Final Paper

 

Final Paper

California State University, Fresno

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deanna Armstrong

Soc. 176

Dr. Kubal

December 19, 2018

            For this research paper, I researched a nonprofit organization located in Central California. The organization caters to young professionals between the ages of 21 and 40. The organization brings the young professionals together to network and strives to create leaders through events that they hold. I studied this group through ethnography, interviews, and content analysis. I focused my attention on different concepts that allowed me to understand the way that the group and group members see themselves. The majority of my research is from Erving Goffman's theory of Social Interaction and some concepts from Charles Horton Cooley and Herbert Mead. These concepts include looking at thick description, meaningful action, status and roles, definition of the situation, impression management, front stage and back stage, labels, ruling texts, claims as well as grounds, warrants, and conclusions, framing, agency framing, labels, and typifications. I was able to collect my data and break it into different parts with the help of the software Nvivo, by arranging my different concepts into nodes. For visual representation, I ran a frequency word query through Nvivo that formed a word cloud. I attached these word clouds below. For the sake of anonymity, I went through all of my data and changed my organization's name to Central California Young Leaders. I also went through and changed my city location to Central California and I changed all of the names mentioned.

Literature Review

            The majority of my finding came from, sociologist, Erving Goffman and a few came from Charles Horton Cooley and Herbert Mead. Goffman looks at how people act in face-to-face interactions (Encyclopedia 3097). People act based on different roles, such as a daughter or student. We play these roles like actors reading a script in a play. The way we perform these roles can cause pressure on an individual due to the fact that they are trying to impress their audience (Dillon 288). Just as performers in a theater need a stage, performers in society need different situations to act. How a person defines a situation will determine how they will act (Dillon 284). The use of interaction rituals can exemplify a situation. The use of ritual interactions allows strangers to interact everyday by using nonverbal rituals such as handshakes or waving (Dillon 287). When someone puts on a performance they act in a way to impress their audience, impression management (Dillon 288). Through the use of a front stage and back stage a person behaves differently, just like in a theater. The front stage is when the person is interacting with others and using impression management. The front stage can be stressful due to the fact the person is trying to behave a certain way to get a reaction out of their audience. In the back stage a person has more freedom to do what they want, they are not trying to impression anyone (Dillon 289).

Goffman focuses on how people transform their emotions and idea into a transmissible forms of communication. This is done by using different situations, props, and scripts (Sandstorm et al. 109). When someone does this they are trying to impress their audience, the people whom they interact with. When doing so, they preform to gain a positive acceptance from their viewers (Sandstorm et al. 109). It depends on where or who a person is with to determine how they are going to act. This creates different roles a person can play. We learn these roles through continuous conversation with people around (Encyclopedia 2). As performers, we repeat these roles in an ordinary fashion everyday (Encyclopedia 2). When this happens we can tend to almost predict what is going to happen in different situations because we know how these roles work. As a society when we create roles and their rules, we are socially constructing these new or reciprocated ideas (Encyclopedia 3). Through the use of identity negotiation, we are able to see ourselves as well as other as objects. When doing so, we tend to subconsciously situate our identities almost like we are labeling others and ourselves with statuses (Sandstorm et al. 113). We create a new self in every situation we are in or whenever we interact with someone. How we view ourselves will determine how we will act.

            Charles Horton Cooley was a sociologist who look at the self as a mirror, as a reflection of how someone else sees us. There are three components when doing this. One, how is our appearance is being shown. Two, how people are judging us based on that appearance. Lastly, the feeling we get when we imagine what people think of us (Dunn 2). The sense of self comes from interacting to those who are close to us, such as family and friends. So, we act a certain way based on the generalized other, those who see us (Dunn 2). We also act differently based on those who are around us. George Herbert Mead believed that to have a self one must be able to carry on a dialogue among the "I" and the "Me" (Bredo 3). Through vocal gestures, a person would be able to perceive how others see them. These vocal gestures are used to have an internal conversation with oneself (Bredo 2). Finding the meaning of behavior will determine how we will act (Bredo 3). When society creates a shared meaning and agrees on vocal gestures, they become significant symbols. The way that we learn these social processed is through interacting with others through the use of social activities (Bredo 3). To learn a person must go though the three steps. First, participating in games. Second, getting involved in games with rules. Lastly, being in complex games that allow to to see each position in the game.

Methods

When conducting an ethnography there are some guidelines to follow. In the book, Discovering Qualitative Methods, there are a list of these guidelines to follow to keep yourself and your organization safe. Incorporation is the status that the group or organization gives to the researcher (Warren & Karner 77). When doing an observation, you may feel like you are spying on people, but it really depends on the situation and how you present yourself as a researcher. It is very important to set the stage when it comes to observing (Warren & Karner 83). A big part of ethnography is going native when researching a group. Go native can be a positive and a negative thing. When going native, you want to act like a member within the group, but you should not become a part of it (Warren & Karner 88). There may be many emotions involved when you are observing a group and at times it can be hard to distinguish a front stage and backstage, but there is a front stage and back stage to everything (Warren & Karner 92).

