Chapter 5: Observing and Describing

• The 5Ps of Observing and Describing

• Observing and Describing in Academic Writing: Field Observations

• Observing and Describing in Business Writing: Case Studies

• Observing and Describing in Community Writing: Documentary Photo Essays

• Conclusion

As humans, our natural curiosities drive us to make constant observations of the world. As an example, every day we examine people as they walk past. These observations are never neutral as we scrutinize, dissect, and draw meaning from what we see. In this way, we live our lives as amateur scientists, describing our observations to others. As you can imagine, observing and describing are key elements of our daily lives. Let’s look at a few examples. In academic settings, you might observe and then describe the processes of cell division within a biology lab report. Or, perhaps you collaborate with a peer in a Google Doc, making observations of her text as you describe strategies for improvement. In a business or work setting, a police officer on patrol will make countless observations, later describing irregularities within an incident report. Similarly, a nurse might be asked to observe a patient’s symptoms and then describe them to an attending physician. In community settings, you might observe a traffic accident that you later describe to a local safety council. Perhaps in an online community you observe some cyber-bullying that you describe to your friends, teachers or community authorities. It’s not news that people make observations. We do it all day long. Test yourself by taking a moment to simply look around. As you make a few observations, think about how you might describe what you see. Try and note how observations can lead easily to hurried judgments. As an example, how long does it take to judge the attractiveness of another person that you observe for only an instant? For writers that seek to critically reflect (chapter 10), analyze (Chapter 7), argue (Chapter 8), narrate (Chapter 4), and inform others (Chapter 6), an awareness of this switch from observation to judgment is essential to note. In the article below from the Los Angeles Times, you’ll see how easy it is to be fooled by our own observations. Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/08/opinion/la-ed-eyewitness-20110908

Eyewitness testimony done right The New Jersey Supreme Court has instructed police and judges to take into account an array of responses that might prevent mistaken identifications. California should do the same. September 08, 2011

To many Americans — including many jurors — eyewitness testimony is the gold standard when it comes to evidence. But studies demonstrate that a variety of factors can lead to the misidentification of criminals. Nationally, more than 75% of convictions that have been overturned because of DNA evidence involved erroneous eyewitness testimony. Now the

influential New Jersey Supreme Court has instructed police and judges to take into account an array of responses that might prevent mistaken identifications. Ruling in the case of a man convicted of manslaughter and aggravated assault, the court noted that several variables can produce mistaken eyewitness testimony. They range from photo lineups in which none of the other images resembles the suspect to subtle pressure on a witness from an officer who knows which picture is the correct one. Finally, a witness may have more difficulty making a correct identification when he and the suspect are of different races. The court tried to deter false identification with a stepped process. Once a suspect has established that he was the victim of suggestiveness, a pretrial hearing will be held in which the full range of reasons for possible misidentification are examined. If a judge finds the eyewitness testimony unreliable, he can suppress its use at trial. Even if he allows it, he will have to instruct the jury about the variables that can lead to misidentification. It’s easy to assume that others make uncritical observations, distort or conflate events, and ascribe unfounded meaning to dialogue. As the LA Times article demonstrates, the majority of us need to develop better skills with observation and description. This chapter will aid you in the building of these skills as you learn the Ps for observing and describing in academic, business, and community settings.

Assignment: Collaborate to Learn: In a small group, discuss the following questions

• In thinking about the LA Times article, why do you think people ascribe unfounded meaning to their observations?

• As an observer, do you think you could make a reliable eyewitness testimony? If yes, why? If not, why not? • Have you ever misidentified a person? If so, what factors (from fatigue to the passing of too much time)

contributed to the misinterpreting of your initial observation?

Digital Discoveries:

On the popular website theoatmeal.com, writer and artist Matthew Inman uses cartoons to describe his everyday observations of the world. Many of his drawings focus on common issues – from: “why dieting is hard” to “why working from home is both awesome and terrible.” Through vivid imagery, Inman’s observations can be very insightful. Figure 5.1 shows an example of the many descriptions available on his website. Figure 5.1

Assignment: Explore the Elements: Spend 20-30 minutes making observations of 3-4 comics on Matthew’s website (http://theoatmeal.com/comics) or, if you don’t have web access, look at newspaper/magazine cartoons. Pick whatever topics seem most interesting to you and then answer the following questions based on your observations.

• Do the cartoons accurately describe your experiences with the topics observed by the writer/illustrator? Why, or why not?

• Do the cartoons effectively capture the: who, what, where, when, and why of the topic for you? If not, what’s missing?

• In considering the expression, “a picture paints a thousand words,” how do the cartoon images help to describe the topic covered?

Now, imagine that you are applying for a summer job and need to describe your relevant history as a student, employee, or community volunteer. As an example, note how Hannah’s résumé uses:

1. Bulleted points for clarity. These bullets are also specific to the position (lab assistant) she is applying for. Note how even her non-lab work uses action verbs (e.g., planned, assembled, organized) to describe skills relevant to a lab assistant.

2. Descriptive labels like shadowed, conducted, and completed for added precision to her descriptions 3. Academic, business, and community subject categories like education, work experience, and volunteer

experience to organize her résumé 4. Specific dates, GPAs and other details

Hannah J. R******* CURRENT ADDRESS ro*******@live.unc.edu PERMANENT ADDRESS *** Henderson Street (8**) 575-40** *** Brandon Road Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Black Mountain, NC 28711 EDUCATION First Major GPA: 3.81/Second Major GPA: 3.67/Minor GPA: 4.0/Cumulative GPA: 3.36 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduation–May 2015 Honors Major: Psychology Honors Thesis: Temperament characteristics in high-risk children of mothers with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and

Commented [A1]: Pointing to the section headings titled Education, Work Experience, and Volunteer Leadership Experience: Note how Hannah breaks down her descriptions of her past into academic, workplace, and community categories to organize her resume. This organizational structure helps her describe her background as a cohesive story about Hannah’s preparedness.

Commented [A2]: Pointing to Hannah’s GPAs: Note how Hannah breaks down and describes the various elements of the category of “GPA” to create a richer description and clarification of her grades.

depression Second Major: Public Policy Minor: African, African-American, and Diaspora Studies Study Abroad University of Cape Town, South Africa: IES Study Abroad June-July 2013

• Shadowed physicians in multiple clinical settings for over 80 hours • Conducted preliminary health screenings of patients in the triage department, worked as a scribe for doctors

and nurses, and educated patients on HIV and AIDS awareness • Completed a 15 hour community service project that involved the installation of flood lights and the

construction of a makeshift library within a shanty town WORK EXPERIENCE Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, Research Assistant, Carrboro, North Carolina 2014-Present

• Currently collecting MRI data to examine the physical brain structures that correlate to the cognitive development of children. The primary research grant seeks to understand the causal links between brain anatomy and developmental cognitive functioning

• Testing and assisting with analysis of subject cognitive abilities • Trained, and now teaching in fine-grained coding of videotaped behavior

Girls on the Run of the Triangle, Administration Intern, Durham, North Carolina 2012-2014 • Planned, organized, and implemented a “Girls Give Back Celebration” for program participants • Assembled resources for coaches, parents, and participants via the Girls on the Run of the Triangle website,

electronic newsletters, and social media websites • Organized, implemented, and fundraised for community-wide projects to promote coach recruitment and

retention Justice, Assistant Manager, Durham, North Carolina 2012-2014

• Promoted from sales after first year. Acted as floor supervisor in absence of store manager. Acknowledgment award for increasing monthly sales

