Ethnography Proposal for Adelaide Festival of Arts - Essay Example

Ethnography Proposal for Adelaide Festival of Arts Introduction This proposal is based on the Adelaide Festival of Arts, a popular global cultural event that takes place in Adelaide, Australia between 28th of February and 16th of March every year (Adelaide Festival 2014). In this proposal a detailed discussion of the environment and patterns of behaviour observed among people during the cultural event is presented. It is based on these experiences and observations that the reader is invited to experience the observations and events taking place in the festival. The proposal covers information about the following: the rationale for the choice of the event, ethical issues that arise in the course of the project and details about data gathering, analysis and presentation. Rationale for choice of event There are several reasons that have formed the basis for the choice of the Adelaide Festival as the event for the project. To begin with, the popularity of this event played a key role in determining the choice of the subject. Since its inception, the festival has grown in terms of the number events and participants to its current status in which it is recognised globally as one of the key attractions to Adelaide (Hixson 2013, p. 204). This popularity has placed it in the class of leading festivals not only in the region but also in the entire world. It is because of this international stature that the event was chosen for the project. The second reason for the choice of the Adelaide Festival as the event for the participant-observation research project is associated with the range of activities that are covered in the festival and the scope of the enquiry required for the project. The festival, which is hosted on different sites apart from the Festival Centre, covers a number of different events which take place in different but closely related venues (Campbell 2013, p. 120). Events include the following: dance, drama, opera, theatre, visual arts and music, which feature both local and leading international performers (Lonely Planet 2009, p. 54). It is this aspect of having a global appeal to international talents that makes the festival an important source for understanding the arts and culture of the world at the local stage. These events will correspond to the scope of enquiry for the project. Negotiating entrance Although getting permission to be a participant observer in this project may not be a necessity, there is still need for obtaining official clearance and permission to access different forms of potential sources of data. This may be necessary if for instance there is need to interview one or more of the officials of different events taking place during the festival. This may be necessary as a way of collecting further information that will be used to supplement what has been collected from other sources. In such a case, it will be necessary to obtain official permission from the authorities involved. Data gathering In general, data gathering in participant-observation research entails activities such as observation, direct participation, note taking, and recording and, to an extent, interviewing specific persons who are regarded as important sources of information (Bryman 2012, p. 432). In this project, the process will entail taking detailed notes about the different activities taking place at the festival. The note-taking process will involve detailed descriptions about the various events taking place at different locations of the city, a general graphical representation of different scenes that make up the entire venue of the festival and information about the behaviour of people when observing different activities at the festival. There are several other sources of information that will be used for collection of data for the project. For instance, the official fliers and documents published and distributed to the public during the festival will be used as sources of information. In addition to this, other official publications about different events taking place during the entire week of the festival will be used as sources of data. The official publications will include reviews, official guides and other kinds of official documents on the festival. Further, photographs of different events at the festival will be used as important sources of data for the project. These will be used to supplement the data gathered from the preliminary writing done during the first visit to the festival, prior to the second attendance. Data analysis Since this is a qualitative research, the data collected and the methods used to analyse it will be purely qualitative in nature. Also, since this is a participant-observer research, the data will be collected from participating in or witnessing how human beings interact with people, places and the events that are carried out at the festival. From this observation, data will be collected on the following themes: the number of attendees for each event taking place at the festival, a detailed physical description of the site of the event, notes on the participants and descriptions about the various activities that are being carried out at the festival (Kawulich 2005, n.pag). Analysis of the data will be carried out using different parameters and categories. These include the following: the appearance of participants, general behaviour, personal space, the general level of participation and individuals who stand out from the rest of the crowd. [Re] presenting In general, the role of the participant-observer in such a research involves four key responsibilities: observation, participation, interaction and maintaining relationships (Murchison 2010, p. 84). First, the participant-observer will carefully observe people as they engage in different activities in the course of the festival. The participant-observer will remain completely objective in carrying out this responsibility. The second responsibility will entail partial engagement in some activities that will be taking place at the festival. By engaging in some of these activities, the participant-observer will be in a position to gain an accurate understanding of what it is like to engage in different activities that take place during the Adelaide Festival. The third responsibility will involve interacting with the general public at the different sites of the activities that make up the entire festival. The purpose of this social interaction is to gain a deeper understanding of issues related to the event. This may require detailed conversations. In such cases, there will be need for the participant-observer to seek permission from the potential sources. Lastly, the participant-observer will seek to identify, build and maintain relationships with key persons who will act as informers and sources of further information about