            There is always a risk when it comes to research. Women are more at risk, but men can be at risk too. These risks could be violence that happens. Violence could occur when the research is observing a group they are not familiar with. It is import to conduct the research in public settings. There could also be risks for organizations. This risk can be avoided by keeping the organization anonymity.  The research does have to come to an end and it is important to exit your role as a researcher (Warren & Karner 96). A researcher needs to be careful when leaving. The relationship to the group should respectful, the research should not feel pressured from the organization to stick around. In all, ethnography can be tricky when observing a group or organization. To enter and exit an organization it is important to follow the guidelines to keep yourself and the organization safe.

There are many ways that a researcher can conduct interviews. According to the book, Discovering Qualitative Methods, some interviews can consist of multiple interviews or they could just be a one-time thing (Warren & Karner 122). Prior to conducting any interviews, a research must get approval from the IRB. To receive an approve from the IRB one must present them with a proposal and consent forms from the interviewees (Warren & Karner 128). It is important to go into an interview with a topic in mind. The use of a face sheet can help. The face sheet could some general questions that the interviewee fills out. An example of face sheet questions could consist of basic demographic questions (Warren & Karner 125). The research may also have their own face sheet that has a guideline of questions that they are going to ask. This sheet will not have all of the questions on there because the main thing about interviewing is listening to what the interviewee has to say and probing for more information based on what they tell you (Warren & Karner 127). Throughout the whole interview process, it very important for the research to validate what the interviewee is saying, probe by asking more questions, and show empathy to what the interviewee has to say.

The majority of interviews are face-to-face interviews. It is important to figure out who are going to interview. There must be some type of social setting to find potential interviewees (Warren & Karner 135). A research could turn to the internet and ask who is willing or go with a snowball effect where you find one person to interview who sets you up with someone they know that you can interview (Warren & Karner 136). Where you conduct an interview is important. To conduct a successful interview, the setting needs to be quiet and safe (Warren & Karner 138). Using a voice recorder will help to go back and review the interview as well as transcribing the audio into text.

When researching content analysis, a research is able to find content on a certain topic through the use of scanned newspaper, magazines, advertisements, and journal articles. According to the book Discovering Qualitative Methods, there are many software's out there that allow us to transcribe scanned documents into text (Warren & Karner 214). An example of this is Nvivo and Ncapture. With the help of Nvivo and Ncapture researchers are able to go in a code the data into different nodes. These tools are very helpful when it comes down to analyzing the materials (Warren & Karner 216). Ncapture is especially helpful when a document has a lot of information because the researcher does not have to go in and type out the information word for word.

These concepts are interesting to use when we conduct our data because we are able to pull information from the achieves (Warren & Karner 227). Historical documents allow researcher to further understand the group they are researching. Researchers normally pull these documents by random sampling, which is just getting ahold of the most convenient documents. The most convenient way to get ahold of such documents is through the use of the internet (Warren & Karner 229). Researchers can use the internet to get ahold of documents rather than going to a library and making copies of newspaper articles. These contents allow the research to see how others view a particular group. This allows the research to see how the agency is being framed or wanting to be viewed by outsiders. Content analysis is an important part of research, such as ethnography and interviews.

For my methods of research, I focused my attention on ethnography, interviews and content analysis. For ethnography, I attended one of the groups events and observed the group through participate interaction. I also interviewed 3 group members and asked them a series of questions that were centered around me key concepts. Lastly, I found content on the organization that allowed me to understand the overall view of the organization.

Methods: Ethnography

I attended this groups mixer event that was held on October 24^th, the event started at 5:45pm. I did my observation as a participant observation and I attended the event from 6:00pm to 9:15pm. The event was held at a local bar and yoga studio's back patio. When doing my observation, I focused thick description, presentation of self, front stage and back stage, status and roles, and meaningful action. Since I was doing participant observation, I secretly took notes on my phone and added in the details immediately after the event was over. I also kept the group member's anonymity by giving them fake names.

I used Nvivo to code my field notes with the use of nodes. I used the five nodes, thick description, presentation of self, front stage and back stage, status and roles, and meaningful action. After I finished coding I noticed that the majority of my data consisted of thick description. Thick description consisted of everything that I saw. I tried to describe my surroundings as best as I. For status and roles, I labeled these group members with statuses that were either mentioned by themselves or labeled by other group members. After I finished coding, I decided to run a word frequency Query to find out which words were used the most in my field notes. I also did a word cloud that shows a visual picture of the frequent words that were used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Methods: Interviews

            I interviewed 3 members of the group. The interviews range from 12 minutes to 22 minutes long and in total equal out to 46 minutes. For anonymity, the group member's names are made up. I interviewed Veronica, Gary, and Mark.  I conducted my interviews at each of the member's work. I found it easier to go to them instead of finding a quiet public place to meet up at. Their work settings are public, but they have quiet areas, such as conference rooms, which made it easy to conduct my interviews. Before I went to interview the group members I made a sheet with different questions. I also made sure that my phone was charged and had plenty of memory since I was going to be taking audio recordings on my phone. I then went over the consent forms with the members and I informed them that the interview did not promise confidentially, but anonymity. I also let them know that the organization and location of the organization must also remain anonymous.

