Cross-cultural Funeral Service Rituals Essay -- Participant Observatio

As a family member participant in the service, little field preparation was needed. However, the observer did complete the following tasks in preparation for the observation: 1. Reviewed the following resources on participant/non participant observation, ethnography, and the sociology of the African American funeral: Merriam, S. B. (2009). Being a careful observer. Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation, ch, 6 and Hazell, L. (2013). Cross-Cultural funeral service rituals. 2. Visited the church to review size, space, objects, and arrangement. 3. Selected a small note pad to record notes. 4. Secured a program on January 18, night before service to review. 5. Prepared a list of possible questions and areas to consider in observing. 6. Arrived at church early to be sure to get a seat in an appropriate location for observation. Field Note Taking Process The participant/observer/recorder for the funeral service of Lorena White. The observer used a small note pad and the provided funeral program to take notes. The program was gotten and reviewed the night before the service and used to record anecdotal jotting as the service progressed. The advance review of the program helped in being able to jot down appropriate content rapidly and inconspicuously. It also alerted the observer to look and listen for particular phenomena and events in the service. The note pad contained previously determined observer questions and areas to be used to help determine â€Å"what is transpiring here?† The program was the more efficient for recording in this setting. Upon entering the church the observer selected the seat she considered to be most obscure and which would allow her to visually view the most area while still ... ...es of the other participants, nor did it jeopardized the validity of the data collected and conclusions reached. This field experience certainly allowed the observer to begin to draw preliminary connections to her personal research interest based on what was learned about covert observation, note taking, ethnography study, and qualitative research. â€Æ' Works Cited Hazell, L. (2013). Cross-cultural funeral service rituals. Retrieved from http://www.funeralwise.com/customs/cross-cultural-funerals/#sthash.OeUEeixE.dpuf Kawulich, B. (2005). Participant observation as a data collection method. Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 6(2). Retrieved from http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0502430 Merriam, S. B. (2009). Being a careful observer. Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.