• Created program for increased loss prevention awareness amongst sales and merchandising teams VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Carolina Women in Business, Kenan-Flagler Business School Club, VP of Communications 2012-Present

• Keep members and officer team up to date with ongoing and upcoming events • Maintain the organization’s social media websites • Lead mentorship program groups

Girls on the Run S.T.A.R. Coach (Support, Teach, Appreciate, Retain) 2014-Present

• Ensure program quality through supporting the Girls on the Run volunteer coach base • Provide support to coaches throughout the 12 week season

Program Coach, 6 seasons 2012-Present

• Deliver the Girls on the Run curriculum, twice per week to a group of 15 girls • Communicate between co-coaches, participants, parents, and the Girls on the Run of the Triangle council

Phi Mu, Philanthropy Committee 2012-2014 9/11• Helped organize Casino Night, Wingfest, Spaghetti Dinner, a letter campaign, and visits to Duke University’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospital

• Raised over $10,000 for Children’s Miracle Network annually • Organized Casino Night, Wingfest, Spaghetti Dinner, and Letter Campaign, for Duke’s Children’s Miracle

Network Hospital

Commented [A3]: Pointing to Hannah’s Bulleted Points: Note how Hannah uses both brevity and descriptive words to help her reader observe specific elements of her background.

Commented [A4]: Pointing to examples of Hannah’s descriptions. Note how Hannah uses action verbs to describe her work history.

Commented [A5]: Pointing to examples of Hannah’s descriptions. Note how Hannah describes items in their simplest and most direct form. Simply, she doesn’t use unnecessary, redundant, flowery, or long-winded terms.

Commented [A6]: Pointing to examples of numerical values in Hannah’s descriptions. Note Hannah’s specificity when it comes to numbers. She doesn’t write, “raised a LOT of money.” Rather, she uses specificity to drive her descriptions.

HONORS University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Dean’s List Buckley Public Service Scholar

• Completed over 500 community service hours Order of Omega, Greek National Honor Society

• Membership is based on leadership and academics and is limited to the top 3% of the Greek community Assignment: Explore the Elements: Once you review the categories within Hannah’s résumé, try putting your own together. Use her groupings as an example or create your own descriptive story of your academic, workplace, and community accomplishments. Then, using bulleted points, list your years of service, GPA, and other information to build accurate and rich descriptions of your self-observations. If you have web access, consider posting your résumé on a job site like monster.com, snagajob.com, or craigslist.org. The 5Ps of Observing and Describing By familiarizing yourself with the table below you’ll note how both observing and describing aid the writer in addressing the composing situation. Then, as you explore several examples and assignments throughout this chapter, return to this table as you reflect on how your work with observing and describing improves your academic, business, and community compositions. Table 5.1: The 5Ps of Observing and Describing

Purposes People Processes Products Places

Observing • To gather

evidence for an informed position

• To document eyewitness accounts

• To verify or challenge reports

• To run experiments

• For artistic, or personal enjoyment

Observing • Investigators

collecting data

• Detectives at a

crime scene

• Students

conducting

field research

Observing • Focusing on detail

• Taking notes

• Collecting data

• Organizing findings

• Reflecting past

observation(s)

Observing • Photographs • Narratives • Data sets • Case studies • Field notes

Observing • Classrooms

• Research sites

• Meetings

• Web/print

advertising

• Community

groups

• Collaborative

web spaces

Describing

• To make appeals in an argument

• To explain • To define

what occurred

• To narrate a story

Describing

• Researchers

• Storytellers

• Eyewitnesses

• Reporters

Describing

• Reviewing the

chronology of events

• Analyzing the

consequences and

implications of events

• Making

recommendations

Describing • Reports • Profiles • Summaries • Résumés • Annotated

bibliographies • Multimodal mashups

Describing

• Writing

prompts

• Reports

• Web/print

advertising

• Collaborative

web spaces

P1: THE PURPOSES OF OBSERVING AND DESCRIBING

Writers make observations for the purposes of later describing events, analyzing situations, exploring ideas and reporting details. By questioning the significance, meaning, value, or implications of an event, image, or text, writers make connections between what they see, and the larger significance of the object(s) observed. In learning to make critical observations for the purpose of describing, keep the following purposes in mind:

1. Collect measurable data: Imagine that you are writing a campus report on student alcohol use for your school’s administration. Your purpose might be to examine a current policy and its affects on campus violence, underage drinking, or date rape. For this report, your analyses should be steeped in real data. Therefore, you might collect statistics, interviews, or reports from a series of observations across multiple sites, times, and settings. Through your data, you examine your setting, make arguments, support claims and extend knowledge for your audience.

2. Define terms: To describe accurately, observers need to define clearly what they are viewing and measuring. As an example, imagine that you went to a party and observed several friends having a good time. When you go back to your dorm, your roommate, who is ill and couldn’t attend, asks you to describe who was there. If you reply, “everyone,” then you will need to define that term. By defining your observations, you avoid potential confusion. To establish yourself as a trustworthy observer, present observations in specific, not ambiguous, terms.

3. Analyze, interpret, and assess responsibly: Recognize your own biases as you attempt to describe events, texts, and images fairly. Ask yourself, “Am I making these observations to confirm what I already think, or am I trying to discover what is true?” As you make observations, keep your assumptions in check.

4. Report thoroughly: Always offer audiences a “thick description” of your observations. A thick description not only presents who, what, where, when, why, and how, but also describes these elements in specific detail. The way describers approach thick description is to sketch a narrative (see Chapter 4) account that uses sensory detail, illustrative adjectives and adverbs, and that conveys the character of the moment. As an example, imagine that you are describing a party to your roommate; you might mention the type or volume of music, the level of light or decoration in the room, or what people were wearing.

Example: Basic Description: A boy in my class accused me of cheating. Example: Thick Description: Jacob, a redheaded sophomore in my 11:15 Chemistry lab, approached me angrily as he accused me of “stealing” his notes. Note how the thick description, with just a few simple sensory definitions, makes the observation much more vivid. So, when composing a thick description, define: • Where: Create a thick description of where the events are taking place by using clear terms, adjectives, and

other clarifying descriptors. • When: When is your event taking place? Perhaps it’s late at night, hours after the library closes. Is this time

relevant for any reason? Perhaps it’s more dangerous on campus after dark? Bring the richness of when into your observations by defining how time serves as a factor in your observations.

• Why: Why is this event occurring? Perhaps students are gathered in the cafeteria to organize a protest march. By defining the why, you define your observation’s relevance.

• Who: Who are the participants or audience for the events? As an example, perhaps you’re a reporter writing an editorial for the student paper, making observations of what’s happening —can you create a thick-description of what you observe in terms of who is there?

• What: What’s going on in your setting? What sights, sounds, and other sensory and visual details do you notice? What’s occurring that’s unexpected? What unspoken character or subtext seems to be behind the events you notice?

• How: How are the events unfolding? Don’t merely describe the play-by-play of events, rather, use adjectives and adverbs (see Chapter 21) to define processes, people, and events.

Assignment: Explore the Elements

Step 1: Pick a place on campus where you like to hang out and “people-watch” for 10-15 minutes while taking notes. Once you collect your observations, ask yourself, what does this data suggest to you? What things do you tend to note?

What campus community would be interested in hearing your descriptions? What would your purposes be in describing to this audience—perhaps verifying events or documenting eyewitness accounts?

