Ethnography

My ethnography topic is on Indie/Hipster kids.

Im observing people at Starbucks, Cyper Cafe, some of my classes and also interviewing two people, Markeea Hart and Jake Ezell who are part of the indie/hipster subculture.

The questions I might ask them are:

1. When did you become part of this subculture?
2. What do you need to become a Indie/ Hipster kid?
3. What makes Indie/Hipster kids stand apart from other subcultures?
4. What do Indie/Hipster kids do for fun on weekends?
5. Who has influenced you into this type of subculture?
6. When did you realize that you were a Indie/Hipster kid?
7. Why be an Indie/Hipster kid?

How good is this source? (Using the 20 Q's from handout)

Mulanga, Karenga. Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community,and Culture. 01 Feb 2009 http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org.

1. Is this source considered scholarly or popular source? This is considered scholarly source since it was written by the founder of Kwanzaa,


2. Does the the publisher, or sponsoring info have a reputaion for balance & accuracy? yes


3. Is it an advocate whose views require caution? no


4. Is the author's reputation clear? somewhat but for those who are not for sure it lst his official website.


5. What do other sources think of the author's trustworthiness, fairness, & importance? People feel this source is trustworthy to cite due to its originality.


6. How accurate is the source? Very accurate because this source is written from the founder of Kwanzaa.


7. Can you spot obvious errors? no


8. Which points are well documented? biography and the steps of kwanzaa


9. How does the writer support generalizations? Supports it through the FAQ


10. Do they go beyond facts? yes


11. Are they consistent with your knowledge? yes


12. Are the ideas generally consistent with those in your other sources? yes




14. Does the source meet the expectations of your research community? yes


15. Does the source appropriately document info, quotations, & ideas? yes


16. Has source appeared w/o an editorial/review process? no


17. Does it apply only to a specific setting? no


18. Is its info outdated? no


19. Does it cite experts who have politcal/financial interests? yes


20. Does it try to obscure its own bias? yes

3 Final Topics( paragraph for each)

1.) Kwanzaa

Im writing about this topic because it seems interesting to do a research paper on. Kwanzaa is one of those holidays people have heard of, but don't know what it really means or its purpose. Kwanzaa though a non-religious holiday, brings so much spirit to those who celebrate it through its customs and principles.

What I already know about Kwanzaa is that it is a non-religious african american holiday celebreated to give remembrance and show pride to our african roots.

Guiding research question:

• Why is Kwanzaa celebrated?
• How did Kwanzaa become a national holiday?

Keyword search

• african american holiday
• swahili
• Dr. Maulana Karenga (founder)
• red, black, green
• Kwanzaa

2.) Infidelity in relationships

Infidelity in relationships is something that happens to many realtionships. Most of the time people automatically asssume infidelity means sexual intercourse outside of your current spouse, but in reality, infidelity can be emotional, virtual, or physical.

What I already know about this topic is that there are numerous types of infidelity that people don't know about. The main reason why infidelity becomes aport of a relationship is because of the lack of communication between spouses.

guiding research question:

• What are the types of infidelity in a relationship and how can you prevent it from happening to yours?

Keyword search

• infidelity
• relationships
• cheating
• adultry
• polygamy

3.) Nike Inc.

The Nike story is such a interesting topic to write about for a research paper because it is apart of not just American history, but of many other countries as well. Nike has given way to sports fashion, jewlery etc. that many of s take for granted.

What I alreeady know is that Nike Inc. which started off only as an athletic shoe company in the 1960s is today the worlds leading supplier ofa variety sport shoes and apparel, gearing to all sports in both United States and other countries.

guiding research question:

• How has Nike Inc differed from 1960s to today?
• How has Nike influenced the U.S.?

keyword search

• Nike
• sport shoe apparel
• "just do it"
• Michael Jordan

the "things".....

Things I dont know but would like to...
1. The case of Jeffery Dahmer
2. history of stamps
3. Fraternity/Sorority Greek Life


Things that bug me.....
1. grocery carts with 1 bad wheel
2. spitting
3. people who dont understand sarcasm
4. drunk people who have lost the concept of personal space

2-3 guiding research Q's

1.Why do people celebrate Kwanzaa?
2.What is the history of Kwanzaa?
3.In what ways is Kwanzaa different from Christmas?