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Ethnographic Research

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SandraKumar58London

IntroductionTHE OUTLINE page 4

Research MethodologiesQualitative page 6

Quantitative page 6

Focussed Topic page

7

Findings page 7

FamilyLife page 8

Children page 8

Work LifeFriends page 10

Skills page 10

ReligionReligion page 12

Personal LifeHobbies page 14

Yoga page 14

Art Class page 14

Council page 14

Home page 14

What makes Sandra tick? page 15

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IntroductionThis report is based on my mum, Sandra.

THE OUTLINE

• Female.

• Married.

• Mum of three: two daughters and one son.

• Aged 58.

• Strong faith in Hinduism.

• Fully Sri Lankan, Tamil.

• Fluent in Tamil and ok at English.

• Originated: born in Sri Lanka, Mulai.

Through negative past experiences, Sandra lives each day as a struggle but embraces what she has and has hope for the future. Nothing but positive thoughts.

I have been observing her extensively for 4 months and have gained data on the way she thinks, acts to situations, speaks, listens, the way she eats, and many more things: focussing on what makes her who she is.

There is a reason to why my Mum is the person whosheis.Livinginaspecificarea,havingfaithin a religion, culture, teachings from family and friends and religion, the place she grew up in,

thesocialside:definingwhoyouare.Butitisabout understanding why.

I will be reporting and highlighting the reason to why my mum is the person who she is by using qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

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Research MethodologiesByexploringQualitativeandQuantitativemethods,Iwillbeabletogatherenoughinformation in order to understand the subject further.

QUALITATIVE

- Photos

- Pieces of art work that Sandra has made.

- Diary.

- Face to face interviews.

- Observing daily routines.

- Participating with the subject. i.e. Cooking and cleaning with her.

- Noting down observations that the subject makes.

- Reactions.

QUANTITATIVE

- Creating Agendas and Minutes to record ‘Interviews/Meetings’ with the

subject.

-Questionnairesforthemtofillout.

- Taking notes on their answers to polls.

- Interpreting data collected from audio tracks and scripting it.

- Measurements of quantity of food eating a day and material using a day.

- Piloting.

Focussed Topic

During the 37 minute interview with Sandra, I focussed on her life in Sri Lanka as I felt that by doing this: I will be able to understand how Sandra built herself up and came to be the person who she is today.

I asked about activities within school and out of school- as this is reflectingonsocialclass,Imanagedtounderstandthepositionthat she had within the school and outside life.

Theinterviewwasfilledwithpositivepointsandmanycommentsrelating to her dad which tells me that she is quite sentimental.

I asked her if she is ‘Interested in politics’, she replied with ‘My parents are 110% politicians, I don’t like it though. They are fake’.

Shealsomentionedhertrophiesandhowshecamefirstinallathletic events and was top in the class academically. She did notmentionaboutpressureonbeingfirstintheclass.

Findings

Sandra was a wealthy ‘upper class’ person who had servants. Theupbringingofthathowever,hasnothadanaffectonwho she is today. I would assume that she would be greedy and arrogant, but instead she is the opposite. This shows the relationship that she must have had with the lower class servants. Sandra then went on to say that her dad spent time with lower class people, with anyone. This attitude that he has shown Sandra has grown on her. It is almost as if her dad was a role model to her.

Sandra has an open mind, not liking politics due to the system being corrupted (in her eyes) and no one being able to execute what they promise. This conveys the message that she is afraid of war, afraid of negative ugly materials and actions that take people in life.

Hercommentonbeingfirstintheclassalsoimpliesthattheremay have been social pressure as well as pressure from her family pushing her to do well.

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FamilyLifeFamily is key to Sandra’s life. It has become clear that all of her ideologies, belies and important experiences have all been initiated from family. Bothimmediateandown.

She got an arrange marriage at the age of 28 and married my dad who is a few years older. Me: ‘Do you regret marrying dad?’ Sandra: ‘ No, everything happens for a reason and I have my children. It is an experience’

Her mum and dad have had possible the biggest impact on her life excluding her own family. They have taught her their beliefs and so she has been brought up living her every day life as if she were in her parent’s shoes.

SANDRA: ‘At a young age my parents passed away so I had to carry on being happy..’

Through the body language displayed as Sandra told me that, I could see that her tone of voice change and body language started to get nervous.

ChildrenChildren have been the biggest impact on Sandra’s life. The use of language that she uses isreflectiveonherchildren’s‘slang’language.

Through spending time with her and her son, I have been able to consider Sandra’s happiness

beingreflectiveonherchildren,especiallyson.

The‘mummy’sboy’makesSandraadifferentperson, one who is free from the stress and terror in the world. One who seems to be able to act more or so like a child rather than an adult.

Whilst her son is at university living away, I can seeaslightdifferenceinbehaviour.Asenseofloneliness and so turns to her daughter, me, for comfort and ‘fun’. Even when her children are angry with her, she still seems to love them.

I want my children to have a healthy and peaceful life. I want the world got to be

one. One nation and one religion.