Step 2: Prepare a 2 to 3-minute presentation for your class on your observations while incorporating the preceding five items into your analysis. Be sure to offer a thick description with lots of rich details. Finish with a proposed explanation based on something you observed. For example, if you see several small groups holding meetings in the cafeteria late at night, you might suggest that, because of the late night hours and the cold, it’s easier for groups to meet in the cafeteria, which is housed in the basement of the dorm, than in the library or other possible meeting places across campus. As you make more observations, you will be able to test this proposed explanation.

P2: THE PEOPLE OF OBSERVING AND DESCRIBING The appropriateness of any observation or descriptions will shift with audience. Imagine that you are an educational researcher charged by a state board of education with reporting on the frequency and type of bullying in schools. Not only do you need to make observations in many settings (classrooms, playgrounds, hallways, locker rooms), but you’ll also need to describe your findings to your audience in a way that addresses their need to establish an effective anti-bullying policy. This audience will need carefully-quantified, consistent data regarding the number and severity of bullying incidents. As you shift audience to the students affected by bullying, your descriptions might take the form of stories, examples, and best strategies for avoiding confrontation at school. Whether addressing academic, business, or community audiences, people who observe and describe focus on: 1. Addressing audience: Imagine that you are asked to testify as an expert witness at a trial. In that setting, you might

have to describe technical findings for a jury of average citizens. However, relating the same findings at a professional conference of specialists would require a different type of description. So, as you address audience, remain aware of:

a. Context: Why am I being asked to describe something for this audience? b. Knowledge: What does this audience already know or assume about my observations or me? What

is outside of their expertise? c. Setting: What are the goals of the audience—to be informed, perhaps to make a decision? d. Beliefs: What beliefs do my audience members hold? How can my descriptions help extend or

challenge their thinking? 2. Comparing or contrasting observations with accepted facts before describing to others. As a college student you

might observe underage drinking at a party. Perhaps you’re alarmed by what you observe and want to describe the

night’s events to others. Before you draw any conclusions for your audience, compare your observations with existing

facts. By comparing and contrasting your observations with government statistics, campus reports, or long-term studies

you can better inform your audience by describing your setting within a larger and more reliable context or trend.

Assignment: Collaborate to Learn: Look at the article titled, “A Day in the Life of a College Student.” This article includes the observations and descriptions of college life from both a campus counselor and current students. Later, in a small group, you’ll have the opportunity to challenge, affirm, or extend these observations based on each member’s experiences. Source: http://www.collegexpress.com/articles-and-advice/student-life/articles/living-campus/day-life-college-student/

A Day in the Life of a College Student by Katie McKoon College Counselor, UIC College Prep You've probably already wondered what college will be like. Will it be like home? Will it be like your high school

experience? Will you be able to handle it? Will it be fun and exciting? Will it be scary and nerve wracking? Well, hopefully a glimpse at a day in the life of a college student will help sort some things out! Related: (Another) Day in the Life of a College Student

The college schedule is very different than the traditional high school schedule. Typically, there is a lot more flexibility with your college classes. In high school, you were probably told that you had to take U.S. History, which was offered every day at 10:00 a.m. In college, you’ll probably need to take a history class, but you could have 10 choices, which

would be offered on different days, at different times, and for different durations. The other cool thing about the college schedule is that you usually have more opportunities to explore your interests and passions. For example, you will be picking a major that will determine the types of classes you will specialize in. In high school, you have a set curriculum of classes you have to take across all subject areas. In college, think about your schedule as a pyramid. Your freshman and sophomore year, you’ll take more general education classes (a mixture of everything so you walk away well-rounded) and a few classes in your major. But during your junior and senior year, you’ll take fewer general education classes and more classes in your major. Another big difference you should be aware of is the time structure. Right now, you’re probably in school from about 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.,

Monday through Friday. This will not be the case in college, where you usually take four or five classes at different times throughout the week. You might have a science class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:10–11:00 a.m. Perhaps you’ll have a Spanish class on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:15–3:00 p.m. Then, you might have your Introduction to Education class on Wednesday evenings from 6:30–9:00 p.m. Maybe on Mondays you’ll have three classes, and on Tuesdays you’ll have two classes. There will always be some courses that are only offered on certain days at certain times, but for the most part, there are a lot of options to think about! If you’re a morning person, you might want to schedule your classes to be done by noon. If you’re more of a night owl, having that first class start at 1:15 in the afternoon might be the best thing to ever happen to you. And you definitely won’t be in class for seven hours straight! However, college is like high school in that you will have the opportunity to get involved by joining different clubs, organizations, and maybe even by getting a part-time job. Most schools have hundreds of extracurricular activities, and it is pretty easy to start one as well! So, as you can imagine, your schedule can get crazy with meetings, band practice, sport practice, play rehearsal, work hours, etc.! Of course, the best way to see what a true day in the life of a college student is like is to actually get the schedules of some college students! Here are two undergraduates and their real-life experiences. Cy Serrano

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

Major: Business Administration, Junior

Hometown: Lancaster, California

Coolest thing about college in 10 words or less: The opportunity to be yourself and discover your potential! 9:15 a.m. I woke up early this time! Let’s get some breakfast! On second thought . . . snooze button. 9:45 a.m. Finally up and ready for 10:00 a.m. class. Don’t need to worry about being late with my trusty Beach Cruiser. 10:00–11:50 a.m. Entrepreneurship class, listening to fellow classmates give their business elevator pitches. Awesome! 12:00–1:50 p.m. Break for lunch at Commons and head back to the dorm to watch that episode of The Office I missed last night. 2:00–4:50 p.m. Ugh, three-hour class; it’s a design class though, so I get to use my laptop.

5:00–7:00 p.m. Hang out at the dorm and get dinner with my residents. It’s a lot of fun being a resident adviser! 8:00–10:00 p.m. Rehearsal with my a cappella group. I’m president this year, so I need to make sure I’m there on time! 10:15 p.m.–1:00 a.m. Homework, reading, and dorm hall shenanigans. Did someone say Halo 3? Sweet . . .

Michelle Hattan

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Urbana, Illinois

Major: Biomedical Engineering, Junior

Hometown: Joliet, Illinois

Coolest thing about college in 10 words or less: Midnight ice cream runs, random adventures, and great education! 7:10 a.m. First alarm goes off. Prepare to ignore it for the next 20–30 minutes. 7:20–7:50 a.m. Slowly convince myself to get up after pushing the snooze button for too long. 8:40–9:00 a.m. Make the long walk to class on the opposite side of campus. 9:00–10:00 a.m. Intro to Fiction, my only non-technical class; I love having a legitimate excuse to read good books! 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Head to my professor’s office hours. I would not be able to complete this homework without help! 12:00–1:00 p.m. Dynamics lecture (a crazy mechanical engineering class), where I eat my lunch of stale chips and PB&J, trying not to crunch too loudly. Normally, I get angry looks from the professor. 1:00–2:00 p.m. Modeling Human Physiology, an interesting class; I just wish there were fewer equations! 3:00–6:00 p.m. Research! I analyze musculoskeletal motion data to better understand the balance and gait of people. 6:00–7:00 p.m. Dinner with my friends at whichever campus restaurant has the best deal. 7:00–8:00 p.m. Go to Engineering Council meeting. 8:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m. Work on homework at the library! "The college schedule can seem crazy at times. Doing homework until midnight is not exceptionally glamorous or easy, but I love what I do and all that I learn. The best and worst part of college is the flexibility it offers. You are able to choose everything: your classes, extracurricular activities, friends, etc. A great deal of responsibility and time management is needed, but with a bit of planning and coffee you can be very successful. Surviving college takes hard work! However, at the end of all this, you will have your degree, and no one can take that away from you. How cool is that?” — Michelle Hattan

Assignment: Questions for Discussion:

• In what ways are these observations of college life similar to, or different from each of the members in your group?

