Family

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Week 10

When I first started this project I was planning on writing my mini ethnography in chronological order. After doing most of my research, however, I've realized that that's not going to work for me. Being that it's a longer paper, I think I would probably go off on tangents and not the paper wouldn't be as effective as I would like if I wrote it chronologically. I think I'm going to start my mini ethnography by concentrating on a specific informant. After that, I want to write my paper by topic. I think that will be most effective for me because it will make it easier for me to go into detail and to concentrate on one section of the subculture at a time. I'll probably conclude my mini ethnography with a specific informant much like I'll begin the paper. I want to concentrate a lot on the insiders in the subculture because they can give the best insight into the subculture. 

Lingo

cash wrap- where the merchandise is purchased

water resistant ring- part of the watch that tends to get in the way when changing a battery

inventory- counting the merchandise

floor set-rearranging the store

form- mannequin with no head, arms, or legs

back stock- the back room of the store where we keep extra merchandise

types of folds: roadkill, board fold

watch repair form-form filled out by customer when we can't fix the watch and have to send it in link form-form with the phone number to order extra links on it

watch pog- rearranging the watches 

audit- double checking

Week 9

The hardest part of the research process has definitely been the academic research. Since there aren't many websites or book about Fossil, let alone Fossil in the Greenwood Park Mall, I've really had to broaden my search. Most of the things I've come up with in the broad searches haven't been very helpful. The easiest part of the research has been the interviews. I feel like the employees' honest, detailed answers really helped me discover what I want to write about in my mini ethnography. If I could start this project over, I think I would have come up with a different subculture. My choice wasn't very unique and I chose it completely out of convenience. I would've learned more had I stepped out of my comfort zone and explored a subculture I wasn't completely familiar with.

Keeping this blog has helped my with my research because it allows me to go back and see what I was thinking at different points in my research. My opinions and biases have changed and keeping this blog allows me to acknowledge that better and take that into account when writing my mini ethnography.

Week 8

This is my one late assignment that can be turned in.

The main theme I've noticed throughout my research is the camaraderie felt between the members of the subculture. All of them emphasize a strong bond amoungst each other that they had never experienced in previous jobs. This bond can be seen on the fieldsite because employees are constantly joking with one another and helping each other with sales. The employees refer to themselves as the "Fossil Family." My place in my subculture has change a little over the past eight weeks. Since I only work one weekend a month, I'm slowly becoming less involved and less "in-the-know" in my subculture. It's almost like I'm starting to become an outsider. This has to do with the amount of hours I'm there, and I'm sure I'll go back to being a full insider once summer begins and I work more often.

In Class Writing

Why will my readers care about this issue?

My target audience is probably going to consist of people interested in the retail world. They'll care about my subculture because it's a unique perspective on a specific store. There isn't a lot of other information, other than the actual Fossil website, that gives insight into my subculture.

What will my readers want or need to know about this issue?

My readers are going to want to know what makes Fossil different from other retail stores. Often times the store is overlooked, or grouped with stores people feel it is similar to. I want to show how the Fossil store in Greenwood is unique and how it's vastly different from the stores some people tend to group it with.

What do my readers already know about this issue?

My readers probably know the store as nothing more than a watch store. Many people tend to overlook the fact that Fossil also carries handbags, tops, pants, dresses, messenger bags, hats, socks, jewelry, wallets, key chains, and, coming soon, shoes.

What do I want my readers to learn about this issue?

I want my readers to learn about the people that sell the products. The products sold are important too, but I feel like the employees are what really make my subculture unique and different from other retail store in the Greenwood Park Mall.

If I am trying to persuade my readers of something, how easily will they be persuaded?

I suppose I'm trying to persuade my readers to believe that my subculture differs from other retail stores in the Greenwood Park Mall. I think it should be relatively easy to persuade them once they have the information. I think the main reason people tend to group Fossil with other stores in the mall is because they don't know a lot about Fossil.

What will my readers use my writing for?

My readers will use my writing to better understand my subculture. They could use it for research if they're doing a project similar to this one.