Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Field Notes I
After you conduct your first observation of your space for your mapping project, please post your first set of field notes here before class begins on Wednesday, May 12. As you make notes from your observations, please make sure you include the following information: 1) Date, time, and place of observation; 2) Specific facts, numbers, and details; 3) Sensory impressions: sights, sounds, textures, smells, tastes; 4) Personal response to your observations—both the act of recording and how others responded to you; 5) Specific words, phrases, summaries of conversations/interviews, and any insider language; 6) Questions that your observations generate for you as the researcher (ones that you might pursue in your subsequent observations).
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Observation 1:
ReplyDeleteDate and time: Monday, May 10th 12:30 to 2:00
Location: East end of Wash Park
Weather: Nice but very windy
Overall surroundings: A small lake in the middle of the park with a path around it, tennis courts, and benches. Around the perimeter of the park is a larger path marked with traffic lines for bicyclists.
Observation:
Mostly women - Why do men not come here as often? Is it because they prefer other places to relax and socialize?
Most people are in pairs either running, walking dogs, or pushing strollers - It would appear that this park serves as a place to not only get exercise, but also spend time with friends.
I saw a couple who look about high school age eating lunch in the park and a pair of women with the same shirt on, apparently from the same company - Many people must find this a convenient spot to go on their lunch breaks
A large number of geese with their new babies and birds picking up insects from the water
Tennis courts are empty - At this time of day, most of the people in the park are probably trying to fit a quick run into the rest of their afternoon. Most people probably utilize the courts on the weekends are after work.
There is no landscaping apart from the trees and grass. Some new trees, but nothing that looks like it was put in simply for aesthetic appeal. Very natural - The park is designed for the purpose of giving the public a place to participate in outdoor activities, not necessarily to have an exceptionally beautiful area to look at.
Observation Day 1:
ReplyDeleteLocation: Nagel Hall Lobby
Time: 12:45-1:45 AM thursday/friday
Goal: To observe people returning from parties
Things of note:
Most of the groups returning were single gender, those that were of mixed gender had 5 or more people.
Honestly, this observation period was kind of a bust. People walked in, swiped the card reader, and went on their way upstairs.
Only interesting use of space was someone sliding down the banister that leads from the second floor common room into the lobby.
It's a shame really, it's an interesting space wtih a lot of potential for unorthodox use, but I just didn't observe any. Now that I think about it, people could have still been recovering from Cinco De Mayo.
Monday May 10, 2010 12:30 pm Cherry Creak Mall, in front of Neiman Marcus department store
ReplyDeleteThe mall isn’t too crowded being a Monday afternoon. I have seen around 100 people, approximately 65 women and 25 men. 20% from ages 20-30, 30% 30-45, 40% 45+, and 10% less than 20 years old. It is pretty quiet, just the variety of music from the different stores playing softly. It smells like coffee from the Starbucks stand near by as well as perfume coming from the sales counters just inside the door. The people walking in and out of Neiman Marcus are either well dressed or in high-end athletic clothing such as LuLu Lemon and Nike. Most people didn’t really notice me when I was observing, but when I began interview I had a variety of reactions. Most people were taken off guard, being that it was around noon on a Monday and the shoppers were consumed in their own lives. They weren’t expected to be approached at this time of day and this day of the week. Most people just ignored me and kept walking, thinking that I was trying to sell them something, but a few stopped to talk to me. I asked shoppers how often they came to the mall, what stores they visited most frequently, what percent of the times they come do they buy something, what their reason is for coming to the mall today, if they feel they are treated differently according to what they are wearing when they shop, and how the mall makes them feel. I received a variety of responses for each question but the most frequent answer I received was whether they were treated differently according to what they wore. I chose this location (in front of Neiman Marcus) specifically for this day of observations. My next observations will be in front of one of the lower end stores to see if my answers and observations change. Almost everyone I interviewed told me that their service at Neiman Marcus, as well as stores such as Michael Kors, J Crew, Nordstroms, Anthropologie, Louis Vitton, and other high-end realtors was dramatically different according to what they were wearing. Majority of the people I interviewed also said that they went to Neiman Marcus with a specific item in mind. I would like to see how my responses change when I am in front of a lower-end store and I would also like to interview one of the people working in the stores and see how they choose what customers they help first.
