Dr. T.

Amorette Young
Ethnic, Gender & Transborder Studies/Sociology (EGTSS) Department
Pima Community College

Name:__________________________________

Lesson Plan: Breaking a Social Norm Challenge & Field Notes

Objective: Learning to understand what social norms are and how they affect us; conduct a
social experiment using ethnomethodology.

Rationale: Hands-on experience with social Ethnomethodology is the study of

norms, as well as practice taking field notes, how social order is produced in and
understanding qualitative inquiry, applied through processes of social
sociology. interaction.

Procedure:
(1) Carefully select a norm to violate. Do not break rules, procedures, or laws.
An example could be that of dress/attire. (Caution: do not wear anything illegal,
dangerous, or extremely disruptive.) Try dressing in female clothes if you are male. Wear
formal attire to a casual get together. Wear a winter jacket in the summer. Wear sandals
in the snow. Wear stripes with polka dots. Wear an unstylish or outdated outfit.
(2) Next, select a social setting and create a hypothesis before going into the field. Interact with
others and observe their responses to your norm violation.
(3) Record your observations by taking field notes using the field notes template. Be as detailed
as possible.
(4) Complete your write up: Did you experience sanctions? Were there subtle punishments for
breaking social norms? How does conforming to and violating social norms fit into the lifelong
process of socialization?

How to take good field notes

Ethnographers engage in participant observation in order to gain insight into cultural practices
and phenomena. These insights develop over time and through repeated analysis of many aspects
of our fieldsites. To facilitate this process, ethnographers must learn how to take useful and
reliable notes regarding the details of life in their research contexts. These fieldnotes will
constitute a major part of the data on which later conclusions will be based. Fieldnotes should be
written as soon as possible after leaving the fieldsite, immediately if possible. Even though we
may not think so when we are participating and observing, we are all very likely to forget
important details unless we write them down very quickly. Since this may be very time-
consuming, students should plan to leave a block of time for writing just after leaving the
research context.

Chiseri-Strater and Sunstein (1997) have developed a list of what should be

included in all fieldnotes:
1. Date, time, and place of observation
2. Specific facts, numbers, details of what happens at the site
3. Sensory impressions: sights, sounds, textures, smells, taste

Introduction to Sociology SOC 101 1

Dr. T. Amorette Young
Ethnic, Gender & Transborder Studies/Sociology (EGTSS) Department
Pima Community College

4. Personal responses to the fact of recording fieldnotes

5. Specific words, phrases, summaries of conversations, and insider language
6. Questions about people or behaviors at the site for future investigation
7. Page numbers to help keep observations in order

There are 4 major parts of fieldnotes, which should be kept distinct from one
another in some way when we are writing them:
1. Jottings are the brief words or phrases written down while at the fieldsite or in a situation
about which more complete notes will be written later. Usually recorded in a small notebook,
jottings are intended to help us remember things we want to include when we write the full
fledged notes. While not all research situations are appropriate for writing jottings all the time,
they do help a great deal when sitting down to write afterwards.
2. Description of everything we can remember about the occasion you are writing about - a meal,
a ritual, a meeting, a sequence of events, etc. While it is useful to focus primarily on things you
did or observed which relate to the guiding question, some amount of general information is also
helpful. This information might help in writing a general description of the site later, but it may
also help to link related phenomena to one another or to point our useful research directions later.
3. Analysis of what you learned in the setting regarding your guiding question and other related
points. This is how you will make links between the details described in section 2 above and the
larger things you are learning about how culture works in this context. What themes can you
begin to identify regarding your guiding question? What questions do you have to help focus
your observation on subsequent visits? Can you begin to draw preliminary connections or
potential conclusions based on what you learned?
4. Reflection on what you learned of a personal nature. What was it like for you to be doing this
research? What felt comfortable for you about being in this site and what felt uncomfortable? In
what ways did you connect with informants, and in what ways didn't you? While this is
extremely important information, be especially careful to separate it from analysis. Methods of
writing fieldnotes can be very personal, and we are all likely to develop ways of including and
separating the above four parts which work for us but might not work for others. However, to
give an idea of how some others have done it, included here are excerpted examples of actual
fieldnotes written by students.

