About this Guide
NOTE: This Guide is currently under revision for the Fall 2024 semester
Welcome to the English 120 Course Research Guide!
The purpose of this guide is to provide information and resources for navigating the assignments in the ENG 120 course at the Pleasantville Campus: Unit 3: Fieldwork. Description of the assignment is below.
Unit 3: Fieldwork
Unit 3: Assignment Description Summary
"For this assignment, you will locate a physical space(s) in which your selected discourse community interacts. You will next attend meetings, participate in online discussions, or engage in community events. While in attendance, you will observe and take detailed field notes on communication practices, language use, and member interactions. Following this work, you will conduct secondary research that provides context to your observations and helps to develop a thesis regarding your community’s communication practices, norms, values, and culture."
Research Goals:
- Choose a location to observe your community interacting.
- Conduct two one-hour observation sessions at your chosen site & take detailed field notes
- Write your paper which incorporates your fieldwork, scholarly research, and your reflections:
- Drawing from your fieldwork, each paragraph should make a specific claim about what the observations of community member interactions reveal. For example, one paragraph might analyze community members' dialogue around a topic or purpose, while another could examine body language. Support your analysis with scholarly secondary research, such as academic articles or books, that provides context and depth to your claims.
(See your syllabus for the full assignment with guiding questions and paper outline.)