Anthropology 2
Cultural Anthropology

Jorge Sanchez

EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 2

Project I: Nonverbal Communication

Due Date: June 26, 2002
send answers via e-mail to jsanchez@hartnell.cc.ca.us by midnight of due date!

Observation

Observe ten people form diverse age, gender, cultural and religious backgrounds. Try to observe them in a similar setting. For example, at the cafeteria, your workplace, church, at a party, etc.

Focus on their body language (non-verbal behavior). See how close they are to one another, what gestures they make, how often they touch each other, or how often they make eye contact. Specially look for the following:

  1. Kinesics: posture, gestures, sitting, walking.

  2. Eye contact: how often, length of contact.

  3. Gaze: where and how do subjects look at.

  4. Facial expressions: smiling, frowning, or wrinkling of the forehead.

  5. Personal space: what distance are they from each other?

  6. Contact: how often they touch one another?

  7. Dress: does any particular clothing characterize your subjects?

Make sure that you record the setting (the environment), the time, number of individuals, and any other pertinent information. (These facts will be attached to the next section as "Appendix")

Written Analysis

You are to write a brief description of your results. The text should be approximately three pages long (double-spaced, with 1" margins all around; the Appendix is not considered text). Organize your data into a chart of categories or any other form of data organization (graph, line graph, pie chart, picture, etc.). The following questions can help you direct your descriptions, but you can define your own if you like.

  • Look at the patterns. What do you make of it?

  • Is there a cultural, gender, age or social background relationship?

  • Is there a correlation between the environment and the body language?

  • Could you identify a hierarchy in the group's dynamic? Was there someone that directed the conversation more than others? If so, was he/she the leader?

  • Was non-berbal communication different according to the social, economic make up of the group?

  • What did you learn from this mini ethnography?

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