Participant observation. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. One thing I'm constantly relearning in our field study prep class, is that any action, no matter how self-explanatory it may seem, is never a simple thing. Our professor is very thorough and class discussions are even more so. It seems like everyone has a story to share. So not only am I learning about culture, field notes and observation skills...I'm learning patience as well. Just kidding, class is great.
All jokes aside, our class discussion on participant observations was enlightening. I don't consider myself to be an extremely observant person. Details are often overlooked and I might even forget the main point of a conversation. I guess I hadn't considered the importance of observation skills for my field study since I'll be studying headache triggers. I figured all my research would be done on paper. After our class discussion, I realized that wouldn't be the case. Besides my main purpose for being there, my project, I'm traveling across the world to learn something. To change in some way. Living in Utah my entire life, I have been surrounded by white, generally clean-cut, Mormons. My neighborhood, my community, my ward and now even my college. I have been living in a bubble! I am ready to venture out of this valley and see what other cultures have to offer. I am so excited to live among the people and notice their lifestyles. That is a huge reason why I'll need observation skills like, explicit awareness, wide-angle lens, insider/outsider, and introspection. (Mentioned in class.) Not only do I need to pay attention to my headache research, I need to absorb my surroundings by learning some of the language, taking detailed field notes, hanging out in social scenes and becoming involved in the community. I need to start polishing my observation skills so I can have the best experience possible. I am so ready for this adventure!
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