the festival when need arises. Ethics There are several ethical issues that will be taken into account when carrying out the project. These issues, together with what will be done to ensure that ethical standards are not compromised in the course of the project, are presented as follows. First, there is the need to be confidential about the identities of the persons that will be observed or contacted as part of the project. In theory, the need to protect the identities of participants is important as a way of ensuring that the research is done within an ethically responsible environment (LeCompte & Schensul 2010, p. 285; Li 2008, p. 101). Because of this, special care will be taken to ensure that none of the participants in the research can be linked to the data. Secondly, there will be need to consider obtaining the formal consent of individuals who, in the course of the project, will be required to provide more in-depth information. This is important as a way of ensuring that the people who are interviewed do not feel obliged to participate and only do so at their own will. This way, the needs and desires of others will not only be respected but also taken care of in the course of the research. The third ethical issue that will be taken into consideration when carrying out the project will be the need to remain discreet about the identity of the researcher in the course of carrying out the project. Although this will be the case, the researchers will be ready to disclose their presences, identity and purpose of their presence at the festival if required to do so. However, if not required to do so, the researchers will remain discreet while carrying out their research activities. This is necessary as a way of avoiding the possibility of misrepresenting what is observed at the festival. Textual Purpose The textual purpose for the research on the Adelaide Festival can be summarised as follows. To begin with, the patterns of behaviour observed within the festival can be understood in terms of the broader social and cultural environment in which they occur (Blommaert 2006, p. 20). The festival, which is held annually between February and March, provides a platform on which different cultural sensibilities are expressed in the form different forms of art. Secondly, the behaviour of people during the festival can be summarised under different themes used in the research. For instance, the appearance of the participants reflects different national and cultural sensibilities. These take the form of traditional clothing and other forms of physical appearances that reflect the social and economic status of the participants from different countries. Also, the way individuals enter and stay at particular sites reflects their interests, age and gender. This is because the different activities taking place at the festival are meant to attract the attention of different persons with different interests. It is also important to note that individuals show enhanced use of emotions when interacting with each other. This can be attributed to the nature of the events at the festival which seek to entertain and promote a high degree of interaction among the participants. Conclusion This proposal is based on a participant-observation research on the Adelaide Festal in Australia. From the discussion presented, several issues can be concluded as follows. First, the choice of the event for the project can be justified by the level of global recognition and popularity that the event has attracted. It is the participation of leading international standards and attendance of a largely global audience that makes this event an attractive one for the study. Second, qualitative data will be collected from the field notes taken by the researcher, the official documentations for the events in the festival and interviews with other participants who will prove to be valuable sources of information to the researchers. Third, it can be seen that the role of the researcher will be threefold: objectively observing events at the festival, engaging in a number of different activities taking place at the venue, and interacting with other participants at the festival as a way of building rapport and seeking further information. References Adelaide Festival 2014, ‘About’, viewed 11 June 2014, Blommaert, J 2006, ‘Ethnographic fieldwork: a beginner’s guide’, viewed 11 June 2014, Bryman, A 2012, Social research methods, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Campbell, L 2013, Hearts of the hearts: The Adelaide Festival Centre at 40, Wakefield Press, Kent Town. Hixson, E 2013, ‘The Adelaide fringe festival’, in G Richards, M Brito & L Wilks (eds), Exploring the social impacts of events, Routledge, New York, pp. 203-2014. LeCompte, M D & Schensul, J J 2010, Designing and conducting ethnographic research, Rowman Altamira, Plymouth. Li, J 2008, ‘Ethical challenges in participant observation: a reflection on ethnographic fieldwork’, The Qualitative Report, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 100-115, viewed 11 June 2014, Lonely Planet 2009, Central Australia: Adelaide to Darwin, Lonely Planet Publications, Sydney. Kawulich, B B 2005, ‘Participant observation as a data collection method’, Forum: Qualitative Social Research, vol. 6, no. 2, Article 43, viewed 11 June 2014, Murchison, J 2010, Ethnography essentials: designing, conducting and presenting your research, John Wiley & Sons, Sans Francisco. Commentary I have found the process of conducting and writing an ethnographic study as challenging as it is rewarding. To begin with, I have encountered a number of challenges when writing and conducting the study. One common one has been the need to maintain a high degree of objectivity when collecting data. While participating in the Adelaide Festival, there was a constant challenge of remaining completely objective and avoiding subjectivity in my observations. The second challenge has been the shortage of time, bearing in mind the fact that the process of collecting data, analysing it and preparing the final presentation takes a considerable length of time. On the other hand, the process of writing and conducting an ethnographic research has been rewarding in different ways. One important way has been the way the interaction with other human beings participating in the Adelaide Festival has enriched my understanding of not only the participants but of the general public as well. The other important way in which I have found the process of writing and conducting an ethnographic research useful has been in the form of gaining information that had previously been unknown to researchers. By observing the general behaviour of participants in the Adelaide Festival and participating in the activities, I have gained a lot of important information regarding the participants and the festival in general. Read More