Location: Aurora Public Libray (14949 E. Alameda Pkwy. Aurora, CO 80012)
ReplyDeleteDate/Time: Monday,May 10/6-8pm
Objective: Observe how library visitors utilize the space and their purpose
Observations:
The library was crowded for a Monday evening which led me to wonder why. Maybe it's related to the time I chose to come here? Maybe everyone has got a case of the Mondays and this is their place to relax? I wasn't sure but I kept on observing. I chose to sit at a table in the back overlooking other tables, computers, and the front desk. First thing I observed was a teenager at a table in front of mine. He was sleeping. He fell asleep on his books and he looked as comfortable as if he was sprawled on a down comforter. Although I felt awkward, I kept observing him and noting every single move and sigh. As I examined his entire, asleep corpse, I noticed a history book that was lying on the desk helplessly underneath his head. I obviously could not talk to him as he was not conscious, I inferred that he wasn't there at the library interested in studying. Hopefully I will see him next time.
Next subject of observation was a young woman, appeared to be about 20ish who was cruising up and down the aisles of bookshelves carefully examining each book that caught her eye. She really intrigued me because she reminded me of myself in the sense that she seemed to fall in love with each book that caught her eye. She was browsing for books the entire time I was there! I actually approached her in order to question her about what I witnessed. Although I am very timid, I acquired some courage and I quietly told her what my assignment is and she agreed to talk to me. It was she, I, and Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" standing in the aisle enaging in a little Q&A session. I asked her why she comes to a public library instead of Borders or Barnes&Noble and her answer was quite simple, "It's free," she explained. I was somewhat disappointed with her answer but she break my silence of disappointment and went on to say "Plus, I love the smell of old books." my eyes lit up because she shares the same connection with used books as I do. We ended up chatting longer but although the discussion veered from my assignment to our favorite novels. However, I feel as if I got a sense of how the library space is used although I only witnessed two extremes. For Jane Doe, it was her oasis but as for Sleepy Guy, it was just a napping spot. Now i cannot wait to return and record some more observations.
The Lamont School of Music: Field Notes I
ReplyDelete1. Date: Friday May 7, 2010 5-7 p.m., Lamont School of Music, Williams Recital Salon Room 120 a.k.a. Flo’s Underground
2. Tonight, the jazz studies majors are performing in ensembles as they do every Friday night from 5-7 p.m. Tonight the ensembles performing are Latin and Bebop. Williams Recital Salon is in the basement of the Lamont School. The maximum capacity of Williams Recital Hall can’t be more than 75 people. It is a very intimate space. It has theater style seating, but the seating from front to back is only slightly slanted upward. There is a small stage at the front of the room and the only lighting is the light from the stage. At this time, there are approximately 40 people in the audience and 5-6 musicians on stage.
3. This room was built for music. There are sound panels on the ceiling that promote better acoustics and the burgundy paint on the walls promotes warmth in the space. There is an older woman behind me with her granddaughter who must be about six. Three of my friends are three rows behind me, and a handful of fellow music students are scattered throughout the audience. As far as demographics, the make-up of the audience is approximately 75% music students, 20% elderly people, 4% friends of music students, and 1% students without affiliation. Walking to Williams Recital Salon, I can hear music students practicing in the hallway, but from the outside, I cannot hear the music inside of the salon.
4. Unfortunately, I misinterpreted the manner in which we were supposed to observe and being that I can only do one thing at a time, I was a participant as well as an observer and did not take notes. It was a different experience for me being in the role of observer because I am not a particularly observant person in the first place. I found that being an observer I took note of the little things about the space. I noticed the intimacy of the space, the lighting, the wood on the stage, the color of the paint on the walls, and they way the audience interacted with the space.
5. As far as the musicians, the insider language was more body language. This includes head nods, eye contact, and the knowledge that when a member of the ensemble had a solo, everyone moved to the side of the side, so that that person could be visible to the audience. Verbal inside knowledge among the musicians was the counting off (i.e.…1, 2, 3) in order to set the “tempo” and begin the song. Insider knowledge among music students and audience members was to clap after each solo to show that it was appreciated.
