Audience Ethnography - Report Example

Running Head: Audience Ethnography Student’s name Institution Course Professor Date According to Wilson (2004), Audience Ethnography is a field that deals with research done by observing behaviors, culture, and habits of a certain group of people while watching live performance, concerts, television programs, speeches or even downloaded movies on their computers. It is a field that requires a lot of research in order to collect not only correct but reliable and relevant data (Thomas, 2002). This field also requires a lot of research to be carried out on the participants and one must be very keen and patient while carrying out the observation task. Audience Ethnography is a task that can take place at any place, therefore, it might require a lot of movement and flexibility. As seen on the observations entered on the log sheet, most students watch various programs on international television while others prefer to watch programs, movies or news online over the internet. Most of the students observed prefer to watch programs in their rooms, and this is seen clearly on the log sheet as most of the observations were carried out in private rooms (Marie, 2000). Some of the participants were observed while watching television in the common but this is very rare as it seems most people love privacy and would prefer to watch television in their rooms. On the first day of observation, quite a number of things were noted such as the participant likes watching BBC television in a private. The participant believes that watching various programs on this TV station is educative and entertaining. The participant on the first kept switching the stations especially when there were some advertisements being made on BBC TV. According to Hill (1999), advertisements do not seem to be of great importance to most television viewers watching either local or international television stations. The participant would switch the station to check the on-going programs on other Audience Ethnography stations and this shows that the participant observed on the first day did not like advertisements at all. On the second day, first week of observation, both male and female students gathered in a common room to watch worldwide news on CNN television. This group of students also watched news headlines on other television stations such as BBC and CCTV station. Most of the students in this group showed a positive and a clear comment on the importance of news. According to Ellen (2002), watching not only the local but worldwide news is the best way to get informed on what is happening around the world. The group observed on the second day kept moving out and in of the room while other kept talking the entire hour but concentrated when certain advertisement like sports adverts were televised on TV, meaning that some of them were not interested watching news (Gillespie, 2000). According to David (1999), most television viewers develop a high level of concentrations whenever they are watching DVD materials or movies on their televisions than when they are just watching news. This is clearly seen on the third day of one hour observation on an American male aged 24 years old watching a television series “Walking Dead” on CCTV television Station. This student took the entire hour watching his favorite series without making any kind of movements as the episode progress. The fourth observation task was carried out on a group of students, both male and female in a common room watching a program called “Britain’s Empty Homes” on an international Television station. Unlike the other time, this group of students maintained minimal movements in the room and none of them were talking as the program progressed. All of them concentrated on the program and this shows a difference while watching news and a television series according to Lindhof (2002). The fifth day being a weekend most of the students were in their rooms watching their favorite programs either on their computers or on television stations. An African young lady observed on this day showed high level of concentration while watching her favorite and interesting program “Doctors” on BBC television station. An American male observed on sixth day showed interest and love for comedy shows like the “One Show” comedy he was watching. According to Gauntlett (1999), quite of a number of students in campus would comment positively on comedy programs because they find entertainment in such programs. The “One Show” comedy program is aired on BBC television. Despite the fact that most students would not be found watching news, quite a bigger portion of the campus population would be found watching international television stations when it is time for news, like the group of both female and male students observed in a common room watching worldwide news on Al Jazeera, CNN and BBC (Bryan, 2002 ). The second week of observations shows that most people like watching movies on their television set especially those aired on television stations (Tayl, 2002). Other programs that were fascinating to most participants on the second week of observations were programs aired on BBC about nature. Participants observed on the second week would spend the entire hour watching various programs and they avoided interruption by all means as they wanted to concentrate on their favorite programs. Most of the observations on the second week had to be done in the private rooms as most of them participants wanted privacy for them to concentrate on their programs. Most of them were watching programs aired on BBC while other watched online programs on their computers. According to Seiter (2002), there are a lot of programs being aired on BBC television station that captures the attentions of most people, especially campus students. This is seen on the second week where almost all the participants observed were watching either television series or worldwide news on BBC. All the participants observed while watching their favorite programs shared a common thing “concentration”. Most of them commented on the habit of watching television programs in a positive way as they say that television programs are very educative. The observation done on the second week also captured quite a number of students watching s ports highlights. This also showed the interest and love for sports by the students. According to Thomas (2002), watching television by students is one way of getting information on sporting events as seen on the thirteenth day where an Australian student was watching “Rugby League World Cup” highlights on BBC television while another group of students, were observed in a common room watching “English premier league” highlights on the same television channel. The participants observed watching sports highlights showed so much interest in the highlights. According to David (1999), sports have become one of the major and interesting events in the world especially to young people. Since the first day of observation, this group of participants demonstrated a common behavior in the way they watch programs. As most of them spend time in their private rooms watching their favorite programs, there are those who would be found fondling around the common room, especially at the time of news and programs highlights. On the first day of the third week of observation, one of the participants observed in an early morning, spend the entire hour watching news and checking programs highlights of the day. According to Lindhof (2002), quite a number of campus students would spend time to check the programs of the day before starting day to day activities. There are quite a number of the students who believe that watching television especially international television is very educative as one gets to learn various things that go on around the world. Observation also shows that almost the entire groups of participants observed were, watching CNN, BBC, CCTV or Aljazeera. This shows that most of the students in campus watch news whenever they get time but there is the other group of participants that did not show any interest for news, instead they would rather spend time in their rooms watching either a program on TV or movies online (Annette, 1999). Every time the students are free, most of them would be found in the common; especially those who love football would rush to the common after classes to watch a football match aired on TV and to check other programs on the list. During a particular football match, students would be found shouting and celebrating whenever their favorite team scores (Wilson, 2004). It is during such times when students would be found so much excited especially when their team wins at the end of the match. As per the observations made on this group of students who love football, they would spend several minutes later after the match discussing how the match was and how certain players scored the goals. They would talk about the weakness and strength of almost every player that participated in the game. As others found entertainment through football, there were other participants that found enjoyment through animated programs that range from animated action to animated comedy; this is according to Annette (1999). Such a group of students would only be found in their rooms watching cartoon programs and may be news headlines. They would also keep changing the stations to check on the on-going programs on other TV stations. Seiter (2002) states that, watching television programs is the best way to get one’s mind free of classroom stress apart from doing physical exercises. This is seen in the number of students who would prefer to watch either a television series or a movie over the internet after class hours. Most students responded positively that most of the television programs are educative, entertaining and informative. Some of the observed participants would also spend time at the library watching educative videos over the internet. According to Hill (1999), the best way to access historical, educative and up to date information is through the internet. Most students would go to the library and where there are Wi-Fi hot spots to browse the internet and download or watch educative and entertaining videos over the internet. Towards the end of the third week, an observation made one of the campus students, a female, shows that there are other who like dancing programs as she spend the entire hour watching and performing some dancing styles so as to grasp or master certain dancing styles. According to Ellen (2002), dancing is also one other way to give the body an exercise after class hours. Dancing programs are in most cases aired on weekends and most of the students would be found in common room watching as they practice some dancing styles. A good number of them showed so much interest in dancing programs as they would found concentrating so much in such programs. A common room would so full whenever such programs are being aired on a television. “Strictly come dancing” is a television series being aired on BBC television and most students would not miss to watch it whenever it is being aired on television. As some of the students would prefer to watch television programs, most of them prefer watching programs online or downloaded materials on their computers (Bryan, 2002). The students observed while browsing the internet and watching programs online showed interest in surfing the net and confirmed that internet has a lot of information that is very useful to a student. According to Gillespie and Marie (2000), quite a number of television series are fascinating to students and that is the reason why most of them spend so much time watching television whenever they are free. Most of the students as observed on the third week spend their time watching movies online while others were watching certain programs online. Students observed in their private rooms were more attentive to the programs than those watching television in a common room as most of them have different interest; the only time they would concentrate is when they were watching a program of common interest such as a football game or a rugby game (Marie, 2002). References Gauntlett, David, Hill, Annette, 1999. TV Living. London and New York: Routledge, pp Gillespie, Marie, 2000. Transnational Communications and Diaspora Communities. Buckingham: Buckingham, pp Lindhof, Thomas, R., Tayl, Bryan C., 2002. Qualitative Communication Research Methods. Seiter, Ellen, 2002. Television and New Media Audiences. Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp Wilson,T., 2004. The Playful Audience. New Jersey: Hampton Press I nc. pp Read More