EXAMPLES
Example #1: an ethnography of waitresses in an all-night diner. Notice how the
writer, Reah Johnson, keeps description separate from analysis by italicizing the
analysis of this specific incident. Further analysis of the entire sequence of
events (only a portion of which are included here) are kept separate from
description and analysis by adding an extra section at the end.
"Two men came into the restaurant with the intent of trying to sell things to the
customers. They each have plastic sacks filled with random objects that they are
showing to the customers in the bar area. Bernie sees them from where she is
sitting with Jay. She stands up and asks one of them, 'Are you buy'n somethin'
baby?' The man gives Bernice a mean look and she tells them they both can
leave, adding, 'I done you a favor.' The man Bernie spoke directly to turns to his
friend and says something negative while making a gesture towards Bernie.

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Dr. T. Amorette Young
Ethnic, Gender & Transborder Studies/Sociology (EGTSS) Department
Pima Community College

'Don't take it personal,' she tells him. 'Well I did,' he yells back. As the two men
walk out of the diner, Bernie warns them not to get her upset. After they are
gone she lights a cigarette and says out loud, 'I ain't gonna be get'n hurt by this
dumb shit.' Jay has been sitting still and has said nothing throughout this entire
encounter. I was amazed at how Bernie handles the two men and she did so
entirely by herself, without the help of any male employee in the diner. Her
language accomplished two things. Firstly, she avoided taking the role of an
uncompassionate member of her establishment by claiming, ' I done you a favor.'
In this respect it might also be argued she was protecting her reputation.
Secondly, her language managed to serve as self-protection when she said 'I
ain't gonna be get'n hurt by this dumb shit.' Bernie, like Debbie also revealed in
her interview, doesn't let herself get hurt by others."
Further analysis: "A lot took place in regards to protection. ... I have heard
many of the graveyard shift waitresses at St. George's comment on how the
cooks are always there to protect them, but in this case it seems they were there
solely to take the credit for protecting the waitresses. Bernie is, however, a very
unique waitress in the way she powerfully expresses herself. Perhaps the events
of this evening unfolded the way they did because of Bernie's strong and
unyielding character."
Example # 2: an ethnography of an adult English as a Second Language class
by Hallie Mittleman. Hallie, too, chooses to italicize analysis.
"In order to encourage the other students to speak, Karen (the teacher) asks
them about their favorite American movies, or alternatively their favorite
American tv shows. ... Borach (new class tonight, Turkish) says that he feels
that American movies are very important in portraying American relationships
and politics for the world. But Alison, motioning to Joanna when she speaks,
points out that the difference between TV and real life is significant. She speaks
of the glamour and wealth portrayed on Dynasty and describes how this is
definitely not real life and Joanna nods her head in agreement. Borach attempts
to illustrate this point by describing a movie he watched about Vietnam. He says
that watching this movie was key in his understanding of American history. He
then speaks to Memet, who is Turkish, in Turkish and says (to the group that)
only one or two Turkish movies are produced and released internationally every
year. Joanna is asked about Polish movies and their international release, and
together Joanna and Alison say, 'of course, Roman Polansky'." "Discussion
of material culture is often, as in this case, labeled 'American.' These goods
enforce a 'here vs. there' dichotomy, because if something is labeled as
'American' there must be a contrast to what is not American. Although there
could be multiple constructions of what is 'not American' through constantly
asking students to define the American product in terms of 'what x is like in your
country', categories of what culture can be are defined in terms of American
cultural categories. Additionally, a notion of difference is always implied if
something is labeled 'American'; because there is something (product z)
American, there must therefore be a corresponding, but necessarily different
product z in 'your' country. 'Your country' is becoming a category possessing

Introduction to Sociology SOC 101 3

Dr. T. Amorette Young
Ethnic, Gender & Transborder Studies/Sociology (EGTSS) Department
Pima Community College

something analogous but different."

References
Chiseri-Strater, Elizabeth and Bonnie Stone Sunstein 1997 FieldWorking: Reading and Writing
Research. Pp. 73. Blair Press: Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Emerson, Robert M., Rachel I. Fretz, and Linda L. Shaw 1995 Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Sanjek, Roger, ed. 1990 Fieldnotes: The Makings of Anthropology. Ithaca: Cornell University
Press

Introduction to Sociology SOC 101 4

Dr. T. Amorette Young
Ethnic, Gender & Transborder Studies/Sociology (EGTSS) Department
Pima Community College

Field NOTES
Date:

Time:

Participants:

Location (Field site):

Norm Violation Description:

Observations (Actions and Description) Notes to self (Reflections and Thoughts)

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Dr. T. Amorette Young
Ethnic, Gender & Transborder Studies/Sociology (EGTSS) Department
Pima Community College

Final Report Write Up

The following format is to be followed as you write up this exercise. Please note
that this is a skeletal outline and is intended to help you decide what information to
include in your report. Be sure to cover all of these points, but don’t feel that you
are limited to them. Elaborate and be creative where you can. Incorporate as much
as you can from your learning about sociology in everyday settings. This report
should be 2-5 pages (750 + words) in length, typed and double-spaced. Include
cover page, references/works cited and field notes as an appendix. Good grammar
and sentence structure are expected. See Rubric.

