Week 15

This semester has really changed my writing process. I've never spent an entire semester on one subject prior to this course. This meant that after writing a paper and turning it in, I couldn't just forget about it. Each paper helped me write the next one. Before this class, the longest paper I had ever written was eight pages long, and wasn't for an English class. Writing such a long paper required me to be more organized and creative in my set-up of the paper. I found that utilizing headings really helped keep me organized and on topic when writing the mini-ethnography. 

I think that it would be very beneficial to this course if we were required to turn in three drafts of papers, rather than two. Along with that, more conferences would have been great. Conferences were nice because they allowed us to hear exactly what we needed to work on.

Blog 14

Throughout my research I've found many helpful sources to assist me in understanding the employees at the Fossil store in Greenwood Park Mall. The academic sources, though helpful in understanding broad trends, were probably the least helpful. They couldn't describe anything inherently specific to my subculture. Since there wasn't a lot of  academic information about my subculture, the interviews seemed to be the most useful to me. Who better to learn about a subculture from than the people in the subculture? The interviewees gave me a lot of information to work with and answered my questions thoroughly. Almost everyone in the subculture agreed to answer my interview questions and help me with my assignment. Along with the interviews, the observations I made were also very helpful. There's only so much the informants could tell me about the behaviors in the store. It was easier to find what I was looking for if I watched, instead of asked. The interviews helped me understand the subcultures attitudes and beliefs while the observations helped me understand their behaviors.

Cut-Up

After I talked to some of the people involved in the show, I helped the cast tear down the set.This system usually works very well and everything flows like a well-oiled machine. Occasionally, however, the system derails. I wanted to go out with a bang. I didn't want to just run through the same boring routine the people had seen time and time before. I wanted to do something memorable. I immediately fly to my left in the assailant’s direction, near the side of the grey vinyl house. I could tell from the used fireworks and beer cans lying around the course that the boys had a pretty good time.

Section Titles

Research Question

My Place in the Subculture

So What?

Lingo

Gender

Possible Titles

"Fossil Fuel"

"Fossil's Fuel"

"The Fossil Family"

"Employee versus Customer"

Week 13

As I've observed my fieldsite, I've noticed that the relationships between employees and customers flow very well. If one employee isn't ‘vibing’ well with a customer, another employee will smoothly intervene and take over. This system usually works very well and everything flows like a well-oiled machine. Occasionally, however, the system derails. These moments are the most informing and entertaining. 
         During one of my observations an interesting woman came into the store and tested the system. She was a blonde, attractive, teenager. Nathan, a 21-year-old married employee, was assigned to be the greeter that day. He was also assigned to assist anyone in the front of the store. He greeted the young woman and helped her find sizes she needed. After taking her to a dressing room, Nathan approached Caitlin, an employee that has been working as Fossil since it opened in Greenwood. He informed her that he felt uncomfortable with the teenage girl and that she had been incessantly flirting with him. Caitlin agreed to take over the sale and went to the dressing room to ask the girl if she needed any new sizes. Caitlin continued to help the girl. The teenager than asked why Nathan had stopped helping her. Caitlin tried to make up an excuse, saying that Nathan was on break. Nathan, posted behind the cash wrap, was obviously not on break. This upset the customer and she left.
 Customers like that teenage girl disrupt the norm in the subculture and force the employees to think on their feet. 

6 Words

Self: Rain falls, so do I. Ouch.

Subculture: I only need two, family bonding.