• What data would you use to support your answers to question 1? • In what ways are the observations of the counselor distinct from the students? • In what ways are these observations and descriptions particular to a certain kind of college (2-year versus 4-

year? Public versus private? technical school versus liberal arts?) • What, if any, assumptions do these observations make about college life?

P3: THE PROCESSES OF OBSERVING AND DESCRIBING As you collect your observations through the processes of watching, note-taking, questioning, and confirming, you’ll then begin describing with the processes of summary (Chapter 2), analysis (Chapter 10), review (Chapter 12), reflection (Chapter 13), and finally, audience presentation (Chapter 16). Whether you’re using your observations to compose a traditional essay or a Vlog (video blog), begin with the following steps: Observation:

Step 1: Make a choice of subject: You can begin by people watching in a setting of your choice. As you make initial

observations, make a list of what you’d like to learn more about by observing closely and collecting data.

Step 2: Defining of audience: As you go back over your notes from your initial observations, ask yourself, “for whom am I

making these observations,” “What are my goals in describing these observations to this audience,” “what additional

observations might this audience find interesting?”

Step 3: Make a choice of setting or medium: Will you be working at a specific site, observing your subject firsthand? Will

you be observing and describing something saved to the web or archived in the library? Will you be observing and

describing an event, text, image, video, piece of music, or something else?

Step 4: Finalize an understanding of purpose: Ask yourself, “What are my goals in making these observations and

describing my findings to others? Do I want to learn, affirm assumptions, explore settings or, perhaps challenge long-

held beliefs?”

Step 5: Select the methods and measures appropriate to your topic, field of inquiry, and audience: Every field has its

own processes and standard ways of making observations. Psychologists might run experiments in which they view

participants through a one-way mirror, and they might measure results by seeing whether a participant’s performance on

a memory test is affected by something the experimenters do. An anthropologist might watch a group perform a specific

ritual and write a narrative about those practices. Each field and social group has its own standards for reporting. While a

group of theoretical physicists or statisticians might need precise measurements, a group formed on a social media site

might only want an informal play-by-play of events. Be sure that you understand the standards of the groups in which

you observe and describe.

Description:

Step 1: Naming your key terms: As you describe for others, it’s important to create clarity by offering illustrative

definitions. Don’t just state, “there were 5 people.” Define these people based on the criteria (gender, age, behavior

pattern, eye-color) relevant to your audience. Definitions capture the essential elements of a setting, image, text, or

artifact. Remember, you were there to make the observation, your audience wasn’t so, in your descriptions, clarity and

definition count!

Step 2: Narrate your observations, using Sensory Details, Modifiers, and Metaphor: Narrating (See Chapter 7) is a form

of storytelling that provides a play-by-play of events. As an example, memoirs tell first-person narrative stories that

recount and describe events. For the purposes of describing, narration can take many forms. Whether you’re narrating

in the 3rd or first person depends on audience expectation and the situation in which you compose.

Step 3: Reiteration: To reiterate is literally to repeat. So, after you make your observations, aim to describe events exactly

as they occurred. For help with accurate reiteration, collect data as field notes, photographic images, video, and audio

recordings. Also, a collection of direct quotations can help observers describe accurately. When you are reiterating the

words of others, keep the context and tone in which they were originally expressed.

Step 4: Present Exemplifications: Once you have an observation reiterated, it helps further to describe these elements

with larger examples. To exemplify means to describe or classify a subject by offering an example. So, when

exemplifying, go from the specifics of the reiterated observation to a more general example that your audience can

relate to.

Step 5: Go from a general example to a classification: By classifying, the describer is organizing events, topics, settings,

or items into categories or other groupings. One might classify an observation to both organize it around, or compare

and contrast it with other similar or contradictory observations. For example, an observation of interactions between

students can be classified as: social, academic, romantic, adversarial, and stranger. Whereas classifications of family can

include: immediate, nuclear, extended, blended and other categories defined by your observations.

Comparison and Contrast: Once you have clear classifications, you can then compare and contrast these

categories with those described by others. As you describe your observations of a “blended family” with

those of others, you can refine, extend, or narrow in on a thorough examination of the topic as you see how

your evaluations may or may not remain consistent beyond your own example.

As you go through these steps, keep the following strategies in mind:

Strategies for Describing:

1. Show - don’t tell: By defining your observations with illustrative and narrative descriptions and specific,

sensory details, you’ll demonstrate vividly for your audience how events are unfolding. However, don’t

get caught up in insignificant details – just describe the details relevant to your purpose and audience.

2. Focus on larger themes: How does the event observed connect to larger themes relevant to your

audience? As an example, you might observe several women walking across campus at night in large

groups while greater numbers of men seem to walk alone. As you observe the same thing across many

nights, you begin to see a pattern. Eventually, this pattern might become a theme regarding perceptions

of safety on campus.

3. Creating a sense of place: Rich details enable your audience to feel like they are making their own

firsthand observations. Provide your audience with enough background to set the scene without getting

bogged down in irrelevant details.

4. Be objective: Be aware of your preconceptions as you focus your observations on the facts.

5. Organize your observations: Depending on audience, it might be best to describe events chronologically,

by theme, or by outcomes or consequences. As an example, you might be describing customer flow

within the restaurant where you work. So, for the purposes of having enough prepared food on hand, you

might describe to your manager the patterns of flow, not just in terms of raw numbers of customers, but

also the times of day and meal preferences when patterns shift.

6. Illustrate your observations: In your descriptions, use visuals (for example, photos, charts, or site maps) to

bring observations to life. If your assignment allows it, consider what video and audio resources might

also help.

7. Be precise: Before you describe your observations, measure, count, or otherwise quantify them. For

example, if you are studying bullying for the school board, how many incidents of specific types of

behavior (e.g., shoving, name-calling) did you observe? Was verbal aggression more common in some

schools or settings, and physical aggression in others?

8. Verify your observations by returning, multiple times, to multiple locations: You cannot analyze and draw

conclusions from one observation. The best observations describe events over time and across locales.

To avoid making generalizations, make as many observations as time and audience allow.

9. Minimize your own impact on events: As much as possible, try to be “invisible” as you conduct on-site or

field observations. If you participate in the events you are studying, you naturally alter outcomes and

undermine your own objectivity.

For more on the specifics of field research, see Chapter 18: Conducting Research

Assignment: Explore the Elements:

Pretend that you are a cultural anthropologist and want to observe and describe one of the following groups, events, or objects on campus:

1. A meeting of a cultural or ethnic group that you know little about

2. A campus space where students with disabilities, returning veterans, or non-traditional students hang out 3. A party at a Greek-letter-society house 4. An intramural or varsity athletic team meeting 5. A meeting of the student government or honor court 6. An artifact in the special collections section of the library 7. An art object in a campus display or museum

*Use strategies 1-9 to observe and then describe (250-300 words) one of the seven choices.

