Observation Report
The observation report describes your observations and one interview among members of a local Hindu community during one of the annual celebrations, recorded at a local worship site, and relates these to the observations of other ethnographers who have observed the same celebration in India. You write as if you were articulating your thoughts not just for your own reflection for the professor to assess, but also to provide explanations for a peer (vs. a specialist) who is unfamiliar with the topic. NOTE: half a dozen student Observation Reports will be assigned as readings for the final TRA and application exercise.
IMPORTANT: you must observe one of the celebrations at one of the times listed under Local Sites, not simply visit the site and talk to people. Although you may at other times have interesting informal interactions with community members there, it will be difficult to tell what they normally do when outsiders are not present based exclusively on such interactions.
Step 2: Peer Review
Once you have completed the ORW, bring a printed copy of it with you on the day it is due (see schedule). At the beginning of these classes, you will exchange your worksheet with another student, making sure to find someone who has chosen a source different than yours to focus on. You will have 5-7 minutes to read each others' papers and make marks and notes, as follows:
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2-3 word comments next to skillfully phrased questions; clear responses to questions; exceptionally perceptive observations; and/or insightful connections made between practice and reflection (circled, underlined, &/or marked with stars).
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3-7 word comments next to things you don't understand; descriptions of practice that are not clear; and descriptions of participants' reflections that are difficult to relate to their practice (circle, underline, &/or marked with question marks).
When the time for reading has elapsed, exchange papers again and read the comments on yours. Then ask questions about anything you don't understand, and thank the person for their feedback.
Unless your partner for this exercise is a speed reader & writer, you will not receive comments on the entire worksheet and will need to complet this stage outside of class. Your options are:
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Make arrangements with your class partner to take home their paper and return it to them in the next day or two. (Be realistic about your schedule in making this commitment!)
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Find a friend or family member who would be willing to read and comment on the paper, using the guidelines above.
- Make an appointment to have your work reviewed at the Writing Center in Calaveras Hall, Room 128.
**THE ALL-IMPORTANT FINAL STEP** --> once you have received comments on the entire worksheet, on the back of the GRW, write an analysis of the comments you received (4-5 sentences) explaining (a) which of the comments you think are most helpful for planning your final paper; (b) additional omissions or inaccuracies that you yourself noted from rereading what you wrote and (b) what you plan to do to address both reviewer comments and omissions/inaccuracies noted during your own rereading.
A completed ORW, turned in with a minimum of *2 markings/comments per page* and an *analysis of comments* on the back, will receive 25 out of the total number of points for the assignment. No partial credit will be given; unreviewed or incomplete forms will be returned for completion.