Introduction
The general topic of my ethnographic research focuses on the elements of respect for individuals of perceived authority. Fieldnotes were recorded beforehand as raw data. I chose to never explicitly mention what researcher positionality is. Therefore, the manner in which they interpret my actions can remain largely unaffected by the conventional opinions they have about adults. I did my best not to interfere too much with childhood interactions. However, there are unique exceptions to this rule. As an ethnographer, it is important to recognize that there is no universal standard that will work for everyone. There are three primary themes found within my research. Forms of scrip inevitably compel children to think about conditionial outcomes of their surroundings, children use Interpretive Reproduction from media sources, and children have the motivation to learn, when I had something to teach. Literature Review Allison Pugh’s book, Longing and Belonging, is relevant to my research in several ways. …show more content…
The main aspect I wish to import into my analysis is scrip, primarily within the context of experiences. Within group dynamics, children will inevitably form an economy of dignity with each other. Though primitive in comparison to the economies found in the adult world, it still remains significant to the children and researchers involved. Pugh describes the economy of dignity as “a system of social meaning through which children claim, contest and exchange among themselves the terms of their social belonging, or just what it would take to participate among their peers" (Pugh 2009:6). Corsaro’s theory of Interpretive Reproduction relates to my research because children enjoy understanding the adult world. …show more content…
It, in effect, aids them in their quest to reproduce such information within their peer cultures. However, they recognize that adults possess a wealth of knowledge, and also the ability to withhold it. Corsaro argues that “Childhood constitutes a particular structural form, childhood is exposed to the same societal forces as adulthood, and children are themselves coconstructors of childhood and society” (Corsaro 2011:31) Because children are a subset of society, they are also tethered to the individuals whom they perceive to have authority. It can be stated that scrip is the primary medium of “social currency” found within the economy of dignity. In addition, children voluntarily maintain interactions with those who possess experiential knowledge. Whether it was snack time, play time, or movie time, the potential for scrip to appear in an interaction was always present. Whether adults like to admit it or not, they inevitably become a part of children’s economy of dignity. Adults, while possessing much more scrip than children, are also much less involved in childhood peer cultures when compared to the children themselves. Children are smart enough to know that adults want to provide for them the goods and experience required to sustain their existence. In exchange, children offer their compliance (among other things) within this mutualistic relationship. Research Method My research was conducted at the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) in Madison, IN. This BGC is a central point in which school districts from the area shuttle children, from ages 6-18, via schoolbus. I spent one hour at each session in the BGC, for a total of 10 sessions. It was necessary for me to undertake the least-adult role for the sake of my research. As explained earlier, this was imperative because I would otherwise be unable to insert myself into children’s peer culture. I opted to take my researcher positionality into consideration whenever possible. I succeeded in observing children in all settings at the BGC. Through this, I could maximize the data I could collect, relative to the alloted time I had available. There are multiple environments found within the BGC, and my analysis of participants deserves to be tailored to such environments. I saw it to be too broad to analyze children purely in the context of the BGC as a whole. Through this, specificity can be achieved by compartmentalizing the behaviors of children within their environment. Since the main focus of my research is on how children gauge their levels of respect for individuals of perceived authority, it is also important to compare how children interact with one another. Through this, adequate comparison can be drawn between the two scenarios that appear in the everyday lives of
The general topic of my ethnographic research focuses on the elements of respect for individuals of perceived authority. Fieldnotes were recorded beforehand as raw data. I chose to never explicitly mention what researcher positionality is. Therefore, the manner in which they interpret my actions can remain largely unaffected by the conventional opinions they have about adults. I did my best not to interfere too much with childhood interactions. However, there are unique exceptions to this rule. As an ethnographer, it is important to recognize that there is no universal standard that will work for everyone. There are three primary themes found within my research. Forms of scrip inevitably compel children to think about conditionial outcomes of their surroundings, children use Interpretive Reproduction from media sources, and children have the motivation to learn, when I had something to teach. Literature Review Allison Pugh’s book, Longing and Belonging, is relevant to my research in several ways. …show more content…
The main aspect I wish to import into my analysis is scrip, primarily within the context of experiences. Within group dynamics, children will inevitably form an economy of dignity with each other. Though primitive in comparison to the economies found in the adult world, it still remains significant to the children and researchers involved. Pugh describes the economy of dignity as “a system of social meaning through which children claim, contest and exchange among themselves the terms of their social belonging, or just what it would take to participate among their peers" (Pugh 2009:6). Corsaro’s theory of Interpretive Reproduction relates to my research because children enjoy understanding the adult world. …show more content…
It, in effect, aids them in their quest to reproduce such information within their peer cultures. However, they recognize that adults possess a wealth of knowledge, and also the ability to withhold it. Corsaro argues that “Childhood constitutes a particular structural form, childhood is exposed to the same societal forces as adulthood, and children are themselves coconstructors of childhood and society” (Corsaro 2011:31) Because children are a subset of society, they are also tethered to the individuals whom they perceive to have authority. It can be stated that scrip is the primary medium of “social currency” found within the economy of dignity. In addition, children voluntarily maintain interactions with those who possess experiential knowledge. Whether it was snack time, play time, or movie time, the potential for scrip to appear in an interaction was always present. Whether adults like to admit it or not, they inevitably become a part of children’s economy of dignity. Adults, while possessing much more scrip than children, are also much less involved in childhood peer cultures when compared to the children themselves. Children are smart enough to know that adults want to provide for them the goods and experience required to sustain their existence. In exchange, children offer their compliance (among other things) within this mutualistic relationship. Research Method My research was conducted at the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) in Madison, IN. This BGC is a central point in which school districts from the area shuttle children, from ages 6-18, via schoolbus. I spent one hour at each session in the BGC, for a total of 10 sessions. It was necessary for me to undertake the least-adult role for the sake of my research. As explained earlier, this was imperative because I would otherwise be unable to insert myself into children’s peer culture. I opted to take my researcher positionality into consideration whenever possible. I succeeded in observing children in all settings at the BGC. Through this, I could maximize the data I could collect, relative to the alloted time I had available. There are multiple environments found within the BGC, and my analysis of participants deserves to be tailored to such environments. I saw it to be too broad to analyze children purely in the context of the BGC as a whole. Through this, specificity can be achieved by compartmentalizing the behaviors of children within their environment. Since the main focus of my research is on how children gauge their levels of respect for individuals of perceived authority, it is also important to compare how children interact with one another. Through this, adequate comparison can be drawn between the two scenarios that appear in the everyday lives of