P4: THE PRODUCTS OF OBSERVING AND DESCRIBING The products of observing and describing can include field notes, survey responses, biographies, case studies, and countless other genre that can be found in academic, community, or business settings. As an example of observations and descriptions made in business, Apple Computer’s annual report to stockholders describes finances, sales strategies, year-long goals, business successes/challenges, and industry concerns. Additionally, safety reports published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that rate the state of roads, innumerable business products describe physical observations. Each product addresses the needs of a specific audience. As you participate across school, workplace and social communities, think critically about what product and medium best serve your audience. As an example, a monthly newsletter might suffice for a neighborhood community seeking to describe the local goings-on. Each time you observe and describe, consider which product best suits:

1. Your audience’s expectations: Whether reading a film review that describes a movie or an obituary that

describes the life of a human being, each audience has its own expectations for reading. Be sure the product

you choose is consistent with your audiences’ needs, expectations and access.

2. Your purposes for describing: Whether you’re drawing a reenactment of an accident you witnessed for a police

officer to help determine fault or sharing lecture notes with a friend who missed class, each instance of

description has its own set of products—each designed to meet a specific purpose (i.e., to inform, transmit

knowledge, report).

3. The types of data collected: Whether you’re collecting statistical data from a community setting for a research

paper or making observations of a restaurant for a local newspaper’s weekly food column, each context relies

not only on diverse types of observations but distinct products for describing those observations.

Assignment: Explore the Elements: Look at a local crime report in the paper. In it, read the observations of

witnesses and how they describe events. Do these observations and descriptions meet your expectations

based on the product of “news report”? Do they address your purposes in reading (for example, to be

informed, to analyze community safety, to understand local crime patterns)? Do witnesses offer appropriate evidence for their claims based on observations? What other products (e.g. campus website, neighborhood

watch pamphlet, police report, campaign speech) might prove appropriate for this topic? What might be

some of the advantages or limitations of each of these products?

P5: THE PLACES OF OBSERVING AND DESCRIBING

Observations and descriptions take place in every part of our lives. As you walk down a community street, you might observe, evaluate, and then describe—in your own head--your assessment of others that you pass. As an example, recall a time when you observed something you found strange: for example, a potential stalker, a public display of affection, a couple arguing, or someone dressed oddly. Then consider how much of this description might be based on your own expectations of others in specific settings. As an example, you might react differently to being approached by a stranger in class than to that same stranger approaching you in public.

Even in academic settings, the places for observing and describing are highly varied. As an example, an instructor grading a paper will observe your work and describe, in-text, in person, or perhaps within a grade report what she sees as your effort and the quality of your work. In other places (e.g., wikis, reflection logs, group settings) she might also assess your work. Whatever the setting, question how place informs our assumptions about appropriateness. Assignment: Collaborate to Learn: Below are two types of descriptions that you’ve probably encountered. These descriptions include:

1. Figure 5.2: The jeans advertisement: found online 2. Figure 5.3: The course description: found in print

The places where these descriptions appear may affect how much they influence you. As an example, the print version of the course description does not include media or images and might therefore appear dry—affecting your choice of courses. However, a course description at coursera.com or Code Academy (see: https://www.codecademy.com/catalog/subject/all), which includes a video introduction, links to sample assignments, and graphic images of the course, might seem more appealing. Clearly, based on place, descriptions can change radically. You may have also made decisions in the past regarding what to purchase and what courses to take without critically examining the elements of each place. Start with these two examples in image 5.2 and 5.3, and consider finding a few of your own. Then, in a small group answer the questions that follow. Figure 5.2 Place 1: The Web Ad: Product Description:

Source:http://www.nydj.com/NYDJ-fit.html#

Figure 5.3:

Place 2: Print Brochure: The College Course Description:

Discussion Questions:

• In what places can you find course descriptions (from ratemyprofessor.com and koofers.com to the college

registrar)? As a group, try to recall if you were ever influenced from a course description to register for, or avoid a course. What was it about the description (e.g., use of narrative language or perhaps tone) that excited you? If you can recall specific elements of the description, does it match your real-life observations of the course? If your group has web access, check to see if there are clues in the original course description that you had not recognized when you initially registered for the class.

• As a group, either use the ad above or find your own online, print, or billboard ad that describes a product. How does each place for publication influence your purchase? How might the add change if published in a different place (i.e., web versus print)?

• How would members of your group alter the ad or the course description if it appeared in various places -- perhaps a course description on koofers.com or a product ad reposted to an online product review site on amazon.com? How does each place address its own unique audience?

Assignment: Composing across Media:

Many campus offices, from the writing center to academic advising, use print and digital media to describe services and to promote school events. In the example below, the University of North Carolina publishes informational materials describing the use and management of student ID cards. While both products offer similar content, each presents information through different media.

Instructional Video for using the Campus ID Card Website

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPWmCyfr3wc

Source: https://www.onecard.unc.edu

After you view these two pieces of media, search for information on your campus. Maybe you want to set up a campus group, study abroad, participate an in intramural sport, or join the student government or volunteer undergraduate group. Whatever information you’re looking for, see if you can find it across media (e.g., print text, video, audio), and then answer the following questions:

1. What print, web, or video sources proved most effective for your purpose? 2. What advantages or disadvantages do you see in getting information from print, video, or other media sources? 3. Which media source do you think more effectively engages its audience: print, audio, or video? Why? 4. What opportunities for describing are shared or unique between the sources?

Commented [A7]: [Pointing to the video] The video shows students exactly how to register for a card, step by step. It also incorporates elements of humor.

Commented [A8]: [pointing to “Contact Us” link (under “One Card” logo] The site provides a way for users to connect with and ask questions of the content provider.

Commented [A9]: [pointing to the two rows of links + images] Web sites often include links, online help, and even tutorials.

Commented [A10]: [Pointing to the boxes for “Students,” “Employees,” and “Parents”] This site provides separate points of entry for its many audiences: students, their parents, and college employees.

Now, let’s examine some popular genres of observation and description across academic, business, and community settings.

Observing and Describing in Academic Writing: Service-Learning Projects At many schools, “service-learning” courses include community-based projects. These can include volunteering with kids in a local public school, collecting or distributing food to those in need, or even working with a political organization. These courses help students use their writing, research, and physical labor to benefit the larger community. While every service-learning course is unique, they can include various writing projects like reflective essays and work logs that describe settings and lessons learned, research notes that describe data collected and even literature reviews that provide context for the work being done onsite. Given a service-learning opportunity, you’ll be able to observe and then describe what you find in your setting. Whether you study at a large state university or a local community college, there are probably service-learning opportunities at your school. Image 5.4 presents the students’ service-learning program at The Ohio State University and Image 5.5 presents similar opportunists at Nassau Community College in New York. In both programs, students build partnerships outside the university as they collaborate with community organizations. Image 5.4:

Image 5.5:

From 2-year colleges to public and private universities, the goals of the service-learning project are:

1. To build ties between the campus and local communities 2. To provide students with hands-on, real-world learning 3. To familiarize students with institutions that they can both learn from and serve 4. To afford students the opportunity to reflect critically on and learn from their site experiences by richly

describing their volunteer experiences in verbal and written form 5. To help students connect their studies to statewide, national, and international issues: For example, a student

might be doing a service-learning project at a government agency, non-governmental organization (NGO), or local school district.

READING A STUDENT’S SERVICE-LEARNING ESSAY Look at the student paper below that evaluates the American educational system. Katherine composed this essay during her service-learning semester sophomore year, spent as a volunteer in a local high school. Throughout that same semester, she also kept an ongoing reflection log after each day spent in the school. (See Chapter 13 for more on reflection logs.) From these logs she composed bi-weekly reports describing her observations within her setting. What follows are excerpts from Katherine’s reflection logs, describing her observations of her service-learning experience. She used the observations described within her log to inform her research topic and to compose her final paper that follows.