Paragraph 1 Statement of the problem

A. Define the norm you will violate
B. Describe briefly how this norm acts as a mechanism of social control.
C. Describe what you will do to violate the norm.

Paragraph 2 Hypothesis
A. Describe the range of possible reactions others will have to the violation
of this norm.
B. What do you predict the major reaction will be?

Paragraph 3 Describe the setting

A. Physical: Where is the norm violation taking place?
B. Social Setting: How many and what types of people are observing?

Paragraph 4 Describe the incident

A. Use field notes to describe what happened

Paragraph 5 Summary & Interpretation

A. How did you feel as you were violating the norm?
B. Why did you feel the way you did?
C. Did people react the way you expected? Explain.
D. Did you encounter any difficulties in carrying out your assignment?
E. What, if anything, did you learn about how norms exercise social control?
F. Any other pertinent observations.
G. Connect to major course concepts in class materials (lectures, readings).

Introduction to Sociology SOC 101 6

Dr. T. Amorette Young
Ethnic, Gender & Transborder Studies/Sociology (EGTSS) Department
Pima Community College

Breaking A Social Norm Rubric

Exemplary (9-10) Good (7-8) Needs Unsatisfactory
Improvement (3- (0-2)
6)
Norm Selection Norm selected is Norm selected Norm is not Norm, purpose
Purpose creative and thoughtful is appropriate clearly defined or and hypothesis
Hypothesis and clearly defined. and defined. absent from is missing.
Purpose of essay is Purpose of assignment. No-submission
clearly stated. essay is stated. Purpose is absent
Hypothesis is Hypothesis is or unclear.
thoughtful. adequate Hypothesis is
absent or not
clearly asserted
Field Notes Field notes are Field notes are Field notes are Field notes are
complete and detailed; complete incomplete and absent. Lack of
instructions are Distribution non descriptive; observations
followed. and detail of instructions are indicates a lack
Distribution and detail observations not followed. of participation
of observations reflects reflects Observations in the exercise.
optimal planning and exploration; reflect full
execution; attempt is made participation in
interpretation of field to interpret exercise; basic
relations provides basis field interpretation of
for continued inquiry; relationships; field relations is
inclusion of provided;
most highly inclusion of
relevant relevant
information information

Written Essay demonstrates Essay contains Composition skills Missing

Organization excellent composition above average may be flawed in assignment,
skills including a clear composition either the clarity does not meet
purpose, appropriate skills, of the purpose, the minimum
and effective including a development, or requirements.
organization, lively and clear, insightful organization.
convincing supporting purpose, Diction, syntax,
materials, effective although and mechanics
diction development may seriously
and sentence skills, and may be affect clarity.
perfect or near perfect insufficient in Minimally
mechanics including one area and accomplishes the
spelling and diction and majority of
punctuation. The style may not the goals of the
writing perfectly be consistently assignment.
accomplishes the clear and
objectives of the effective.
assignment. Shows

Introduction to Sociology SOC 101 7

Dr. T. Amorette Young
Ethnic, Gender & Transborder Studies/Sociology (EGTSS) Department
Pima Community College

competence in
the use of
mechanics.
Accomplishes
the goals of the
assignment
with
an overall
effective
approach.
Social science The student The student Student Missing
Application demonstrated demonstrated demonstrated a assignment.
Concepts a mastery of competency of progressing The student
the relative merits of the relative understanding of failed to
the specific merits of the the relative merits demonstrate
methodology used by specific of the specific the relative
social scientists. methodology methodology used merits of the
Major course concepts used by social to social scientists. specific
and defined and scientists. Major course methodology
incorporated to explain Major course concepts are used by social
social phenomena. concepts are absent or scientists.
mentioned but incorrectly applied No course
without clear when explaining concepts
definitions and social phenomena. mentioned
incorporation
to explain
social
phenomena.
Followed Students followed all Student Student did not Missing
Instructions/Timel instructions and followed most follow the assignment.
y Submission submitted the document instructions and instructions and
on time. submitted the did not submit the
document on document on time.
time.
Final Score /50

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