Reading Response #3

Upon reading about writing ethnography I was admittedly a little nervous about being thrown into writing my own so quickly. While the idea of subcultures and different groups of people makes a lot of sense to me it was hard for me to grasp how to study them and what exactly to observe. Luckily, these two writers, Casassa and Dudley, wrote two excellent examples for me to follow so that I can confidently begin my own ethnography journey. While the two essays were drastically different, they both contained some of the same aspects that make them ethnographies.

            One example that makes each of Casassa’s and Dudley’s essays true ethnographies is that these pieces, “… focus on groups of people who identify themselves as group members” (Ballenger, 373). In Casassa’s essay about the local coffee shop, her “regulars,” as obviously stated, were loyal customers at the Hopkinton Gourmet. Dennis was especially aware of his belonging to the group of regular coffee drinkers by setting up his own space in the shop to observe other customers and converse with them habitually. Likewise, the shop from Dudley’s essay, The Hempest, declares that it has its own range of customers- diverse but still interested in the merchandise that is being sold. Some examples of these customers were described as high school students, as well as people of all ages who yearn to politically encourage hemp and marijuana products. Some customers in Dudley’s essay even gave evidence to validate these stereotypes. Another factor that both Canassa and Dudley used when researching and gathering material for their ethnographies is spending time in the place where their subculture gathers. In fact it clearly states that Andrea Canassa worked in the Hopkinton Gourmet long before she began her research for her ethnography. This gave her the perfect opportunity to set up relationships with her stated “regulars” as well as become accustomed to the atmosphere in her coffeehouse. By having this sense of comfort in her surroundings, I can guess that it made interviews with her customers much easier and more seamless. It was a different situation with Mathew Dudley’s essay about The Hempest in Boston, where he was not employed. Instead, he had to spend time in and around the store to observe and interview customers coming and going. It was clear to the reader that Dudley spent quite a bit of time inside of The Hempest for research purposes, seeing as though he could describe in detail some specific items from the store. Among other techniques, I feel that the focus on people in a subculture who are aware of this association as well as spending time for research purposes in the vicinity of where the subculture meets are two outstanding ways for establishing an essay as an ethnography. But deeper than just laying out research for their audience to follow, these writers took the next step to evaluate their own selected subcultures and conveying their interpretation for us in writing.

            I feel that right from the start, Andrea Canassa makes her opinion about local coffeehouses known. She establishes her close relationships with her “regulars” such as Dennis and Paul, and displays her understanding of each group of customers that she serves throughout the day. She writes that, “These ‘regulars’ define this small coffee shop and create a sense of family not often found in the commercialized chains” meaning that bigger chains such as Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts often do not have the same family atmosphere as she has perhaps experienced while working at the Hopkinton Gourmet (Canassa, B35). This is of course her own opinion and interpretation, and she leaves her position open enough so that the reader can disagree if he or she prefers. I feel that the line in her essay that best illustrates her attachment to her coffee shop is when she writes, “Hectic, exhausting, comfortable, familiar… just right” (Canassa, B35). Dudley also has a way of establishing his interpretation of the people which belong to the subculture of The Hempest. When speaking of the high school students who spend money at the head shop, Dudley writes of the interesting “glassware” that, “These kids predominantly buy glassware… Young adults are less likely to be frugal with their money, and will throw away a ‘C-note’… ‘to have a little fun’” (Dudley, B41). Mathew Dudley also repeats several times that, “… head shops have continually changed to fit new social standards and laws” which perhaps means that he interprets these people as a group who is frequently on the edge of the law (Dudley, B43). In both assigned essays, the interpretations that are provided by the authors are effective in helping the reader to better understand the piece and where the writer is coming from.

            If I learned anything from these essays, it is that when doing my research for my ethnography, I need to be comfortable in my surroundings as well as inquisitive about even the minutest detail. I also learned that I must be very gung-ho about whatever subculture I decide to focus on- enough to have the desire to dig to find these details as I previously mentioned. Using these two essays as examples, I need to put myself into the subculture that I decide to work with and develop my ‘so what?’ early. I foresee this essay being a challenge, but I feel that I can rise to it with enough focus to succeed.