s clearly seen on the third day of one hour observation on an American male aged 24 years old watching a television series “Walking Dead” on CCTV television Station. This student took the entire hour watching his favorite series without making any kind of movements as the episode progress. The fourth observation task was carried out on a group of students, both male and female in a common room watching a program called “Britain’s Empty Homes” on an international Television station. Unlike the other time, this group of students maintained minimal movements in the room and none of them were talking as the program progressed.

All of them concentrated on the program and this shows a difference while watching news and a television series according to Lindhof (2002). The fifth day being a weekend most of the students were in their rooms watching their favorite programs either on their computers or on television stations. An African young lady observed on this day showed high level of concentration while watching her favorite and interesting program “Doctors” on BBC television station. An American male observed on sixth day showed interest and love for comedy shows like the “One Show” comedy he was watching.

According to Gauntlett (1999), quite of a number of students in campus would comment positively on comedy programs because they find entertainment in such programs. The “One Show” comedy program is aired on BBC television. Despite the fact that most students would not be found watching news, quite a bigger portion of the campus population would be found watching international television stations when it is time for news, like the group of both female and male students observed in a common room watching worldwide news on Al Jazeera, CNN and BBC (Bryan, 2002 ).

The second week of observations shows that most people like watching movies on their television set especially those aired on television stations (Tayl, 2002). Other programs that were fascinating to most participants on the second week of observations were programs aired on BBC about nature. Participants observed on the second week would spend the entire hour watching various programs and they avoided interruption by all means as they wanted to concentrate on their favorite programs. Most of the observations on the second week had to be done in the private rooms as most of them participants wanted privacy for them to concentrate on their programs.

Most of them were watching programs aired on BBC while other watched online programs on their computers. According to Seiter (2002), there are a lot of programs being aired on BBC television station that captures the attentions of most people, especially campus students. This is seen on the second week where almost all the participants observed were watching either television series or worldwide news on BBC. All the participants observed while watching their favorite programs shared a common thing “concentration”.

Most of them commented on the habit of watching television programs in a positive way as they say that television programs are very educative. The observation done on the second week also captured quite a number of students watching s ports highlights. This also showed the interest and love for sports by the students. According to Thomas (2002), watching television by students is one way of getting information on sporting events as seen on the thirteenth day where an Australian student was watching “Rugby League World Cup” highlights on BBC television while another group of students, were observed in a common room watching “English premier league” highlights on the same television channel.

The participants observed watching sports highlights showed so much interest in the highlights. According to David (1999), sports have become one of the major and interesting events in the world especially to young people. Since the first day of observation, this group of participants demonstrated a common behavior in the way they watch programs.

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