This observation shows how important her parents were to her and that she must miss them.

”“

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Work LifeWorking at Royal Marsden Hospital for 8 years running, Sandra has built herself up through the friendships made and skills learnt from work.

Through watching Sandra for a few months, I have noticed that she has very good hygiene. She ensures to wash her hands before cooking and eating, she also knows how to cook. To have clean hygiene, be tidy and a neat person,workhasdefinitelyencouragedthis behaviour.

Friends

‘Nicole: ‘Say Hi to your mum for me, she’s really nice. Hope she’s well’’ At work Sandra is surrounded by people who respect her and cares about her. Asking me how she is whenever they see me.

Positive acts like this makes Sandra happy as she cares about the people around her. This must be a trait that has derived from her parents and their teachings. Sandra has shown great charisma as she smiles when the people around her are smiling. This is important because it shows that she doesn’t not let things get to her; she enjoysbeinghappyandfightingforthathappiness.

Skills

I have noticed that Sandra is fast at her job, she is quick and clean. She is always asked by colleagues to clean because she is able to clean ‘the best’. This is suggesting that she is a hard worker but also kind at heart if she is

willing to help others out when they need help.

I also see a link between how she is at work and how she is at home. I can see that her religious beliefs and teachings have taught her how to respect the people around her.

Whensheisonherownshefindsiteasier to ‘cope with other members of staff’asshetriesherbesttodoherbest at the job. Through these actions, I can see that she is not reliant on others and likes to be independent and show everyone the potential she has.

Me: What do you think about your work colleagues?

Sandra: They treat me as if I were one of their family

members

“ ”

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Religion

“I am independent because my mum and dad both brought me up with their

teachings..

“Sandra attends the temple on festival days and new years.

She ensures to not eat meat on those days as it is ‘disrespectful’ to eat meat before going to the temple.

I asked her what Religion means to her and she said that Religion has structured her life both in Sri Lanka and in the UK. Butshedoesnotfocusonreligion.Ican see that religion has helped shape sandra’s life in a positive light. From this response, I can understand that Sandra does not rely on religion and her faith to help her get through life. She is already brought up by her parents who have taught her to have a strong mentality.

The patterns that I can see coming from her actions in her daily life, I can see that religion has helped her make the decisions that she makes. Through the teachings of her parents, Sandra has passed on their teachings onto her own children and brought them up in a similar

way to how she was brought up: to have a strong mind.

It is clear that if it wasn’t for her parent’s teachings and faith, Sandra wouldn’t be the fragile person who she is today.

Each year she goes to a temple in wales, as she told me about why she goes, I could see that she was pondering. It didn’t seem as if she was too sure about why goes; her body language was portraying a fragile, unsure mind. She then went on to tell me that she enjoyed the animals and peace that you get over there. I can see that perhaps faith isn’t concentrated on that much but the strength that she gets from the people around her.

As Sandra does not completely follow

religion, she has not stereotypically been put into a social group. She is able to make her own decisions instead of using religion as an excuse for anything that may go wrong or right in the world.

She also said that she respects all the religions. ‘Take the good from the religions and use them’.

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Personal LifeHobbies and Activities.

When I asked Sandra about her current hobbies, she replied with ‘As a child? I used to collect stamps!’

It shoes that she has an interest in her past, possibly misses her past. She enjoys giving stories of her when she was young and how well she excelled in her studies and activity life.

Yoga

In her spare time, she does meditation with friends at a centre. She enjoys Yoga, when I asked why she enjoys it she replied with ‘I feel healthy, it brings peace and harmony.’

The fact that she is so calm and relaxed, implies that she may have gone through troubles in her life and therefore she is now focussing on the positive parts to her life.

Arts Class

When observing Sandra at an art class and linking it to her behaviour at home, I can see that she is creative. She enjoys creating anything as long as she stick pretty materials onto card! Seeing her laugh and get excited at creating something using materials and glue, made me correspond her to a child. Her actions are almost child-like but in a positive manner. That she still has not lost her young self, but still understands the importance of providing for her family.

What makes Sandra tick?

It is clear from the research and being around Sandra that she is a happy person in general. However, I have noticed that when someone in her family do not agree on something with her, she gets defensive. This shows a hint of arrogance and anger as she does not like it when her family do not agree with her on something. It sounds as if she has had a rough up-bringing even though it sounds like she has had a ‘perfect’ life. So the smiling is most likely to move on from the negative memories in her past and become a better person.

Council

Sandra is on a council that helps in creating a better place for the town. It also concentrates on ways to help those who are mentally ill. It is clear that Sandra have a soft heart, that she wants to do a lot for people around her. This is perhaps because of past in-depth experiences.

SuttonBoroughCommander

Home

Hasbeenacooksinceayoungage.Broughtup with survival skills to be independent and carry on living life.

When I was little, my brother was against me marrying an Indian“ ”

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Camela Amalakumar Ethnographic Research On Sandra Kumar