Once I conducted my interviews, I played around with different websites that could transcribe my audio for me.  I found this to be the most complicated part because there were so many. I decided to stick with, transcriptone.tk. Before I was able to transcribe my audio I had to convert my audio file from mp4 to mp3. With the help of the transcribe website I was able to get a rough format of my transcription. It was not perfect by any means so I had to go through and fix it. The website came in handy because I was able to do a loop of the interview, so I was able to listen to a part over and over again until I had it right. Once I finished all 3 interviews, I opened up my documents in Nvivo. With the help of Nvivo I was able to breakdown my concept theories into different nodes. My nodes consisted of thick description, meaningful action, status and roles, definition of the situation, impression management, front stage and back stage, and labels. I found Nvivo very helpful with organizing my interviews. Along with Nvivo, I ran a word query on my transcribed interviews.

 

Methods: Content Analysis

            For content analysis, I decided to Google my organization to see what information popped up. There were a lot of contents. I found Yelp reviews, Facebook comments, Reddit questions and answers, as well as interviews conducted from different members and board members that are apart of the organization, I also found a twitter post, and newspaper articles. Since all of my information was in written form it was easier for me to retrieve it. I was able to use Ncapture to help retrieve the posts that were on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook. I then moved the content from Ncapture to Nvivo.

Once I had all of my content into Nvivo I went through and coded each portion into different nodes. My nodes consisted of ruling texts, typifications, claims, framing, and agency framing. For claims I broke my information down into grounds, warrants, and conclusions to show the what and the why. The majority of my nodes consisted of framing and agency framing. I found that almost all of the articles had at least a few lines that were really focusing in on a certain topic.

 

Analysis

My analysis consists of the data that I found from doing the ethnography, interviews, and content analysis. I broke my analysis down into the different concepts that I focused on. With Nvivo, I went in and coded my concepts into different nodes. Below is the data I found for each of those nodes through the combination of observation, interviews, and content analysis. My nodes consist of: thick description, meaningful action, status and roles, definition of the situation, impression management, front stage and back stage, labels, ruling texts, claims as well as grounds, warrants, and conclusions, framing, agency framing, and typifications.

Thick Description: Ethnography

Thick description was the majority of my field notes for my participant observation. I arrived at the event at 6:00pm on October 24^th. The event was already going on when I arrived. I met up with my gatekeeper named Mark who is already a member of the group.

The event started at 5:45pm, but I arrived at 7pm. The event was located on the back patio of a bar and yoga studio in Downtown. I walked in with my gatekeeper, who I am a long time friend with. Upon entering, we walked in the front door and through the bar area. The first thing I see is a couple of tables and chairs and there are some people who are sitting at the bar top with their backs to me. One of the people sitting at the bar top has a golden retriever dog with them. Just seeing that the bar allowed dogs seems like they are really laid back. I attended the event a few days before Halloween and they had decorations up. There were fake spider webs on a couple of the chairs, bats, and skeletons on the wall. I mentioned to my gatekeeper that their Halloween decorations looked cool and he said that he did not even notice. The inside of the place is very artsy. The walls were painted with with faces and an octopus. The bar top is really long and they look like they only served beer. Their beer taps look almost like it was part of a piano. We made our way through the bar and went out the back door to the patio area. It was already pretty busy. The back patio had a big pergola that had lights on them and there were like 8 picnic tables under them.

 

            The main area of the bar was fairly busy. Once we got outside on the patio, we were greeted by a member of the organization who asked us to sign in. The sign-in process was done on a tablet that asked a couple of questions. Some of the questions asked for our name, email address, and a local business that would be willing to host a future event. After we signed in we grabbed some food and sat down at a table with two ladies.

One lady appeared to be in her late 20s and the other was a little older, maybe late 30s early 40s. We introduced ourselves. The younger girl's name was Cody and the other was Emily. Cody asked us if we have ever been to one of the organizations events before and Mark said he has been to like 4 or 5 events and that he was a member. I told them that it was my first event and that I was here for class. I explained to them that I was observing the event for my qualitative research class. Cody straighten up and was like oh what are you looking for exactly, I want to make sure I look good. And Emily was just about to put a chip in her mouth when her eyes went big and said that's interesting tell me about what you are looking for. So, I explained that I was looking at how people act around each other and how they socialize and I am looking to see if people have a front stage and backstage. I went on to explain front stage and backstage and how front stage is when people put on this great image of themselves and the backstage is the way people act when no one is around like when they are at home relaxed.

 

            Mark and I engaged in conversation with those around us meeting new people. I found that it was a pattern for people to ask what another person does for a living.

They then turned to Mark and asked him what he did and he started to explain that he works for a small company that manufactures… then someone yelled to get everyone's attention.

 

            The person who yelled to grab our attention was one of the three owners of the yoga studio. The owners of the yoga studio introduced themselves and offered a tour of the yoga studio to those that were interested. I actually did not go on the tour because I had just started eating my food, but a member that was sitting next to us went on the tour.

As I am finishing up my food, I notice that there is a helicopter flying around with its spot light on. It was kind of annoying because you couldn't hear that well. As I look around I can see the different groups of people socializing. Everyone is dressed in casual business wear, some looked like they just got off work. Men were dressed in long sleeve button up and the ladies in dresses or nice blouses. As I am scanning the area I see a guy sitting on a bench with two other girls, he's kind of eating and people watching. The two girls next to him are talking.

