Ethnographic Projects Associated With ANT 340 (Spring 2001)

THE SHAPING OF OUR FUTURE: ROLES AND IMAGINATIVE PLAY I conducted an ethnography on a Child Development Center int he Midwest. I observed the preschool room of 15 four-year-olds. The observations include daily classroom events including "circle time" and free-play activities. This research emphasizes the importance of teacher/child interaction and the interaction between children. It is evident that children take on different roles throughout daily interaction, including leadership and gender roles, which have a significant effect on the socialization of children.

A LOOK INSIDE A LOCAL PRESCHOOL This research looks at the daily activities that take place in a mid-Western preschool. I was able to complete my research by using different ethnographic techniques as well as observation. I focused on the interactions that took place between the children and between children and teachers. Besides placing a strong emphasis on learning, the children were taught to respect and be kind to one another during their daily activities.

PLANTING THE SEEDS OF VALUES: A STUDY OF AN INNER-CITY PRESCHOOL This is an ethnographic study of an inner-city preschool whose students are considered "at risk." I focused on how value lessons, drawn from daily activities, social interaction and material culture, play an important role in guiding the children's development. I observed how these values are reinforced through routine and repetition.

COMNTEMPORARY ISSUES FACING PRESCHOOLERS A preschool class in rural Ohio was studied using ethbnographic methods to determine a possible general model of preschool social structure. Issues explored and discussed include gender differences in behavior, discipline, relationships, and conformity. Also looked at are the potential negative results from the lack of male role models in both the school and home environments and the impact of this on children from divorced families.

AN URBAN FIREHOUSE COMMUNITY I have explored the operations and organization of a firehouse in the American Midwest. I examine how this firehouse maintains and enhances community cohesiveness. A brief ethnographic study of eight weeks, documenting their time and coordinated efforts, revealed a respected and stable community service.

CARING FOR THE ELDERLY: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF A COMMUNITY BASED LONG-TERN CARE FACILITY The percentage of elderly in our population is increasing, as is the number of people requiring extended nursing home medical care, due to increased longevity and the related medical factors. This paper examines the community-based nursing home facility atmosphere, method of care delivery, communication between the residents and staff, and the daily activities of the residents.

BAMBOO PICKET FENCES: A STUDY OF A TIBETAN, BUDDHIST MONASTERY IN THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES This ethnographic study documents the daily lives of Tibetan buddhist monks living in a monastery in a white, middle class neighborhood in middle America. It examines the material culture, ideology, social organization, and cultural clashes that take place both within the monastery and iwth the surrounding community. The research described in this paper helps shed light on Eastern and Western culture and how the two can complement and clash with one another.

SPECIAL EDUCATION IN A MIDWESTERN CITY This paper takes an ethnographic look at developmentally disabled children in the classroom environment. Observation was conducted at an inner city elementary school, located in a mid-size midwestern city. It is important to study the ways in which developmentally disabled children learn and how the methods of teachig developmentally disabled children are similar to or differen from non-disabled children.

AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF AN ADULT DAY CARE This study examined an adult day-care center through ethnographic methods. Observations focused on interactions between staff and clietn, male and female, the generations, and the different races. Use of activities and entertainment were also analyzed to provide an illustration of life in an adult day care.

TRANSPARENT REPETITION: ETHNOGRAPHY OF AN ASSISTED LIVING HOME FOR ELDERLY LADIES This study focuses on a group home for elderly women. Over the course of nine weeks, interactions, material culture, and daily schedules for the ladies were observed. I had many conversations with the residents to learn their view of the atmosphere.

CULTURE OF AN EMERGENCY ROOM This research explores the staffing issues within an inner city emergency room. While adequate staffing is necessary for being prepared, slow times and diversion seem to leave an excessive amount of down time for personnel. This ethnography raises the issue of the need to change this inefficient use of time. These findins are based upon a brief observational study that concentrates on employee-to-employee interactions.