Choose a public place such as a shopping mall, a library, a restaurant, or any other place where you are not participating in the activities you are observing. Record your observations in field notes. Pay attention to and describe the following in detail:
The setting (layout of the space, arrangement of furniture, decor, “feel,” and so forth),
The people (describe individuals and groups, detail behaviors)
The action (what are the relationships between people and/or groups?).
Then expand the description of one particular person at some point in the observation.
By Day 7, turn in:
A 3 page summary of what you observed.
A few paragraphs of what you learned about yourself as a researcher.
Any electronic field notes you took, as an Appendix to the paper (or a brief description of your handwritten notes).