 

The majority of the people at the event were among the 21 to 40-year-old age group. The majority of everyone was dressed in professional clothes. The different groups are all conversing and I spotted a younger gentleman who was not talking to anyone and he sort of stuck out from the rest and seemed lonely since he was not talking to anyone.

            For the rest of the time, I engaged in conversation and listened to other people talking and what they were doing. After being there for a little over three hours and with the event dying down I said my goodbyes to those around me and walked back through the bar with Mark and exited my role as a researcher.

We said our goodbyes to the remaining people. As we were getting ready to leave the front door, there was another dog and this one was playing with a ball it was some kind of cattle dog. Once I walked through the front door I stopped my observation and told Mark who was standing next to me.

 

Thick Description: Interviews

 

               The majority of my thick description is the information I received when I asked the members if they could tell me about the organization. All three of the group members had a response similar to each other.

"Yeah it's a group of young professionals who all consider themselves up and comers in the community and who all want to do good for the community for their organization in terms of business in terms of politics in terms of entrepreneurship and they all they're all like minded, young and career oriented young men women."

 

               This is the response I received from Mark, one of the members of the group. Mark explained to me that everyone in the group are young individuals who have a passion for community and leadership. I asked a follow up question, "Are there any requirements for joining the organization?".

"You have to be uh there's an age requirement you have to be under 40 I don't think there's a lower limit to that, but that's really it. There are some informal requirements like dressing appropriately and showing up to events every once in a while, but there's no official requirements besides dues that I aware of."

 

               Mark explained to me there there were no set requirements to joining the group besides paying dues, but they lean towards people who are under 40 years old. There were some informal requirements which consisted of dressing in a business casual wear and showing up for events. From what I observed from the group, his statement of causal wear was noticeable when I attended one of the events.

               Another member, Veronica, explained something along the same lines of the organization as Mark did.

"OK so the organization is marketed as a, they hold networking events where a lot of young people um around town can get together met each other and network and yeah, that's kind of what they do."

              

               Veronica explained to me that the organization is marketed towards young people. It is a way for these young people to get together and network. The organization holds different events that allow members to get together and stay connected.

               When I asked the last member, Gary, about the organization his response really summed up the two other group member's responses…

"yeah so it's a place where people in the city come together a mostly professionals looking to network with each other."

 

               Gary mention that the members of the group are people who are professional and are looking to network with other professional individual's in the same city.

 

Meaningful Action: Ethnography

            For meaningful action I used a scenario that I encountered with one of the members when I asked her what she does for a living.

She explained that she was a teacher at a local high school and she is very into fitness. I asked her what subject she teaches and she explained that she taught history and she used to teach French, but due to budget cuts and an increase in the school's ethic demographics they got rid of it. She mentioned that tomorrow she is actually going to speak in front of a group panel to try and perused them into getting French back. She talked about how much she loved the language and how her mom taught French at the same school.

 

I found it interesting how passionate she was about her work and her studies that she would be willing to put together a presentation to get French back in her schools. It also showed how meaningful the French language is it to her since her mother taught it as well. When she ended up leaving, she said goodbye to everyone in French.

Emily excused her self and said that she had to leave so she can prepare for tomorrow. As she was leaving she said something in French along the lines of goodbye.

 

Meaningful Action: Interviews

               My follow up question after I asked the group members what the organization is all about was, "Why do think people join this group?". I was interested in their meaning behind the organization and why people were interested in joining the group. Mark answered…

"Anybody who wants to be somebody some day. People who feel like they can make a difference in the community and are trying to get a jump start on that or maybe people who aren't finding the fulfillment that they are looking for… excuse me… in their regular jobs. So they come to this organization to find some fulfillment there or get a sense of community or network or realize they are not the only young person looking to be an up and comer in the community."

 

               Mark's response was that people who want to make a difference in the community join the group. They find a fulfillment within in the group that their job may not give them. People find a sense of belonging to this group who have the same interests as they do. 

               I asked Veronica the same question…

"I guess I would say is that people know who they are and there are other people who are new to the city and are trying to establish themselves with their career and see how they can grow so they go to that event and meet as many people as they can to get connected you know or they are employed and trying to find a place to work at also."

 

            I thought it was interesting when she mentioned that people who know who they are already join the group. This kind of goes along the lines of what Mark said when he stated that,

"anybody who wants to be somebody". A person who has motivation and knows what they are looking for in their job joins this group so they can expand their knowledge and network of people. Veronica also mentioned people who move to town join the group to build relationships.

            Gary's response was again, a little of both of the member's responses…

"I think there is a pretty diverse group of people. There's people from out of town that are coming in there are people that are trying to may be elevated themselves professionally and they want to make connections um. Yeah I would say its probably those two. People better themselves and they feel like they can do that here."

 

               Gary mentioned that the organization is a diverse group of people. He also mentioned those who are from different towns use the organization to help them in their work environment. He also stated that people who want to better themselves join the group.

 

Status and Roles: Ethnography

            Status and roles were hard for me because I did not want to feel like I was judging those that I did not know. Although, there was a situation were I noticed that everyone was on the same page about a certain group member. It was towards the end of the event when things started to die down. One of the members around me mentioned that she was going to leave then this happened…

a guy pops up behind her and said hey guys how's it going my name is Sean and stuck out his hand everyone shook it and said their name. He had a very strong grip, I thought guys normally shake female hands lightly but not this guy. He then points to the mutual friend who was finishing her drink and said, "hey I tried to buy you a drink". The look on her face… she kind of made big eyes like no thanks. Sean starts talking about what he does for a living without anyone asking.

