Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Week 7
I think that there are many advantages to field working. In my case I get to learn a lot more about my own religion by viewing it in many different ways. I also get to know a little more about the people that and preaching to me by setting up interviews and talking with them. I think I can give back to my community ,especially to the outsiders, by showing how and what Christians do on a daily basis to keep our faith alive and that Christianity is not what most stereotypes say it is. The stereotypical thinking goes both ways and by giving the interviews with a few of my non-Christian friends I think it will give the Christian viewers a more open view of the whole situation. I hope to give back to my own subculture what they have given to me; the freedom to stand up for what I believe in and not let others try to persuade me other wise. My contribution to my community would be to show them that Christianity is about love and forgiveness and not just about obeying certain rules or behaving a certain way. My contribution to this class and my education is that I put as much effort into all of the homework assignments and go to all of the classes so that I can do the very best that I can in order to become successful in what I do in the future.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Citing Electronic Sources
Clark, Charles S. "News Media Paying More Attention to Religion." CQ researcher. 25 November 1994: vol.4,44. CQ reasearcher Online. CQ Press. 18 Febuaray 2009 http://library.cqpress.com.proxy.bsu.edu/cqresearcher
This article talks a lot about the negative side of Christianity. The media only tells things like priests who sexually abuse someone or evangelists who missuse donated money. Most of the media news rooms in the 1940's were anti-religion, but now it seems that the newsrooms today are doing what they can to show religion in a negative fashion.
I think this piece will help me show that there are many stereotypes in Christianity, which is one thing I am going to try to get rid of. I also believe that the media is only portraying a very small percentage of Christians when they talk about abusers and misusers. I am not saying that all Christians are perfect because we too are human beings and human beings make mistakes.
Young, William P. The Shack. California: Windblown Media, 2007.
William Young's, Finding God In The Shack, has become very popular among Christians today. In chapter 12 it says "A realization hits Mack, the Great Sadness is gone. He walks up to Jesus and they talk over his past, his present, and what his future might look like. The conversation continues on into the rash judgments that Mack has made concerning a number of issues that we all struggle with - Jesus lovingly corrects and explains His Truth to Mack" and I think these few sentences sums up what the book is about.
This book is an example of how I might talk about Christianity with my interviewees and in my ethnography. Whether they have been inspired, challenged, or even threatened by Young's novel, Finding God In The Shack is an important tool for readers who want to better understand the scriptures truths revealed in the book's message. And hopefully individuals will apply those truths to their own lives. Each chapter of the book concludes with a set of discussion questions, making Finding God In The Shack a great book for small group discussion.
This article talks a lot about the negative side of Christianity. The media only tells things like priests who sexually abuse someone or evangelists who missuse donated money. Most of the media news rooms in the 1940's were anti-religion, but now it seems that the newsrooms today are doing what they can to show religion in a negative fashion.
I think this piece will help me show that there are many stereotypes in Christianity, which is one thing I am going to try to get rid of. I also believe that the media is only portraying a very small percentage of Christians when they talk about abusers and misusers. I am not saying that all Christians are perfect because we too are human beings and human beings make mistakes.
Young, William P. The Shack. California: Windblown Media, 2007.
William Young's, Finding God In The Shack, has become very popular among Christians today. In chapter 12 it says "A realization hits Mack, the Great Sadness is gone. He walks up to Jesus and they talk over his past, his present, and what his future might look like. The conversation continues on into the rash judgments that Mack has made concerning a number of issues that we all struggle with - Jesus lovingly corrects and explains His Truth to Mack" and I think these few sentences sums up what the book is about.
This book is an example of how I might talk about Christianity with my interviewees and in my ethnography. Whether they have been inspired, challenged, or even threatened by Young's novel, Finding God In The Shack is an important tool for readers who want to better understand the scriptures truths revealed in the book's message. And hopefully individuals will apply those truths to their own lives. Each chapter of the book concludes with a set of discussion questions, making Finding God In The Shack a great book for small group discussion.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Week 6
The focal point I have observed in the Christian field is the foyer in the Middletown Church of the Nazarene. The foyer is where these individuals meet usually before and after service. It is a large area with some tables and chairs. There is also a cafe area where you can treat yourself to coffee and doughnuts. My perspective on the foyer is definitely a positive one. When I am in the foyer, I feel that is where Christians (like myself) are the most comfortable; considering we are around friends and family who share the same interests. And even if your interests are different it is still a welcoming place where the people are friendly and loving.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Week 5
I think that I will need more time to research my field site and also look into the history of it. I plan to get as much information as possible on my subculture by going to the library to check out books on Christianity. I also plan on interviewing a few people from my church and a friend that is a non-Christian. I plan on interviewing these individuals after a church service or if at all possible in there own home, so I can see how other Christians and/or non-Christians live their life. I also would like to join in on some bible studies that take place at the homes of my fellow Christians. To finish up my mini ethnography I plan on giving a survey at my church to individuals ranging from the youth to the elderly in order broaden views of my subculture and to learn a little more about who is involved in the church. So far I do not have any questions about the upcoming assignments.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Box #15
I've spent every summer for the past fourteen years in a softball field. I played on the tee ball, minors, majors, seniors, and high school leagues. Softball was my way of showing who I was while growing up. My Dad taught me everything there was to know about softball. Softball was my life. As I played the game of softball I saw, heard, felt, tasted, and smelled many things.
