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Group Observation

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appearance (apparel, equipment, and gear), verbal behavior and interaction (whether they were speaking to each other, time length of interactions. This particular technique of observation is effective for documenting group data and focusing on patterns of group behavior Adler and Adler (1994:384). Passive participation yielded clues about attitudes and rules of participation, the structure and functions of the facilities, including the periphery services they rendered. For example, most of the fitness center provided complementary services such as courses or lessons on proper dieting, resting, how to use new equipment, and appropriate ways to play sports for optimum benefits. After gathering general information, I started making more specific …show more content…
I learned to act like them, and to see the world in their terms. For example, I started to wear the standard apparel and gear. As a volleyball player in Ghana, I barely wore knee pads. The only time I wore them was when we played other teams and the District, Regional and National Sports Councils provided them. We always returned the knee pads after play. Knee pads were not easily accessible in Tamale and were very expensive. In Calgary, getting the standard playing gear got me ready and made it easier for me to blend in. Playing with the participants helped me to cultivate knowledge and gain understanding into participants’ actions and reactions that I observed and that they spoke of during interviews. The knowledge I acquired helped me fit in and also had a positive impact on data …show more content…
Autoethnography is a generic term (Kirk et al 2006:471) that refers to writing about the personal and its relationship to the culture, frequently in first-person voice (Ellis 2004:37-38). Autoethnography is a method of research (Hayler 2012:21) that serves as a source of cultural analyses through personal narrative (Boylorn and Orbe 2013:16-17). Text in autoethnography occurs is various forms including: “short stories, poetry, fiction, novels, photographic essays, scripts, personal essays, journals, fragmented and layered writing, and social science pros.” These are shown through “concrete actions, dialogue, emotions, embodiment, spirituality, and self-consciousness” revealed through actions, feelings, thoughts and language.” (Ellis

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