Walmart

The Sociological Imagination (perspective) was explained in class and your text as a special way of looking at the world sociologically.  We also discussed the concept of globalization and its influence on our world.  This assignment is designed to help you use the sociological perspective and observational powers in your daily world.

The Exercise:  Go to a Walmart store and observe the social interaction for one hour conducting a direct, non-participant observation.  You should not interact with the people you are observing, simply observe as discreetly as possible.  Your basic task is to find out what is going on in the setting.  Don't overlook the obvious (people come to Walmart to shop) but also be sensitive to things that are less obvious (people come to Walmart to socialize).  As a sociologist, your primary interest is always on the social interactions that take place in the setting.

Take field notes on your observation as discreetly as possible.  You will need to capture your "fresh view" immediately after your observation as our minds forget details fairly quickly.  Take a few short notes while observing and build on those.  DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT.  Do not call attention to yourself while observing by taking copious notes because you would then be affecting the social setting and influencing the participants (the Hawthorne Effect).  Be as objective as you can be in your observations.  Pay attention to all five senses in your description.

Write a paper on your observations according to the following categories:

Setting:  Describe the physical setting as vividly as you can, especially the features that might affect the behavior or interaction in some way.  Draw a map of the setting indicating the location of the actors and interactions and your location.  Include the time and day of the week of your observations.

Participants:  Your notes should include a description of the participants present.  Report the number of persons present, including the number...