 

I thought it was really strange how he approached the table and how hard he shook my hand, almost like he was not following the role of a guy when it comes to shaking hands with a girl. I also noticed a pattern all night of people asking each other what they do for a living and no one asked him what he does because they were either getting ready to leave or they also sensed that the whole encounter was weird. When he finished talking, he shook everyone's hands again and then did something really strange and out of the norm.

I got the vibe that everyone was just trying to leave. Sean finally finished his conversation about traffic and asked if anyone had a Facebook and Mark answered that he does, but he doesn't use it.

 

As soon as he asked if anyone had a Facebook there was a quiet pause that happened before anyone answered. I got the idea that no one wanted to give this stranger their Facebook. My first thought was why Facebook? I use Facebook to keep in contact with long distant family members. It would have made more sense if he asked for someone's LinkedIn account since we were at a mixer for young professionals.

As we were leaving Mark made a comment that gave me the confidence to give Sean the status as an "attention seeker".

As were heading out Mark told me the same guy was standing next to him at the bar and Sean asked him his name and so Mark told him his name and he then yelled I'll take a drink and put it on Mark's tab. Mark said he thought it was a clever and funny joke until he started to do it to everyone around him, like he wanted attention, then he said it was really annoying. 

 

The comment that he wanted attention and the way that the group members around me acted validated this status. For his role, it seemed that he continued this behavior to those around us.

I noticed Sean going up to the last table and started talking to them.

If I ever see Sean at a future event, I can almost expect this type of behavior from him again due to my participant observation and well as the comments from those around me.

Status and Roles: Interviews

               When I went back and listened to the interviews, I found some distinct statuses that were mentioned by the group members I interviewed. With follow up questions I was able to make out their roles. Mark mentions the status of "newbies" and what roles that they have.

"They're just expected to be open and to be talkative and to be available they are not asked to do much else, but they will be bombarded with questions and of course expected to stick around to answer. There's very little pressure put on for them to you know become members or anything like that. But really they're there just there to to hear and be heard and then there may be a little bit of pressure put on them to uh have the newbies advocate for the community the group has a goal of helping the community working within the community so I think it's not just for selfish reasons but there is some some intent to do well in the community and I think they want newcomers to uh at least leave with the sense that they're not there for themselves they're there for the community."

 

               Mark stated that the newbies' roles are to be open and talkative when they are at the events. He also mentioned that there is some pressure on them when it comes to charity events. The newbies are expected to be involved and advocate for the group.

               When talking to Mark, he started to talk about the group members and their roles within the organization.

"The board members set the tone for everything they decide what goes on. The members are fairly inactive in terms of big picture stuff huh it's it's really all done at the board level with advice from a few prominent folks in industry and a few of the long time uh members who aren't necessarily board members."

 

               Mark mentions that it is the board member's responsibility to set the tone for everything that goes gone. The board member's roles are very active when it comes to making decisions for the group. Mark also mentioned that the board members receive advice from those within.

               I asked Gary a question to understand the roles and expectations of group members themselves. "What kind of behavior is expected like within the group?".

"The expectations that everyone keeps like a professional attitude because I think people do come in with the expectation they can like I said they're there to advance their career and grow their business so they treat it more seriously or try to and I think that's the expectation throughout the group."

 

               I received a response similar to this from all of the members when they talked about the group members. Gary explains that all the group members keep a professional attitude when they are at the organizations events.

               One of Mark's responses really elaborated on the roles of the groups members.

"You're expected to be courteous polite almost almost uh transactional and some regards but the social mixers are a little more relaxed. You are expected to be friendly, be outgoing, and to be talkative and to come ready to talk about yourself and to talk about others and have something to say and have an opinion on current affairs on current events."

 

               A group members' roles are to be professional which involves being polite, friendly, and outgoing. Mark explained that when you plan on attending an event to get ready to talk. Talking includes talking about yourself as well as getting to know other members.

Definition of the Situation: Interview

            I learned that the organization holds different events. The majority of their events are monthly mixers at different locations and that they also hold an annual banquet. From talking to the members I was informed that how a person acts and dresses depends on the situation. Mark talked about the differences between a mixer and the annual banquets.

"The way people dress is totally different. The way people talk at the mixers is different from how they talk at the banquets. With the banquets everyone talks in nostalgia about the year that was. At the mixers people might complain about the things that are going on in the year but might have a bright eye toward the future it's just a different setting. A less formal setting for the mixers and sets the stage for less formal dress less formal speech uh less formal ah you know lectures from the board and that type of thing or where at the banquet which is being held in a much fancier location puts everyone kind of in a more upscale setting can you end up with a different different atmosphere completely in people acting a different way."

 

               From what Mark said, the mixers are more of an informal setting. Everyone still dresses in a causal wear, but less formal and they still act professional. Although, sometimes complaining about things. The banquets are held at up scale locations and the attire shifts from casual wear to more formal. He even mentions that the two different settings cause people to act differently depending on where they are at. I asked Mark a follow up question, "And when they act a different way, do you feel like you acted differently as well at these events?"