Katherine L*** Bi-weekly Site Observations Dr. Hammer English 400- Teaching Methods Observation Week 2: I got into a conversation with a group of teachers today at my site. I was shocked to find out how low their salaries are and how much of their own money they use to supplement the supplies needed for class. However, I wasn’t surprised by how negatively they speak about the standardized tests that they are supposed to be preparing the students for. It’s starting to feel like test-prep constitutes the vast majority of my “service.” As I loom around, I feel more and more like America’s public education system needs to be adjusted to attract qualified, motivated teachers through fair compensation. I’m learning through my service-learning placement that many teachers feel confined by national and state curriculums that centralize the importance of standardized testing. Observation Week 4: Today in class the students were all dragging. I think that they’re burned out, but unfortunately, the State EOG exams are only a few weeks away. We’re all trying to just push through and focus on the prize. This service-

learning placement is REALLY opening my eyes to the concerns faced by today’s educators. As the world becomes more competitive, education plays an increasingly vital role in the American economy. However, all I see day-to-day is large class size, unmotivated students, and unfair testing standards that present learners with seemingly irrelevant information. As a result, I’m not quite sure how I can be of good “service” to the kids. Observation Week 6: There are simply too many students in my class to help everyone. I spent all last night reviewing their essays and offering feedback, but I could never keep this pace up indefinitely. They need so much help, but there’s just too much to do. Observation Week 8: Since I arrived, we’ve been preparing the students for the State EOG Exams. We’ve used up countless hours on drills and other exercises designed to get them to perform on this test. Last week, we spent an entire day practicing how to correctly fill in a bubble sheet. The kids are feeling the pressure, but not as much as the faculty. I’m beginning to feel lucky to be just a volunteer.

Observation Week 10: So, the kids haven’t been meeting their test prep goals and Mrs. G*** is freaking out. I volunteered to stay late last night to strategize how to help them handle the test. As the EOG approaches, everyone is on edge. I tried telling a group of the teachers that it doesn’t really matter, but no one believed me. In our district, their jobs are at stake!! I volunteered to put together an easy-to-understand grammar worksheet for the students–maybe it will help. Through the understanding that standardized tests are not individual to a class or location, I’ve come to empathize with the plight of public-school educators across the state and nation. Yet, the more I volunteer at my servicing learning site, the more I have come to believe that the tests do not accurately reflect the educational growth of the students. Observation Week 12: It seems like the more we teach, the less they learn. They’re so focused on how to do it “right” that they miss the meaning of why we’re asking them to read and write. The students are ever-aware of the pressure to do well. Everyone is working so hard, but no one seems to be able to see beyond the test. On many days, I’m not so sure that the students are learning much at all.

Observation Week 14: OK, the test is over. And, while the students’ test scores will most probably show statistical progress, I would argue that school is failing the kids at my site. Because teachers in my setting have virtually no ability to deviate from the state curriculum, the students, systematically over the course of the semester, seemed to lose their desire to learn. And, while I was a volunteer for just one semester, my service-learning experience has taught me to question both the glorification of standards and the educational implications of class size. Put simply, this service-learning site has taught me that tests alone cannot measure student preparedness nor address their intellectual needs. Assignment: Collaborate to Learn: Meet with a partner and answer the questions that follow.

1. In what ways do Katherine’s direct observations inform her position on America’s schools? Do her descriptions seem clear, logical, supported, and fair? What parts of her writing make you think yes/no?

2. Does her service-learning experience help her to effectively evaluate and reflect on the principal issues she raises? If yes, where does the writing indicate this? If not, why not?

3. Who is Katherine’s audience? To whom (or what) is she responding?

Katherine’s final paper:

Katherine L*** Declines in the Standing of US Education Dr. Hammer English 400- Teaching Method

As the world becomes more competitive, education plays an increasingly vital role in the American economy. Yet, the U.S. is facing an educational decline due to poorly paid teachers, unmotivated students, and unfair testing standards that present learners with both intense pressure and seemingly irrelevant information. Consequently, America’s educational system in on the decline—confronted not merely with high-stakes testing but further, with overworked and disengaged students. While testing serves the interests of over-crowded school with its ability to put forth structured learning, it fails through its adherence to factoids and informationist driven learning styles to engage students complexly in a love of knowledge.

Compounding the problem, population increases will invariably further increase class size. Yet, as Blatchford and Mortimore argue, “smaller class sizes in schools will lead to educational benefits for pupils” (412). Consequently, as the amount of individual attention pupils receive becomes ongoingly diminished through a focus on test-prep, the quality of teaching will similarly decline. This research supports the popular understanding that both students and teachers thrive in a class with fewer students. Arguably, students in smaller classes are able to ask more follow-up questions, with diminished opportunities for debate between peers and teacher. These contracted opportunities for students, in turn, may lead to the both disengagement and a sense of irrelevancy for both information and learning. Irrespective, the rigid beliefs in standards and testing reinforce learning as a process of skill-development, relegating critical thinking to the sidelines.

However, increased opportunities for one-on-one learning and reduced class size demarcate an important goal for US education. In stark contrast to the realities of high-stakes testing, Paris argues that students have come to rely overly on “test scores” (14) in their own assessments of intellectual development. Sadly, standardized tests require adherence to a form of learning that has little value beyond the exam. Essentially the mechanisms for student work limit a teacher’s ability for creativity with lesson plans, except when curriculum presents the essentialist information required for a common exam. Sadly, the American educational system is on the decline. As such, students’ learning outcomes are truncated at the very moment at which teachers experience a sense of helpless demoralization on the state of public instruction.

Works Cited

Blatchford, Peter, and Peter Mortimore. "The issue of class size for young children in schools: what can we learn from research?." Oxford Review of Education 20.4 (1994): 411-428.

Paris, Scott G., et al. "A developmental perspective on standardized achievement

testing." Educational Researcher 20.5 (1991): 12-20.

WRITING A SERVICE-LEARNING ESSAY Now that you’ve read Katherine’s descriptive essay based on observations from her service-learning experience, take the time to review similar course opportunities on your campus. If none exist, look off-campus for organizations that serve as community partners with your school. Or, if you have web access, search for local, statewide, and national organizations that partner with colleges to provide service-learning experiences. You might begin with these sites:

1. National Youth Leadership Council: http://www.nylc.org 2. Youth Service America: http://www.ysa.org 3. Youth Volunteer Corps: http://www.yvc.org 4. Generator School Network National Service-Learning Clearinghouse: https://gsn.nylc.org/clearinghouse

Assignment: Apply the Elements:

Step 1: If you’re currently enrolled in a service-learning course, volunteer group, student government, etc., write an 800 to 1000-word self-reflection of your observations in that setting. Be sure to follow as many of these steps as appropriate to your audience, setting, and product.

• Name your key terms: • Narrate your observations • Use reiteration • Present exemplifications • Go from a general example to a classification • Use Comparison and Contrast • Show, don’t tell • Focus on larger themes • Create a sense of place • Be objective • Organize your observations • Illustrate your observations • Be precise • Verify your observations by returning to your site multiple times • Minimize your own impact on events

Step 2: If you’re not in a service-learning course then make observations of a setting on campus. This could include a student government proceeding, a volunteer setting, club or society meeting, even lunch in the cafeteria, a class lecture, or an after-hours campus event. In this setting, think of yourself as the observer charged with creating a narrative description for someone who was unable to attend the event. Then, write an 800-1000-word self-reflection of your observations in that setting. Step 3: Publish your observation report. Find an online space (consider using http://www.studentsreview.com) for discussion that focuses on the topic of your observation. Or, if you don’t have web access, consider an editorial for the student paper.

