Facing the Facts
As we approach essay 3, the interview portion of our ethnography research project, I begin to feel uneasy about interviews. Being the "fly on the wall" has been easy thus far, but now that I have to actually FACE the facts (and the people), I hesitate as to what I want to know. I feel as if the spot light is now on me, and I need to figure out a way to project my thoughts and questions to my audience.
From the reading, I learned for about the mechanisms of asking. Instead of having the idea of a general interview (I ask, you answer sort of thing), I now feel more comfortable knowing that it will be more conversational and natural. I also feel as if I still need to observe while interviewing, because a person's mannerisms say a lot about the story they are telling along with the verbal response they have. While paying attention to other people's mannerisms and answers, I will be in control of how I look so that I am able to listen well and they don't feel as if they are talking to thin air.
History
Reading "I Can Read and I Can Write" by Jennette Edwards allowed me to get a new perspective on how to collect historical information about my location. Instead of looking things up in books and online, I now have another outlet to do so, verbally! Edwards uses a lot of the techniques that I picked up from the reading on interviews, such as using the person's mannerisms to portray observations and facts at the same time through interview. Edwards did a great job finding out about the history of Jackson Avenue, while helps the reader connect to not only the people but the place itself.