"yeah I think uh everybody acts different at the bar then they do at a banquet where you want to put your best foot forward so I think everybody acts the way that they're expected to and sticks with the social norms and does what it's expected of them."

 

               Mark mentions that people do act differently and it depends on the situation. People act a certain way at a bar and they will mostly not act that way when they are at a fancy banquet. He even mentions sticking to the social norms and the expected behavior from them.

            I also asked Veronica if she thought the events were more formal or informal.

"It's pretty business casual the way that they dress. I don't know I wouldn't say too formal and I wouldn't say informal. I wouldn't say informal at all but I wouldn't say too formal, so casual."

 

            Veronica mentions that it is a business casual. I wanted to get a description of what the members looked like when they went to events so I asked the follow up question… "so how do they appear that way? Do they dress a certain way?"

"They do, they dress like that they just got outta work or like they just came back from work so um you know it girls wearing skirts heels um blouses, guys are wearing button ups it's not like everyone wearing T shirts…"

Veronica's response allowed a visual for me to understand her idea of a business causal. She mentions that the people who go to the events look like they just got off work. There's really no one there that is wearing a plain T-shirt.

            I asked what normally goes on at the events and Gary elaborated on what goes on at the mixers.

"Yes, usually like I said they're mixers so there's people there's drink there's food. There's a lot of talking people are trying to get to know each other and that's about the extent of about most of the meetings. I know that they do charity events as well but for the most part most of the meetings consist of food drinking and talking."

 

            The mixers are held at locations that have food and drinks for the members to enjoy. The majority of the mixers consists of socializing with one another and meeting new people. Gary also mentioned that there are charity events that the organization holds.

Impression Management: Ethnography

Impression management was my favorite topic within the group. When I first sat down at a table with other members of the organization, I introduced myself and informed the people around me that I was a student at Fresno State conducting a research study on the organization and I was there to observe. After I explained why I was there one of the ladies…

 … straightened up and was like oh what are you looking for exactly, I want to make sure I look good.

 

I found her body language and comment made a perfect example for impression management. Before I mentioned what I was there for, she was leaning on the table and after she straightened up and held her head up. Even her comment mentioning that she wanted to appear a certain way made me feel that she wanted to be seen in a positive way.

            After sitting and talking for a while, Mark was asking her questions about what she does and she had an answer to everything and you can tell she was very smart by her responses and the way that she was talking. At one point during their conversation, she turned to me and mentioned…

… this is when I feel like I am trying to make myself look good.

After she said that I was happy and shocked at the same time because she actually admitted to impression management. I was also surprised that she remembered that I was doing an observation.

Impression Management: Interview

I was able to catch the idea of impression management and some of my interviewees even mention the idea of impression management without me even asking it. For an example, when I asked Veronica about the appearance of group members she described to me how they dress and she added…

"…it's like they're trying to make an impression on each other."

 

            Veronica was describing how the members of the group wear business casual. With her response, she's almost stating that group members dress to impression one another. I end up asking her later on, "do they appear like this… do they appear like better then everyone else?".

"Yeah yeah their appearances I mean I'm not trying to judge anyone but I think it does have a lot to do with appearance that like people treat people differently and so that's why it is that way".

 

            I thought it was interesting how she mentions that she does not want to judge anyone. She goes on to say that the way someone appears can make a difference on how someone treats you.

Gary was explaining to me at one point how group members try hard to become board members. So I asked him, "So do you think that they do have like basically they put on this act to be this perfect person basically to become member or role model for the group?"

"Yeah yeah I have seen a lot of that"

I asked if he had any examples…

"Yeah I guess like I know people like I'm pretty… I hangout with everyone and I know everyone in the organization and I know a lot of the people that are like on the board so I kind of know some of the internal drama that is going on so sometimes they don't like the way that decisions are made and they don't make a decision because they can't agree on something or say… I think there is a lot of internal drama within the people who are leading the group uh because they all want to be right sometimes… I think a lot stems from having a lot of pride and wanting to be right or wanting to be the best"

              

               Gary explained that there is some drama within the group. This drama comes mainly from the board members who make decisions. Sometimes this drama arises from the idea of being right. He goes on saying that it comes from pride and wanting to be the best. I got that the board member's impression management of themselves can sometimes cause conflict with one another because they all want to be seen as the best.

Front Stage and Back Stage: Ethnography

            Front stage and backstage was a challenge during participant observation because this event was new to me and I really only knew one person that was there. So, it was really tricky trying to pick up on what was front stage and back stage. There was an accouter when one of the members came up to our table and asked if she could sit down.

Mary stuck her hand out and introduced herself. I noticed that Mary seemed friendly, but proper just by the way she stuck out her hand and met eye contact with everyone she talked to.

 

Mary made her way around the table introducing herself and the last person she shook hands with she said,

"wait were we supposed to meet?" in a high and even more friendly voice.

 

The moment she realized that she found who she was supposed to be looking for, due to a mutual friend that they have, her demeanor changed. She went from someone who was proper to someone who was very relaxed and talkative. The two girls shared laugher.

 

Front Stage and Back Stage: Interviews

This topic was harder to recognize when doing the interviews and it took some thinking to ask if their selves or other group members appear a certain way when they are at the events versus when they are not. I was able to get great responses though. Mark was talking to me about how the events' atmosphere sometimes shifts.