The view of softball was my favorite even from when I was in tee ball; although, the imagery was a little different. While in tee ball I can remember seeing the old rusty fence, the soft green grass in the outfield, and the dirty sandbox look of the infield that had five white spongy shapes. It all looked so fun to play in. While in the outfield my main focus was the bright yellow dandelions and while in the infield sand castles were the only thing on my mind. The view of the softball field held most of my attention, but the sounds were also very intimidating. The sound of all of the other kids yelling "we want a pitcher not a belly itcher" or "we want a batter not a broken ladder" made me very nervous, but the sound of the coaches telling me that I WILL hit the ball or I WILL get an out was a great confidence booster.
High school softball was very different as to what I saw, heard, felt, tasted, or smelled. The sight of the field was amazing. The green grass was always cut to perfection, rarely seeing any dandelions which didn't really matter all too much because the main focus was always the game. The redbrick dust was the biggest difference from tee ball to high school softball. The red brick dust always stained our softball clothes a brown dirt color. Another thing that stained our clothes was blood. There was always someone who had a bloody red mess on their knee, leg, or elbow from sliding or falling or getting hit with the ball. It never seemed to fail that one girl would show up to school the next day with a bright purple and black bruise or a scab that covered her entire knee.
While some of the sights could be very disturbing the sounds could be even worse. There are always a few games every summer where a girl would get hurt so bad that she wouldn't be able to get up or move. Her screeching cry would send chills down my spine.This situation was the worst to see and to hear. On a lighter note the sound of the ball hitting the bat and the words coming out of the umpires mouth always brought us girls to attention. The feel of the bat when it hit the ball or the ball landing in the palm of the glove were some of the best feelings that I had while playing softball. Yeah, the perfect cut grass and the gravel feel of the brick dust was very intriguing, but it never beat the feel of hitting the ball and getting on base or catching the ball knowing that you were in control of the situation.
To me the smell of a softball field is the best smell out of all the other sports I have played. The fresh cut grass and just the smell of the outdoors has always been better than being in a gym full of sweaty basketball or volleyball players.
The taste of softball can be a good or bad taste. The bad tastes of softball would include sliding with your mouth open getting a mouth full of brick dust which dries out the mouth tremendously. The only thing that can fix that is the good taste of a fresh cold bottle of water or the fruity taste of Gatorade on my tongue.
Like I said before softball has been a part of my life for a long time and hopefully in reading this you can get a little taste of how it has made my life a great adventure.
The view of softball was my favorite even from when I was in tee ball; although, the imagery was a little different. While in tee ball I can remember seeing the old rusty fence, the soft green grass in the outfield, and the dirty sandbox look of the infield that had five white spongy shapes. It all looked so fun to play in. While in the outfield my main focus was the bright yellow dandelions and while in the infield sand castles were the only thing on my mind. The view of the softball field held most of my attention, but the sounds were also very intimidating. The sound of all of the other kids yelling "we want a pitcher not a belly itcher" or "we want a batter not a broken ladder" made me very nervous, but the sound of the coaches telling me that I WILL hit the ball or I WILL get an out was a great confidence booster.
High school softball was very different as to what I saw, heard, felt, tasted, or smelled. The sight of the field was amazing. The green grass was always cut to perfection, rarely seeing any dandelions which didn't really matter all too much because the main focus was always the game. The redbrick dust was the biggest difference from tee ball to high school softball. The red brick dust always stained our softball clothes a brown dirt color. Another thing that stained our clothes was blood. There was always someone who had a bloody red mess on their knee, leg, or elbow from sliding or falling or getting hit with the ball. It never seemed to fail that one girl would show up to school the next day with a bright purple and black bruise or a scab that covered her entire knee.
While some of the sights could be very disturbing the sounds could be even worse. There are always a few games every summer where a girl would get hurt so bad that she wouldn't be able to get up or move. Her screeching cry would send chills down my spine.This situation was the worst to see and to hear. On a lighter note the sound of the ball hitting the bat and the words coming out of the umpires mouth always brought us girls to attention. The feel of the bat when it hit the ball or the ball landing in the palm of the glove were some of the best feelings that I had while playing softball. Yeah, the perfect cut grass and the gravel feel of the brick dust was very intriguing, but it never beat the feel of hitting the ball and getting on base or catching the ball knowing that you were in control of the situation.
