sentence. My teacher had this rule that if you could not understand the sentence when it is all by itself then it is not a sentence. I have followed this rule all throughout my schooling, or at least tried. I feel as though a person could ignore this rule for the same reason he or she would ignore the rule of not beginning a sentence with a conjunction. Its making a statement. It is giving emphasis to the meaningful statement that you ended just before. Another rule I learned was to never use first person in a research paper. Use the word "one" instead of "you" or "I".  Perhaps this is a contextual rule. A research paper for a psychological or sociological study for instance might involve the writer needing to tell where he participated in his study and his place in coming up with the results. Regardless this has always been the hardest rule for me to follow. I do not consider myself a good writer by any means so breaking some of these rules might be easier for me than I realize. I never built the habit of following the rules of writing, so it shouldn't be too difficult or uncomfortable for me to rebel against them with purpose.