"…the formality of the meetings and events will fade into informality and becomes social hour and less talk about business and more talk about sports and life and things like that."

 

               So, Mark was explaining to me that the mixers usually start out as a formal event and then they shift to a more social hour. I wanted to see how he could tell the difference when that happens. "And how how do those conversations go about what's the change?".

"I think everyone at first is introducing themselves or introducing their guests and everybody asks what each other does and they talk about business and they talk about work but then beyond those things they are interested in business sure and that's why it's brought up first but then they become interested in the person and ask you know where the persons from and what the person does and other relationships that person has and it becomes very informal and more like just friends talking then as opposed to make people in a network talking."

 

               In the beginning everyone is in the networking and professional mode and as the night goes on, the atmosphere shifts. As Mark stated in the last quote, people start talking about their life and sports instead of just business. It's like everyone in the beginning is in this front stage and as the night goes on they get more comfortable and they shift to the back stage.

        Gary was explaining to me that some of the group members' goals is to make their way to the top and become a board member. So I asked him, "Do you think that those people who try to make themselves fit into those positions appear a certain way?

"Yeah definitely especially at the events themselves they try to I guess kind of try to put up a front about the type of person that they are when they are there but outside that they may act completely different."

 

               His response made me so happy. Gary explained to me that those group members, "put up a front" to fit those expectations. Then Gary says that those group members may act completely different when they are on the outside. So, these group members who are trying to become board members have a front stage that fits the expectations as a board member, but they also may have a back stage that does not include any of those expectations.

Labels: Interviews

            When I started doing my interviews I started to hear my interviewees call different cliques and members of the group by different labels. So, I decided to grab onto those terms and was interested in more on how they see those people. Mark mentioned the word "newbies", so I decided to ask him what makes a person become labeled as a "newbie". "As for like newbies how to do you label them as newbies?"

"I really think newbies are kind of celebrated because somebody that's bring something new to the table it's a new opportunity for every person in the club right now to get to know somebody new and see what that person brings to the table. It could be a chance for them to do business together could be a chance for them to become friends or partners or who knows what so. I think newbies really are the lifeblood of the group if there were no newbies coming to events if there were no guests I think things would eventually grow stale so I think um not only is gaining more members does it go like it is for most clubs but I think just having a lot of guests is an important role because it gets it gets. Really helps the club uh get a sense of what's going on in the community and get to meet all just touch the different people with different backgrounds even if they don't join the club having those guests I think it's really important."

 

               Mark labels the "newbies" as a very positive and important part of the organization. The "newbies" are those that help the organization grow and they are the ones who keep the organization alive. The "newbies" bring different things to the organization that really makes the organization interesting.

Veronica mentions at one point that the organization has cliques like in high school. I decided to feed off that information so I asked, "Alright and then like you said it was like high school and the labels I know you don't like judging but like do you feel like there's followers or leaders essentially?

"Yeah um obviously like I think that they're also comes a time like people want to be a part of the board or be a part of like the top leaders so they do whatever they have to to get that point. So those people are going to end up following or being or doing whatever they're told to do that and so I do think that at some point like there are people who are following just to get what they want which is reaching that status. And the ones at the top are going to they're not going to say no because they're going to get their help of whatever."

 

            Veronica mentions that there are people in the group who want to move up and be apart of the board. Gary mentioned this early how people act a certain way that will get them noticed so they can become board members. Veronica goes on to say that these people start following those so they can get what they want and can reach their goal and become a board member.

            I asked Gary if he has noticed any social patterns and he also brings up the idea of cliques like those that he saw in high school.

"Yeah I think going back to that whole clique thing so like I said it reminds me a lot of high school because I guess you can… there's like that group of the cool kids and then there are other people that might not be. And so you see that a lot here."

               Gary mentions that there is a group in the organization that he refers to as "the cool kids". I wanted to hear more about the "cool kids" so I asked, "okay and then for like the labels do like label anybody in the group, like with the cliques like you said the cool people?". Gary responded with…

"Yeah so I am not trying to judge them but yeah I think you see people trying to fit into a certain group of people, and so there is a group of people where people see themselves as cool. And maybe they think they have a higher status and they use that and some people want that too so they try to infiltrate that group and become a part of that there are other people that don't care about it as much but yeah it's mainly like who's in and who's not."

 

               Gary elaborates that the "cool kids" are the ones who try to fit themselves in a certain clique. The "cool kids" see themselves as cool and even think of themselves as a higher person within the group. The "cool kids" are the ones who are in rather than those who are not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruling Texts: Content Analysis

For ruling texts, I was able to find rules and regulations that are followed within the group. I found some data on a situation when these ruling texts were broken. The following quote is from a Yelp review.

"I've met some really driven and interesting people at the mixers. I've had a few instances of speed-dating style networkers dropping in too, which doesn't really feel in the spirit of what they're trying to achieve, but overall people are quite receptive."

 

            The quote above mentions that they have been to mixers and met driven people who are probably there for the right reasons, but they also have encountered situations at the mixers that feel like they were speed-dating. They explain that they felt that was not what "the spirit of what they're trying to achieve". They understand that this is not a regular thing that happens at the events and is not something that they focus on.

