Fieldnotes: The Cultural Construction of Gender Anthropology 102
***ATTACHED IS A STUDY GUIDE AND SLIDES ON THE CHAPTER***
Observation & Note-taking Instructions
1.) Watch two different TV shows set in the U.S.: 1 drama (e.g., a police drama, legal drama, hospital drama) and 1 family sitcom or somethings similar. There will be more interaction to observe if you watch a show with a larger cast. Avoid shows set before 1960 and those involving supernatural beings, vampires, or aliens.
2.) Closely observe and take notes on how the shows portray genders, gender roles, gender performance and gender ideology or stereotypes. What is portrayed as acceptable, “normal,” or stereotypical? How are masculinity and femininity conveyed? For shows with LGBTQ themes, strive to use LGBTQ terminology appropriately.
3.) In the notes you submit, make it clear which characters you have observed and described. Are they a sister, father, detective, lawyer, doctor, or . . .? If necessary, add the characters’ names. Avoid retelling the whole plot of an episode; give only the minimum necessary to understand the fieldnote observations on the interactions and characters.
4.) Important: Use of terms from Chapter 8 is required — gender, gender roles, gender performance, gender stereotypes, gender ideology, masculinity, femininity. Incorporate these terms in your fieldnote descriptions as appropriate.
Remember, sex differences are biological, but gender “encompasses all the traits that a culture assigns to and inculcates” in those identified as male, female or a another category (Gezon & Kottack, Culture, 2nd ed., 146). Gender roles are the tasks, activities, and behavior that a culture deems appropriate for a particular category of sex (male, female, or third gender). Gender stereotypes are simplistic, preconceived notions about the characteristics and proper roles of males and females.
Notes Format & Length
1.) Length: 1.5 pages. Express each observation in a complete sentence. No sentence fragments or jottings. Use correct spellings, appropriate sentence structure, and punctuation to the best of your ability.
2.) Divide your notes into two sections, one for each show. Provide the exact name of the TV show in quotation marks. Identify the genre– is it a drama or sitcom? Provide the time and day you watched each show, even if you are using streaming video. (Noting the time and date is always a good idea with any fieldnotes.)
3.) Format
• Name in upper right hand corner, class & date. The space taken up by your name or the title of the assignment is not part of the required page length.
• Margins: one inch all sides.
• Notes must be typed.
• For this assignment, try to use space and a half (1.5) so your notes will be easier for me to read.
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