The elderly woman behind me had quite an interesting conversation with her granddaughter. In essence, it was nothing spectacular, but given that the granddaughter was about 6, it was interesting that she was at a jazz show. The elderly woman was saying things like, “That’s a saxophone.” And “In latin music, they use these kinds of instruments.” I could tell the woman was knowledgeable about the subject of jazz.
6. Questions that came up when I was observing were, “How do students interact with each other in the space? What kinds of relationships are built?” “Is there a familiarity complex associated with this space or do students feel at home here?” “How do non-music students feel when they are in this space?”
Observation day 1:
ReplyDeleteDate: Friday May 7, 2010
Time: 8:45 – 10:30 am
Location: Colorado State Capitol building
The Colorado State Capitol building attracts a wide variety of types of people. Politicians, assistants, employees, lobbyists, groups of school children, teachers, and tourists all use the building. It is very interesting to observe how and when these groups use the building and how they interact with each other. For instance, these groups seem to inhabit their own certain sections of the building. Each of the groups seem to use the building at different times of the day, the week, and the year.
8:45 – As I approach the building, I see a group of about 10 people – 5 adults, 5 children – gather around the west steps of the capitol, a popular area for demonstrations. Three individuals were holding long boards with signs attached. The signs were commenting on a current proposed bill. One sign read “let the people decide”.
8:50 – I enter through the north end of the building. Inside the door and to the left are 4 Colorado State patrol officers. The first officer is working the conveyor belt for the metal detector. The next officer is viewing the items that pass through the metal detector. A third officer is sitting down. The final officer stands on the other end of a walk through metal detector. I am able to bypass security by showing my badge. However, a lady in front of me has to go through the security process. She was in her late thirties or early forties and was dressed in business attire with a briefcase. Her style of dress and her lack of a badge indicates that she is a lobbyist or with a specific interest group or a corporation.
8:55 – The first floor is empty.
9:00 – The second level is fairly full. Friday’s are slow days, so there were only about 15 to 20 lobbyists on the second floor. The lobbyists wait on the second floor because the entrances to both the Senate and the House of Representatives are in the same wing of that floor.
9:05 – I enter the third floor office of the Senator that I work for. There are two desks, 4 chairs, a file cabinet, a bookshelf, and a mini refrigerator in the office. The senator and the two other aides that I work with are there.
9:40 – The noise from a tour group out in the hall can be heard from inside our office. The kids won’t quiet down. One of the aides that I work with leaves the room to tell the teacher to quiet the kids down. This happens often.
9:45 – I go out into the third floor to examine who is there. There is an opening in the center of each wing of the building, so you can see down into lower levels. The same amount of lobbyists can be seen on the second floor. A group of about 30 school children and 3 adults makes their way into the third floor Senate gallery entrance.
9:55 – I look out of the office window that overlooks the west steps. The small demonstrating group is still there, but they are in the process of leaving.
10:15 – As I am leaving the building, a group of 20 school children are sitting on the first floor listening to a tour guide.
Observation Day One
ReplyDelete5/9/10
Time: 10:30 – 12:30
Denver Botanic Gardens
10:30 – Entering at the gardens, there is a long line to buy tickets. It is Mother’s Day and it seems everyone brought along their mom to spend the warm day outside. There is a wide variety of people at the Gardens including families, young and old couples, and students.
10:45 – As I start down one of the paths, I can tell that some of the people here are at the gardens regularly. They are sitting at a bench in a quite spot, reading a book, or writing in journals.
11:00 – Walking through the herb garden, I can smell all the herbs that remind me of my mom’s kitchen. Even though there are many people here and it seems a bit too crowded at times, it never really got that loud. Throughout the grounds, people are pretty quiet and there is mostly a low hum in the air.
11:30 – I start getting hungry and saw a barbecue outdoor restaurant. While I am waiting for my food a find a table that needs one more chair, so I ask an older man who is sitting alone if I can take one of his. I decided to interview him and he comes to the gardens regularly just as a way to relax. He lives in the city, and the gardens are an escape for him. He comes for lunch on the weekends and usually finds a quite place to just sit and enjoy the outdoors.