Data gathering In general, data gathering in participant-observation research entails activities such as observation, direct participation, note taking, and recording and, to an extent, interviewing specific persons who are regarded as important sources of information (Bryman 2012, p. 432). In this project, the process will entail taking detailed notes about the different activities taking place at the festival. The note-taking process will involve detailed descriptions about the various events taking place at different locations of the city, a general graphical representation of different scenes that make up the entire venue of the festival and information about the behaviour of people when observing different activities at the festival.

There are several other sources of information that will be used for collection of data for the project. For instance, the official fliers and documents published and distributed to the public during the festival will be used as sources of information. In addition to this, other official publications about different events taking place during the entire week of the festival will be used as sources of data. The official publications will include reviews, official guides and other kinds of official documents on the festival.

Further, photographs of different events at the festival will be used as important sources of data for the project. These will be used to supplement the data gathered from the preliminary writing done during the first visit to the festival, prior to the second attendance. Data analysis Since this is a qualitative research, the data collected and the methods used to analyse it will be purely qualitative in nature. Also, since this is a participant-observer research, the data will be collected from participating in or witnessing how human beings interact with people, places and the events that are carried out at the festival.

From this observation, data will be collected on the following themes: the number of attendees for each event taking place at the festival, a detailed physical description of the site of the event, notes on the participants and descriptions about the various activities that are being carried out at the festival (Kawulich 2005, n.pag). Analysis of the data will be carried out using different parameters and categories. These include the following: the appearance of participants, general behaviour, personal space, the general level of participation and individuals who stand out from the rest of the crowd.

[Re] presenting In general, the role of the participant-observer in such a research involves four key responsibilities: observation, participation, interaction and maintaining relationships (Murchison 2010, p. 84). First, the participant-observer will carefully observe people as they engage in different activities in the course of the festival. The participant-observer will remain completely objective in carrying out this responsibility. The second responsibility will entail partial engagement in some activities that will be taking place at the festival.

By engaging in some of these activities, the participant-observer will be in a position to gain an accurate understanding of what it is like to engage in different activities that take place during the Adelaide Festival. The third responsibility will involve interacting with the general public at the different sites of the activities that make up the entire festival. The purpose of this social interaction is to gain a deeper understanding of issues related to the event. This may require detailed conversations.

In such cases, there will be need for the participant-observer to seek permission from the potential sources. Lastly, the participant-observer will seek to identify, build and maintain relationships with key persons who will act as informers and sources of further information about the festival when need arises. Ethics There are several ethical issues that will be taken into account when carrying out the project.

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