participant observation

519 Words2 Pages

The methodology of participant observation allows one to understand the importance of particular cultural aspects through the material setting, social setting and the ideational emic and etic perspectives, which exist in our everyday cultural activities. On February 26, 2014 I participated in a cultural activity by playing soccer in an indoor field, in the gymnasium at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus. I observed that the material setting of the institution was structured in terms of the cultural activities, in this case sporty that took place within it. The soccer court was located in the center of the gymnasium, with curtains drawn and defined parallel lines surrounding the edges, which confined the area of play. The confined area emphasized the exercise of control within the material setting. Moreover, there were nets on each end of the court which created a clear objective, allowing players to score goals within a limited time period. The visibility of the clock allowed players to be pressured during the game to focus to increase their score. The score board ...

Open Document