12:00 – While eating lunch, I see a woman feeding a squirrel near my table. As I observed, I decided to interview her as well. She was there with her mother and showing her how she feeds this one specific squirrel she sees every time she comes here. She was literally feeding the squirrel from her hands with peanuts. I asked her why she comes here and feeds the squirrel, and she talked about how the gardens are peaceful to here and that this squirrel is always there when she comes by, and thinks of him as kindly like a pet.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries Observation 1
ReplyDeleteFriday May 7th, 2010
5:30-7:30
Upon arriving at Five Guys on Parker Avenue in Aurora I was surprised by the fact that it did not feel like a typical fast food restaurant. Five Guys markets itself as one of the best "local" burger restaurant, a term that I find interesting because it is more than obvious from the numerous awards, accolades and newspaper clippings hanging around the establishment that it is a chain based on the Atlantic Seaboard. However, as an observer it doesn't appear nor feel like your typical fast food restaurant. Aside from the normal cheap furniture, the employees all dressed in matching red uniforms and the red and white tiles that make up the facade of the cashier counter, it doesn't quite fit as a fast food restaurant.
For starters, there is the endless playlist of classic rock and blues tracks that provides the an atypical choice of background music. Then there is the fact that major ingredients are left out in the dining area. Crates of peanut oil and sacks of potatoes are left by the doors and by tables. There is even a sign by the door that proclaims where the potatoes used in todays French Fries are from (In this case it was Moscow, Idaho). Then there are the free peanuts that are available for the taking for customers while they await their meal. Then there is the presentation of the meal which is interesting. All meals are placed in brown plastic bags that are quickly soaked through by grease of the fries piled into them to the point where there is almost an aspect of transparency to them.
Opening up a meal of Five Guys absolutely screams fast food. The burger and fries are covered in grease. To this end Five Guys supplies a fistful of paper napkins with which to clean your hands and face. However, the burger tastes like it is fresh off the grill at a neighborhood barbeque. The fries taste as though their homemade and are a crisp golden brown.
There are no "Happy Meals," "Big Kids Meals" or the like at Five Guys. Technically there are a total of 12 items on the menu but most of these are smaller variations or combinations of the basic items on the menu Hamburgers and Hotdogs.
Like any fast food restaurant you can hear the sound of burgers being grilled and french fries being fried. Then there is the occasional call of the employees summoning customers to receive their food by yelling their order number. Of course there is the dull chattering of customers, who it can be said are typical of a fast food chain. You have the families with kids, the couples on a date, the groups of high school and college age coming in as afternoon turns to dusk in order to share their evening together.
I ask one of the college aged customers why he chooses to come to Five Guys. He responded by telling me about a "tradition" that he and his friends have. "I really like the environment... and a little bit of tradition as well." When pressed further about the tradition he responded by saying, "I think when you get along friends to go with you it just creates an overall fun time."
When it came to people reacting to me as an observer no one really seemed to mind, probably because I was just another patron at a restaurant. But when I interviewed other customers I found them to be amicable to the extent that they even invited me to join them for the remainder of their meal.
Questions that arose for me were about delving deeper into why Five Guys is different from other fast food establishments and why people make an effort to go to Five Guys as oppose to other restaurants. Another question was how does Five Guys create traditions among people causing them to be willing to pay more for food that they could get for cheaper at another fast food restaurant.
5:00
ReplyDelete• mostly young people, some old, not many in between
• a lot of families all in the designated play area, kids loud and seemed really rowdy
• every store has a different scent and noise, clerks waiting in the doorway to help customers. Casual but nicely dressed, put together
• certain scents were really strong, popcorn could be smelled from far before and far after
• teenage boys traveled in groups of 3 or more and if they are alone they walk very quickly and avoid eye contact with anyone
• lots of different sounds, almost like white noise, not one smell could be distinguished
6:30
• mall quieted down, emptied out
• most people there were couples
• music quieted down
• mannequins changed for the next day
• less casual walking around, people were there for a reason not for leisure