Chapter One-FieldWorking(Understanding Cultures)

When we were assigned to pick a subculture to research and interview, I was a little nervous because I hadn't the slightest idea on what a subculture was exactly. After reading chapter one, I feel way more confident and I feel like I have a better understanding of what it is I am supposed to be doing this semester. I liked the definitions of cultures on page 3. For this project we're doing in class I am going to have to be a fieldworker. Fieldworkers investigate the cultural landscape, the larger picture of how a culture functions, its rituals, its rules, its traditions, and its behaviors. On page 6 there is a box called Box1 and it is basically our assignment for this semester for English 104. It has the purpose, action, and response. It is the perfect guideline for our project. It gives plenty of examples afterward to have better understanding of how to put the knowledge we acquired on paper. I found it very relatable when the book was comparing different families as subcultures involving insiders and outsiders. Sometimes when we go to a friends house to eat dinner or just hang out, we notice that the way their life style can be completely different than the way you yourself live your own life. Although they are different, it does not necessarily mean one is better than the other.
The part that was most beneficial to me after reading chapter one was reading the difference between insiders and outsiders. "Knowing the difference between the insider (emic) perspective and the outsider (etic) perspective is an important skill for a fieldworker." The writing strategies on page 44 were extremely beneficial as well. Continuing my reading, I found on page 58 that It is preferable to use I in fieldwriting. I always had to avoid the word "I" in my formal writing, so that technique could make my writing easier, I hope. I liked how there were a lot of examples so I could read them and have a better idea of how I am going to write my fieldwork projects. A lot of the information was boring, but a good percentage of it was very beneficial towards my project.