ANT 101 - Passive observation PDF

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Individual Assignment Topic: Passive Observation of North South University’s Study Hall For my individual assignment I got a passive observation task on study hall of North South University. I went to my class on usual time and found out that today we will do passive observation of different parts of North South University for 30 minutes. So, me and my group went to the study hall and each observed individually and took notes for 30 minutes. I sat on the last bench (middle section) so that I can see everything. First, I observe the overall structure of the study hall. There was lots of chairs and tables arranged in 3 section for student to sit the middle section the left section and the right section and there was gap between each section to walk on. There is two entry point one from gallery road and other from the ground floor. Inside the hall there is a digital clock, and placed in a good spot as we can mostly see it from all corners of the hall and it is dead straight from the middle section where I was sitting. At the back wall there is a big electronic notice board where the Id’s of the defaulter’s are shown. I think this is done just to make people aware that the code of conduct is very important and, on the hall, a wider or big group of people come and do their respective works here so it reaches all in a sense. There are cameras at various point of the hall for protection and disciplinary purposes. At the back side there is also separated washroom for the males and females. We also see a dedicated quite place to study at the left of the hall. Here people can read quietly as the hall is loud compare to the quiet hall. The most interesting feature in the study hall is the pigeon hole, it is a place where bags are kept and we will get a token for taking the bag out when we need. I think the name made it interesting to me. Secondly, I observed the environment of the study hall. The first thing I notice here is that its loud although the loudness was less as most people are in class but there are other people who were talking loudly, laughing, sudden screams out of excitement or maybe found that he/she was a part of a friends prank etc. Overall the place was noisy. Still it was nothing compared to a jam pack study hall where people will not even find a place to sit and wait for others to go somewhere and take their sit. As it was class time and evening time most of the sits were empty. The place was generally cold as air condition is run all the time. It maybe one of the main reasons why this place remains crowded all the time as during summer people just entered the

university will come here naturally with friends to fend the heat or just to relax a bit with friends or to study as it will give you comfort. Thirdly, I started to observe the people sitting at the hall during the time I was observing. It was by far the most interesting part as people are so different from each another and they all do unique stuff. The first clear distinction I notice was there was people alone and people in groups. The alone people always have a chair gap in a table from the group which make it easier to spot them. They maybe waiting for friends, cars to arrive or at this moment just taking a break from all the class they had and relaxing a bit. Surprisingly all the alone people are busy with the phones. The group people are chatting, laughing, taking picture and also busy with there phone. I also saw two distinct group doing project or group work sort of work. There were few couples as well and they all did various stuff one was holding hands and showing affection to one another where as other was fighting and the girl just left angrily which made the boy feel disgusted I could see the despair clearly in his face. I even hared a girl calling her mother and saying she had an extra class at 6:30 pm and I think she was probably lying as there is a high chance that no classes take place during those hours. Saying that I have friends who attended mid at 7pm for few faculties so it can be possible. But if its not probably lied for going out with friends. I was so sure of the time as she was very close to me and was quite loud. Beside students there was stuff member who keeps the hall clean at a go. If a single wastage is found they clean it immediately. Food and others drinks are not allowed in the hall but if by any means the student cheat the system and keep the leftovers it also gets clean by them. There is an admin officer to who maintains the discipline of the hall seeing weather the chairs are arranged properly or not. Not letting students to sit on the tables, not allowing cards or UNO in the hall as those are forbidden as it’s a study hall not a recreation hall. After observing all these for 30 min I left the hall with my other group members. What I saw in the study hall is that majority of the people using it for recreational purpose rather than a serious place to work for your academic needs. Most of the time the majority go there with friends or alone to pass time, do gossip. fending of heat etc. The loudness in the hall is a proof of it. If most where using it for academic purpose it will never get loud as it is. Sure, there are people studying, working in groups, preparing presentation slides, but the number is very less. During my observation time I found only one group working. So, we can easily say from it

that the dominant culture of the study hall in North South University is more of a recreational hall. And the ones that actually use it for study follow the sub culture they are minority but don’t oppose the dominant ones. We can also say the authorities, stuffs, faculties, admin officers are in the counter culture as they oppose the dominant culture and want to encourage student to use study hall for academic purpose. Now it should be cleared that not only North South’s study hall is like this. By searching countless articles on internet on the issue whether a study hall is actually needed in a university I found out all the University have this problem. Again this phenomena can be easily related to cultural characteristics as we know culture is learned so, as this phenomena is going for a long time in the university we can say that majority of new student will learn the dominate culture and we can also call it enculturation as the students will learn from the surroundings of the university its norms and values. Or there can be students who don’t like this phenomenon of the study hall but will adapt to it for prevailing here than we can relate it to acculturation. As the culture surrounding the study hall maybe something to do with the mindset of the student, as most I can for a surety say that, most of the student like doing there works at home rather than in a study hall. The main reason I see, is due to the lack of high-speed internet or in that case there is actually none in the study hall. To do our academic works high speed net or even having an internet connection is a must but the lack of it may have created this culture where majority of the student don’t use study hall for academic purposes. Now if we believe in this than our believe falls in cultural relativism where we understand why a culture is like this. Or if we say that a study hall should never be used for other purposes and have a preset standard set by us and judging it based on that than the actual fact then we are talking about ethnocentrism. It varies from people to people. Lastly although I am the observer here so my point of view should be etic point of view. But actually, I am not an outsider I am a student of the university and actually leading the same life as them or rest of the student so I understand why they do or why are they doing. I actually have an idea for why study hall is actually being used as a recreational hall and I strongly believe it is due to the lack of internet. If I have a presentation slide to be done then surely, I will not be going to a study hall and if anyone ask why is that? The answer is there is no internet to work with so it is pointless in away to even call it a study hall when we can’t do a basic work there. So, my point of view is more of an emic point of view than an etic one. But a completely outsider doing this research might find it odd and bizarre as he doesn’t know the perspective of the participants....