Observing and Describing in Business Writing: Business Case Studies

Case studies introduce readers to the goals, challenges, strategies, and background of companies like Apple Computer, McDonalds, and countless others. Case studies often present a specific problem facing a company and recommend a course of action, or they may examine how a given company overcame or succumbed to a problem. The study thus observes what is going on in the business and describes strategies for success. In this section, we’ll examine a sample case study, and then you’ll have an opportunity to create your own. As you read critically, look specifically for places where the author makes observations or uses description. Then answer the questions that follow.

A Business Owner Seeks an Alternative to Seven-Day Workweeks By JOHN GROSSMANN JAN. 1, 2014 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/02/business/smallbusiness/a-business-owner-seeks-an-alternative-to-working-seven-day-weeks.html

FATHER AND SON PIZZERIA is a 900-square-foot, eight-table restaurant in Guttenberg, N.J., across the Hudson River from Manhattan. Opened in 1971, it was bought in 2007 by Carlos Vega, now 45, from its aging founder. Mr. Vega soon

doubled sales by expanding the menu, improving service and selling the restaurant’s “gravy,” or red sauce, over the counter in 12-ounce Mason jars. THE CHALLENGE Mr. Vega left a corporate job producing print publications for the financial industry to take over the pizzeria. He felt constrained by his business’s size and location: a small restaurant without a parking lot on the six-block main street of a blue-collar town. Even with his improvements, the business was bringing in only

about $10,000 a week. It was profitable, but only because he was working long hours, typically seven days a week, to hold down labor costs. Mr. Vega knew he couldn’t continue like this. THE BACKGROUND His father was from Spain and his mother from Cuba, but Mr. Vega, who grew up with Italian friends in New Jersey, not only hung out in pizzerias but worked in one, starting during his sophomore year in high school. After getting a business degree from Montclair State University, he worked in his family’s printing business before moving on to KPMG and then Thomson Financial, where he oversaw printing operations. Along the way, Mr. Vega usually had some kind of business on the side. In his 20s and 30s, he worked weekends as a disc jockey, started and sold an Internet dating service and bought and flipped houses. So it was not entirely out of character when, stopping in for a slice at Father and Son Pizzeria one night — years after he had last worked there — he ended up buying more than a slice. “Why don’t you sell the place?” Mr. Vega asked, when his former boss confided that he was tired of the grind. “I don’t want to sell to just anybody,” said the owner, whose son had long since lost interest. Mr. Vega bought the business, but not the building, for $75,000. He wasted little time expanding the menu beyond pizza, subs, chicken Parmesan sandwiches and spaghetti and meatballs. “I made it more of a full-blown Italian kitchen and added a dessert menu,” he said. With room for only eight tables, Mr. Vega upgraded the takeout business, introducing Internet orders, adding credit card sales, offering “take and bake pizzas” that customers could heat at home. Without a parking lot, and with on-street spots scarce, he started curbside pickup. He nudged the price of a pie up to $11.50 from $11 but held the line at $11 for his chicken francese. He doubted he could charge the going rate of $16 or so at nearby Italian restaurants that had tablecloths, servers, parking lots and liquor licenses. The former owner had gotten by with a skeleton staff: his wife, himself and a dishwasher. Mr. Vega brought on a cook and a pizza maker, driving up expenses. But he made the sauce himself, tweaking the recipe he had learned years earlier as an employee. So many customers asked for extra sauce — and for him to bottle the slow-simmered red sauce — that Mr. Vega decided to comply. Soon, instead of making 40 quarts a week, he was making 40 quarts every two days. The jars, he said, “were flying off the counter.” And the margins were higher for the red sauce than for his menu items. THE OPTIONS With restaurant profits still meager come the summer of 2009, Mr. Vega and his wife contemplated two very different ways to turn up the heat. They could expand, adding tables, raising prices and becoming less of a takeout place. Or they could sell the restaurant and focus solely on becoming a manufacturer and wholesaler of tomato sauce. Exploring Plan A, Mr. Vega talked to a contractor about building a second floor atop the one-story building to add a dining room. He also discussed moving the business down the block, to a storefront with room for more tables. Either way, there would still be a parking problem. And without a liquor license, which could cost $250,000, Mr. Vega felt he would still be poorly positioned to charge $16 for chicken francese. Plan B would keep Mr. Vega in the food business, which he enjoyed, and presumably give him more time at home with his wife and two young children. Sample jars of his red sauce that he got into the hands of buyers at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and other specialty food stores had brought encouraging reviews. He envisioned a line of sauces under the brand Jersey Italian Gravy that would retail for $8.99, and he thought he could market his sauce to the food industry in No. 10 cans. “Professional chefs, some from prominent New York restaurants, who came to the restaurant told me they wanted to take it home with them,” he said. Knowing nothing about food manufacturing, he would have to outsource production to what is known as a co-packer. There would be a steep learning curve, as well as tough competition squeezing onto retail store shelves. WHAT OTHERS SAY Mark Ramadan, chief executive and co-founder of Sir Kensington’s, makers of all-natural, premium ketchups and mayonnaises. “Mr. Vega should parlay the momentum he has generated with interested supermarket buyers into purchases. He should ask if they’d be willing to buy and stock a small number of his jars to see if their customers will buy. The tomato sauce market is incredibly crowded and very price-sensitive — particularly when selling to chefs — but if he can get solid commitments from buyers in his area, then that’s a great sign. To sell locally, he won’t need to go through a co-packer and have the same strict labeling requirements that national companies do, so he can start out small to test the waters. Until he knows that he has a winning product at a winning price point, Mr. Vega should continue to simply use the sauce line as an additional source of revenue and profit for his restaurant.” Dorothy Cann Hamilton, chief executive and founder of the International Culinary Center. “I think Mr. Vega was lucky to

find an ongoing business for $75,000. That was not a huge capital investment to pay off, had a built-in revenue stream, and although it had no parking, was situated in a dense neighborhood. I would applaud him on increasing his revenue through sauce sales as a sideline but caution him on jumping into a new business based on a local fan base and taste alone. Manufacturing, packaging, sanitation, regulations, sales and distribution are major new skill sets he will have to master. If he’s intent on doing this, he should consider bringing in a knowledgeable partner for distribution and sales.” Bill Beck, chef and owner of Beck’s Cajun Cafes, a catering company, and the Beck’s Kitchen Pantry line of Cajun hot sauces and condiments. “Mr. Vega has reached the point of many small businesses. They’re sustainable and profitable but only because of the herculean efforts of the owner and his or her immediate family. The best long-term business model for him is his Jersey Italian Gravy concept. And the most realistic way to do that, and easiest on his bank account, is segueing into that business slowly, to see how the market beyond his hometown receives another tomato sauce. The tomato sauce world, like the salsa world, is inundated with great products — most produced by big companies with deep pockets, and distribution and marketing know-how and contacts.” THE RESULTS Offer your thoughts on the You’re the Boss blog at nytimes.com/boss. Next week on the blog, we will offer an update on the decision Mr. Vega made and how he is doing.

Assignment: Explore the Elements:

1. What do the observations detailed in the case study suggest about the business’s systems, structures, policies,

finances, and other issues?