To me the smell of a softball field is the best smell out of all the other sports I have played. The fresh cut grass and just the smell of the outdoors has always been better than being in a gym full of sweaty basketball or volleyball players.
The taste of softball can be a good or bad taste. The bad tastes of softball would include sliding with your mouth open getting a mouth full of brick dust which dries out the mouth tremendously. The only thing that can fix that is the good taste of a fresh cold bottle of water or the fruity taste of Gatorade on my tongue.
Like I said before softball has been a part of my life for a long time and hopefully in reading this you can get a little taste of how it has made my life a great adventure.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Dogtown and Z-Boys: The Birth of Extreme.
I think that the film was both an ethnography study and a work of entertainment because it had a historical aspect and it had many interviews with individuals that were insiders and a few that were outsiders showing their views on surfing or skateboarding. It also had a lot of footage of surfers and skateboarders that made it very entertaining.
The interviewees were mostly from a skate team called Z-boys or a surf team called Zephyr. The interviewers played a huge role in telling the viewers what skateboarding or surfing was all about. I believe that it moved the story along and showed a great perspective on how these individuals lived their lives.
Some of the attitude and beliefs were that not everyone could skate and you had to have a good style of skating in order to be part of the Z-boys. Some lingo that I heard was "cockroach style" which meant that you had no style.
This piece was organized like a story. It tells the story of how skateboarding came from surfing. This really helped me understand how skateboarding arose and became so big.
Some stereotypes I had for skateboarders was the longer hair, tough guy attitude, and mostly males. The stereotypes I mentioned were mostly correct. I think that is because I have a lot of friends that are skateboarders so I guess I am kind of an insider; although, I have no skills on a skateboard.
The interviewees were mostly from a skate team called Z-boys or a surf team called Zephyr. The interviewers played a huge role in telling the viewers what skateboarding or surfing was all about. I believe that it moved the story along and showed a great perspective on how these individuals lived their lives.
Some of the attitude and beliefs were that not everyone could skate and you had to have a good style of skating in order to be part of the Z-boys. Some lingo that I heard was "cockroach style" which meant that you had no style.
This piece was organized like a story. It tells the story of how skateboarding came from surfing. This really helped me understand how skateboarding arose and became so big.
Some stereotypes I had for skateboarders was the longer hair, tough guy attitude, and mostly males. The stereotypes I mentioned were mostly correct. I think that is because I have a lot of friends that are skateboarders so I guess I am kind of an insider; although, I have no skills on a skateboard.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Week 4
I can not make any conclusions on my subculture yet because I still have so much to do. I need to interview at least three people and get a better outsiders view on the subculture. I think that Christianity differs in other towns or churches and I want to go to other churches to see if this holds true. I think that the people could be not as friendly or maybe even friendlier. I am sure most of the practices or rituals will be the same but the behaviors could be different coming from another church or town.
Obviously religious positions influence this particular subculture since it is it's own religion, but I also think that political positions influence Christians. Many Christians have different political views. It is stereotypical to think that all Christians have the same "conservative" view on politics; well I am here to tell you there are many liberal extremists in the Christian community. I know it may be hard to believe, but not all Christians are the same.
Obviously religious positions influence this particular subculture since it is it's own religion, but I also think that political positions influence Christians. Many Christians have different political views. It is stereotypical to think that all Christians have the same "conservative" view on politics; well I am here to tell you there are many liberal extremists in the Christian community. I know it may be hard to believe, but not all Christians are the same.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Box #12
Privileges:
19, American citizen (many freedoms), Female, White, Christian, Freshman at BSU, Living in the dorms, Financial help
These are just a few of the many things that influence my research. Being a 19 year old, American female says a lot. In order for me to be doing this research, I have to rely upon many of these influences. Being an American is probably the biggest influence because I am researching the Christian lifestyle and in many countries it is illegal to even talk about. Freedom of religion is huge and I believe that I was blessed to be born in a country that offers freedom of religion and speech. Another big one would definitely be the financial help that I receive. If I didn’t have the financial help I wouldn’t be sitting here conducting my own ethnography or have the luxury of living on campus. The things that I have listed above are all privileges that I cannot imagine living without.
19, American citizen (many freedoms), Female, White, Christian, Freshman at BSU, Living in the dorms, Financial help
These are just a few of the many things that influence my research. Being a 19 year old, American female says a lot. In order for me to be doing this research, I have to rely upon many of these influences. Being an American is probably the biggest influence because I am researching the Christian lifestyle and in many countries it is illegal to even talk about. Freedom of religion is huge and I believe that I was blessed to be born in a country that offers freedom of religion and speech. Another big one would definitely be the financial help that I receive. If I didn’t have the financial help I wouldn’t be sitting here conducting my own ethnography or have the luxury of living on campus. The things that I have listed above are all privileges that I cannot imagine living without.
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