Interpreting Field Research Lesson #14

Writing Tip of the Day – Em Dashes An em dash (—) is longer than an en dash (–) and three times as long as a hyphen (-). An em dash sets apart parenthetical phrases or clauses in a sentence. There are several references in Interstellar—whether the viewer realizes it or not—to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Could also be used the same way a colon is used for dramatic effect. The president said he would not send troops to the Middle East—a promise he has not kept.

Freewriting If you haven’t already, draft 5 of your survey/interview/FG questions If you have, revise them or edit them as much as you can.

THEN . . . . Turn to someone sitting next you Workshop each other’s survey/interview/FG questions and give each other feedback

Midterm Evaluation Feedback

Focus Groups Select participants for the focus group (direct audience but various participants) Plan the meeting for the group Prepare your script and rehearse the questions Conduct the focus group meeting Interpret the data afterword

During the Meeting Ask questions that draw people out Limit the time for the focus group Notice nonverbal ques Record the session Don’t forget the consent forms!

Focus Group – “Teaching Children How to Discriminate” How have the Disney movies (or Disney in general) impacted your life? What are your favorite of the Disney movies? Least favorite? How have your perceptions of your childhood movies changed over time? Do you think it’s possible for children’s movies (like the Disney films) to perpetuate racist stereotypes? If so, how?

What would you say is the main argument of Rosina Lippi-Green’s ‘Teaching Children How to Discriminate”? How is this point argued? Do you agree with her assertion? Why or why not? Do you think Disney has a monopoly over children’s entertainment (or the entertainment industry in general)? Why would this be a problem? All this being said, what can Disney, Co. do to prevent cultural appropriation in future films?

When Analyzing the Data Look for common trends Find any outliers that should be acknowledged Think about what could potentially support your argument Notice any non-verbal cues as well Use aqny sources that could be used in combination with this data

When Making a Claim Recognize that this is a small sample Be sure to narrow the scope, but also explain why it is valuable (stakes) Recognize the power of collaborative thinking (e.g. in focus groups) For a potential paper, remember to contextualize it with other sources

Making a Claim – Survey The Disney films have, either intentionally or unintentionally, perpetuated racist stereotypes of other nationalities. Agree b) Disagree c) Neutral Children are very susceptible to receiving and accepting these stereotypes from the movies they watch. Disney should avoid casting white voice actors for nonwhite roles to void cultural appropriation.

Identifying Issues Draw from your own personal experience Identify what is open to dispute Resist binary thinking Build on and extend the ideas of others Read to discover a writer’s frame (or perspective) Consider the constraints (or narrowing factors) of the situation

Formulating an Issue-based Question Refine your topic Explain your interest in the topic Identify the issue itself Formulate your topic as a question (line of inquiry) Acknowledge your direct audience

Homework Read pg. 276–288 of the textbook Read Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” (will send around hyperlink in next email) Respond to Canvas reading response