2. Do the experts describe a realistic plan to address the issues observed? If yes, where?

3. What do you think the experts’ purposes are in making their specific recommendations? What claims and

support within the case study reinforce your assessment?

By reading this case study, business professionals with similar concerns can better understand options and potential strategies for success. Based on the study’s specific descriptions, the business managers can implement new policies and observe the results.

Assignment: Apply the Elements: Step 1: After you answer questions 1-3, search online or in your school library for some business case studies that interest you. If you have web access, you can read several case studies at:

• http://www.caseplace.org/

• http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/small-business/case-studies/index.html

Step 2: Read 2-3 case studies and analyze the quality of the observations and descriptions detailed within by going back to answer Explore the Elements questions 1-3 for each reading.

Step 3: Visit a business with products you like or with services you enjoy. Using what you learned by reading the prior case studies, spend 30 minutes making observations and taking notes. As an example, you might note the inefficiencies of a small restaurant staff, with one employee paid to take your order, another employee paid to seat you, another to bus and set the table, and yet another to deliver the food and refill the drinks. Then, similar to the Grossman example, try to take on the role of “expert”’ by describing to a classmate a strategy for change. Step 4: Write a short (500-750 word) case study following the categories in the Grossman model.

Observing and Describing in Community Settings: The Documentary Photo Essay

Did you ever walk down a street and think about documenting a neighborhood in a series of photographs? Popular publications like Time magazine and the New York Times have long histories of publishing photo essays in which images (and very few words) describe a series of observations that catch the photographer’s eye. Perhaps you are one of the millions of people who use online communities like Instagram, Flickr, Photobucket, or photo.net to share images that describe your observations of everyday life. Photos are a terrific way to capture observations, and, as the saying goes, in describing, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Assignment: Digital and Print Discoveries Since the development of photography, journalists and others have used images to share observations of society and everyday life. If you have web access, take a look at a few sites that use images to describe elements of history and current issues (from the Great Depression to global warming). If you do not have web access, check your campus library for the work of photojournalists like Dorothea Lange.

1. The Depression: http://www.kuriositas.com/2011/11/depression-era-photography-of-dorothea.html

2. The Decay of Detroit: http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681121/beautifully-mashed-up-photos-show-the-glory-and-wreckage-of-detroit

3. The American Midwest:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2013/12/08/magazine/08greatplains_ss.html?ref=magazine#1

4. Global Warming: http://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/photo-essays/melting-away

Following is an excerpt from a photo essay that was originally published by the Global Oneness Project (http://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/photo-essays/who-are-99-portraits-americans-work). This photo essay conveys the author’s observations of workers in the United States. While these images represent less than half of the original essay (check out the whole thing if you have web access), there is clearly no way to capture every job in America. As you make observations of the images, consider what story the author seems to be telling about work-life in America.

Photo Essays: Portraits of Americans at Work Photographer Caleb Ferguson goes cross-country to document the diversity of the American workforce. In the summer of 2012, photographer Caleb Ferguson traveled from coast to coast, documenting Americans in their diverse places of work. Here are a few of the people he met.

Name: Cynthia Rhodes Age: 55 Location: Germantown, New York Occupation: Hot-dog stand owner (15 years) "I love my job. I'm outside, listening to music, and waving to people."

Name: Dennis Sigur Age: 60 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Occupation: Barber (41 years)

Name: V. Lamont Duncan Age: 87 Location: South Cairo, New York Occupation: Hay farmer (entire life) "For a young person today it is impossible to get started as a farmer. The overhead costs are too high and there is not enough profit. My advice is to marry a farmer's daughter."

Name: James King Age: 57 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Occupation: Tire repair (15 years) James also works as a gospel musician. He works at the tire garage part-time.

Name: John Black Feather Age: 76 Location: Pine Ridge, South Dakota Occupation: Buffalo rancher (7 years / retired) John is retired but wanted to continue his father's legacy of raising buffalo on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Name: Aida Melendez Age: 60 Location: New York, New York Occupation: Resident watch at Abraham Lincoln Houses, Harlem (8 months / Retired)

Name: James Walton Age: 37 Location: Louisville, Kentucky Occupation: Skateboard instructor at goskate.com (1 year) "I'm not only teaching kids a skill, but I'm also keeping them off the streets and out of trouble."

Name: Nicole Eiden Age: 35 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Occupation: Baker (1 year)

Name: Greg Fischer Age: 54 Location: Louisville, Kentucky Occupation: Mayor (2 years) Mayor Fischer speaks with students at Valley Traditional High School about the value of a college education as part of the county's "Close the Deal" program.

Name: Steven King Age: 53 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Occupation: Homeless (15 years) Steven lives under the I-10 highway. He earns several dollars each day by collecting cans and panhandling.

Assignment: Collaborate to Learn: Step 1: As you reread this photo essay in a small group, answer the following questions.

1. From exposé to artistic expression, what do you think are the photographer’s purposes in crafting this

documentary? From the black and white imagery to the solitary figures, what evidence helps you “read” each

photo?

2. From note taking and interviewing to the intentional posing of subjects, what processes do you think this

photographer undertook in collecting his images? Do they seem posed for the photographer, realistic or

overly scripted? Through your observations of each image, what evidence can you find for your assessment?

3. Why do you think Ferguson used black-and-white photographs in this photo essay? Explain your answer.

4. From city Mayor to homeless man, why does Ferguson pick these occupations and why do they fall in the

order presented? What, if any, effect on audience does each selection or ordering have?

5. What general statement does the photographer seem to be making about America and work? What in the

images leads you to your answer?

6. If you were to observe the story of American employment and craft your own photo essay, in what places

would you gather images? In what places would you publish your work?

Assignment: Apply the Elements

Step 1: Spend 30-40 minutes making some observations around your campus. Perhaps you notice a spot where couples sit together or a site where student groups meet. Ask yourself, what story could you tell with a series of 10-15 images? Using the steps and strategies in P3 for observing and describing, take a series of photos and annotate them with your descriptions. Remember, let the images, not the annotations tell the story by considering the make-up and order of your shots, the focus within the frame, and how each image serves to represent a characteristic about the topic depicted. Step 2: Give a 5-minute presentation (see Chapter 1) in which you describe your observations to the class.

Conclusion As this chapter demonstrated, throughout your academic, workplace, and community lives, you will observe and describe. Therefore, you will be returning, throughout this book to the Ps of observing and describing as you learn to argue (chapter 8), reflect (chapter 10), evaluate (chapter 9) narrate (chapter 4), and work in countless other genres. While this chapter discussed how to apply the 5Ps of observation and description to some specific writing products, it will take the entire book to fully realize the importance of these skills in your life as a writer and thinker. So, before you go on to reflect and write about your work in this chapter, take one more attempt at developing your ability to observe and describe by composing a 250-300 word reiteration that describes your observations of a space on campus that captures the story of your college experience. Whether that spot is the financial aid office or the parking garage for part-time commuters, choose a setting that serves as a metaphor for your relationship to class, friendships, or whatever you deem essential about your life at school

Assignment: Reflect and Write: Now, take a second look at your photo-essay, service-learning paper, campus setting description, or work as a cultural anthropologist observing and describing a group, event, or object on campus. Does this composition have a clear audience, one or multiple purposes, were your processes in developing the piece effective? Why or why not? Did the project alter the ways in which you make observations or descriptions in individual settings? If yes, why and where? As you examine your work, write a short (500-word) self-reflective essay that describes your observations of that work.