I am 18 years old and from Randolph, Massachusetts. This is a fairly large town and the most culturally diverse town in Massachusetts. Growing up here was an awesome experience because, from an early age, I was exposed to a wide range of people and cultures. I am very aware and accustomed to almost all subcultures. It was so cool being in a classroom and almost every student being a different race. Being that Randolph is only 15 minutes away from Boston, and both my parents are from the city, I spend a lot of my time there. All cities are a melting pot of different cultures and traditions. Whatever I did not experience in Randolph, I could certainty experience in Boston. I am grateful for my parents bringing me to the city from an early age. In no way was I sheltered or naive and was exposed to all types of people, the good and the bad. Although I am about as white and as Irish as they come, I am in no way ignorant.
As open as my eyes are, it is hard to be completely objective in life. I am aware that I may still hold a few stereotypes and conceptions in my head when observing my field site, Sullies. I am also afraid people at Sullies may have some stereotypes about me as well. Although I have been going to Sullies my whole life and spent much of my time in Boston, I am not actually from there. People from Boston and especially Southie where Sullies is located, can be territorial and not like outsiders. However this is just a minor concern of mine because I have never experienced any problems. My open perspective on life will be extremely helpful throughout this project.
Shannon: I want to encourage you to open up in your writing, to use more examples, more specific information, to show us how you are not ignorant, to show us how you are welcoming to all other people, instead of having to reassure us that you do these things. It's like, in writing, the difference between saying to someone, "Oh, just trust me." and "Come on over here and I can show you an example..." I will ALWAYS go with the second person's offer...I want to see it with my own eyes. I will not just believe what someone says with no evidence provided. Will you?
ReplyDeleteBut, that's what you ask us, your readers, to do here. In your first paragraph, you are carefully reassuring, and I appreciate that! But, without specific examples (you don't even mention, for example, one specific kind of culture or subculture in the city, or one specific ethnicity or racial group or subgroup), your writing is too general to be taken as credible. Anyone can make sweeping generalizations. Anyone can claim not to be ignorant. It's the job of the intellectual and the fieldworker to show her readers that she's being thoughtful, careful, and self-reflective before interpreting and analyzing the actions of others.
From this blog post, I don't get a sense of your subjective positions where Sullivan's restaurant is concerned. What do you order there? Why do you like the place? I want you to think about reading Katie Berard's blog. She's studying a restaurant, too, and you two are having some of the same challenges in writing about your subjectivities. I think you could learn a lot from reading what Katie wrote in response to the Box 10: Positioning Yourself assignment and also from what I wrote to her in response. Here are just a few questions that were screaming at me when I read your blog post:
What is Southie? Where is it? Why are people there "territorial?"
Where is Sullies in relation to Randolph, MA? How did you (your family) ever find out about this place in the first place?
Why is it important for you to be "open" in order to study Sullies? I don't get the connection? Does Sullies attract a diverse population of clientele?
What kind of fare is served at Sullies and how expensive is it? Does cost prohibit certain people from eating there? What is the price range of the menu items?
Is Sullies accessible by train or bus? Can you only get there by car?
Please continue this assignment in a second blog post, where you dig a little deeper into your own fixed and subjective positions--specifically--relative to how they will impact what you see at Sullies and how you interpret it. Thank you, Shannon.