Module+2+Practical+Aspects+of+Educational+Research

Topic 1 An Observation Activity

Observations at the Local Food Hall I was not really sure of the best way to approach this open-ended observational activity. I had a few ideas but no real plan. When I read chapter 10 of our text I learnt that field observation doesn’t have to just be a data collecting activity, it can also be a ‘theory generator’ as well. You don’t need to have a clearly defined hypothesis; and I certainly don’t have one. I had the idea in my head that a food hall at dinner time might be a good place to observe some aspects of family relationships and roles. How do families interact at meal times in this setting? What are the socially acceptable norms of etiquette at meal times here? I know there will be constraints on my observations just by the very nature of a food hall i.e. tables spread out, lots of groups at the same time, variety in size and make-up of the groups and my limited ability to see and hear what was happening within each group. As Babbie, 2011 says, the complete observer is ‘less likely to affect what’s being studied’ but is also ‘less likely to develop a full appreciation of what’s being studied.’ I felt it was worth having a go so I set off with my husband as an accessory. We arrived at 6.30 on a Friday night (tonight actually) and found a table that appeared to have a reasonable view of several occupied tables. I decided to observe groups table by table and at this stage just list my observations. __ Table 1 __ Ø Two people sitting opposite each other at this table – appear to be in their early 20’s – 1 male and 1 female Ø He appears to have come from work as he is wearing a shirt that is quite a common uniform requirement. Ø She is very casually dressed and is sitting very informally at the table – her legs are actually crossed on the chair. Ø They appear to be comfortable in each other’s company and for much of the time they do not engage in any conversation – especially while they are eating. Ø She spends quite a bit of time texting on her mobile phone. After he finishes eating he too starts texting or maybe surfing the net. They share what they are looking at and laugh together over whatever it is. Ø They engage in a little bit of conversation but leave soon after eating. __ Table 2 __ Ø Four people sitting at this family – appear to be Mum, Dad and 2 young children under 10 Ø The seating positions make it easy for Mum and Dad to talk to each other while the children eat their food casually with their fingers. Ø There doesn’t appear to be a lot of interaction with the children. Ø The family left as soon as they finished eating. __ Table 3 __ Ø This was a large mixed group of people, mainly adults, some middle aged and some younger. There was one teenage girl who appeared to be with her father. Ø Many different conversations were taking place around the table – not always to the adjacent person. This table group was a lot more talkative than others observed. Could it be due to the age and relationship dynamics? I don’t believe they actually were related. Ø The girl was quite loud and raucous at times, which was in sharp contrast to the rest of the group. Ø There was a good deal of variation in the body language here too. The older people at the table looked a lot less casual. They were sitting smartly at the table as opposed to the slouching posture of the younger people at other tables. __ Table 4 __ Ø At this table were 3 young girls (late teens to early 20’s). They had 2 babies with them, 1 in a pram and the other on a knee. Ø There was quite a lot of discussion happening between the 3 girls, in between mobile phone sessions. Ø The babies were receiving some attention, especially when they vocally demanded it. The attention didn’t appear to be actual conversation but more baby entertainment. __ Table 5 __ Ø 4 middle aged adults – 2 male and 2 female – appear to be 2 couples Ø These 4 seem quite comfortable with each other and I would say they are good friends. Ø Excellent table manners and etiquette – even though they are in this casual setting. Ø A relaxed atmosphere generates from their table – they relax over their food and conduct a conversation while consuming their meals. Ø They do not hurry to leave when their meal is finished but continue to talk appearing to enjoy each other’s company These observations listed above were quite indicative of what was happening throughout the food hall. __ Reflection and some conclusions from my observations __ I soon found it was a lot harder than I had expected to carry out any worthwhile and consistent observations in this venue because; · There were so many different types and sizes of groups it was not easy to maintain observations of them all at once. (I think next time I would try Tracey’s idea of observing each group for a shorter amount of time.) · It was noisy so I could not hear any of the conversations happening. · I was quite conscious of hiding my purpose in being there, so was trying not to be obvious in my scrutiny of each group. · I considered the issue of ethics, but felt that as my observations were very casual and my subjects were not to be identified in anyway, it was not really something that concerned me this time. · Groups tended to move off quite quickly so you didn’t have a lot of time to observe when they weren’t eating. They basically arrived, found a table, went to order the returned with food, ate and left. · The food hall promotes a very casual dining experience which limits the types of observations you can make. · The casual atmosphere leads to very little use of manners or etiquette – people were seen licking cutlery and crockery, eating in a messy way, talking with full mouths etc. I wondered if this would be similar in more upmarket establishments. · Families did not appear to engage in conversation very much – this could have been partly due to their departure soon after eating. Of the 4 or 5 obvious family groups, I saw almost no discussion between parents and children. A worry in my opinion! · Older groups seemed to spend more time sitting after eating and engaging in conversation. This may be a reflection on the pace of life today. The younger families are busier and have less time for relaxing and talking. · Mobile phones are very evident in groups that involve pre teens, teens and younger adults. These seem to often take over from or at least direct the conversations. Older groups don’t have this intrusion.

I am not really satisfied with my observation results. I believe that the venue was actually not conducive for closely monitoring the interactions between people. I would, in future, chose a venue that enticed groups to stay for longer. This might encourage greater interaction. At least I hope it would. The ideal situation would be to observe the group in a natural setting, a true case study, but not realistic if you want accurate observations or everyday behaviour. I believe this ‘inductive’ research has generated some hypotheses that could be interesting to research further; Families don’t really engage in deep conversations with each other. (meal times or otherwise) Modern standards of table etiquette are not satisfactory. Few children are taught table manners. Mobile phones and other mobile technology, impact on the interactions between groups and families in social settings. Having now developed these hypotheses, it would be interesting to repeat the observation phase with a clear purpose. Recording sheets could be drawn up to allow a tally of instances when the associated behaviours were noticed. I still believe that a food hall was not the best place for this type of observation because of its very nature. A true and accurate observation needs to be done over a longer period of time. May be next time I could convince my husband we need to go to a fancy restaurant for the sake of social inquiry!