            Aside from my organization being part of something that brings young leaders together, they also have a program that is offered that takes around 15 people on tours of downtown and they have regulations that are put into place to follow.

"CCYL Member: Members of Downtown Academy must be members of Central California Young Leaders. You may sign up for CCYL membership on their website.

Completion of Class Project: Class VII will be required to complete 8 individual volunteer hours at organizations, causes, and events of their choice. Verified hours are due at Class 9. Class VII will also be required to work on a group project.

Program Rules & Regulations: Downtown Academy members are expected to follow all rules of the program as outlined in the syllabus you will receive before Class 1. This includes things like, attendance, tardiness, respect toward classmates, etc."

 

            The ruling texts in this case, the students of the programs must be a member of the Central California Young Leaders. They must also complete volunteer hours at different events within their community as well as a group project. They are expected to follow the rules. They are expected to attend the classes and respect their classmates.

The content goes on to explain their goals and timeline of the program. It also goes into

more detail on attendance and behavior consequences of it.

"A note on attendance – only two (2) excused absences will be granted for each student. If a student misses more than two (2) classes, this will result in dismissal from the program. The overnight field trip is mandatory. If absent, this alone will result in removal/dismissal from the program."

            The behavior expected is to be responsible and have good time management skills. In order to be apart of this group you must be dedicated and if the students miss the mandatory overnight trip then they are dismissed from the program as well as two absences from class.

Claims: Content Analysis

For claims, I went through all of my content with the idea of grounds, warrants, and conclusion in mind. I really wanted to make sure I knew what the claim was and what is wrong, why the problem exists, and how it is going to be solved. For my claim I found…

"Central California, California has an image problem. Fifty years of disinvestment in the city's urban core has created significant challenges. Despite recent successful efforts to "right the ship," the city continues to suffer a perception problem, particularly when compared with our neighbors, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Given the choice, our young professionals leave Central California in search of better jobs and a better urban lifestyle just a few hours from home."

 

            This claim states that Central California does not look as good as neighboring cities. The image of Central California has young professionals moving away rather then staying. By moving they are able to find an "urban lifestyle" and better careers.

            For my grounds I found a question that was asked from Central California Young Leader's program Downtown Academy. This asks what is wrong with Central California and what can be done to change it.

"Downtown Academy is a collaborative program designed to connect key business, government and community leaders with forward-thinking young professionals to explore one simple question: "How can we transform downtown Central California into a vibrant place?"."

 

            Downtown Academy is a program offered by my organization that helps brings together "community leaders" and shows them what they can do for their community. So they ask what can be done to revision downtown to make it more like Los Angels or San Francisco.

            For warrants, I looked at why is it so important to transform downtown. Why is there a whole program that focusses on a city that has such a "bad image"? I continued reading through the content and I found…

"Downtown living and the impact of downtown residents in attracting and supporting downtown businesses and amenities"

 

            By having people live and work downtown it is attracting young professionals. These young professionals who are the ones who would be moving out of the city finding work elsewhere. By transforming Central California's downtown, it will keep them from leaving because everything that they are looking for is here. 

            For conclusion, I was looking for the, "what can we do to accomplish this?". What solutions are in place that actually keep people from leaving? As for that, I found…

"a 10-month "class" on downtown Central California. The class meets one evening each month, taking tours of downtown projects and hearing from community leaders about obstacles and opportunities. Downtown Academy's four components: 1. A class curriculum that explores the complexities of urban renewal 2. A field trip to other California cities that are in various stages of revitalization to help class members visualize successful revitalization strategies 3. Completion of a class project that directly advances revitalization efforts 4. Become a downtown champion and advocate"

 

            The solution to this is the Downtown Academy program that focuses all of their attention to revitalizing downtown. Those who join the program are learning about not just Central California's downtown, but they travel to other cities that have vibrant downtown to see what they can learn from them and can implement into their downtown. As well as, being an advocate for downtown and all that is has to offer.

Framing: Content Analysis

            I found framing to be very interesting. Framing was mentioned in almost every one of the contents that I found. A lot of my content would mention their goal when they would introduce my organization. This is the popular quote that they would use.

"Central California Young Leaders (CCYL) is a grass roots non-profit organization that serves young professionals generally between the ages of 21 and 40 years old. Our purpose is to attract and retain dedicated and passionate individuals in Central California who are committed to professional and civic leadership."

 

            It is focusing on what the organization does and its purpose. Their purpose is to bring in young professionals and keep them in the Central Valley. They are trying to gain the attention of people who are motivated leaders who want to make a difference within their community.

            Another way the organization is framed is by using the location of the city as an example to join the group.

"'You can afford to be here,' said Tacie. 'You don't have to commute. You don't have to worry about rent that is extremely high'. Tacie is part of the non-profit networking group Central California Young Leaders. CCYL is a group encouraging young college grads to stay planted in Central California."

 

            Tacie is framing Central California as an affordable place to live that is convenient for work.  Tacie being apart of Central California Young Leaders probably understands that there are a lot of opportunities here.

            The statement below is similar to the first quote, but its directly from a board member. The statement explains what their goal is.

"Our goal is to give young professionals a reason to stay in this region by helping them build meaningful roots here by connecting them with jobs, friends, education and local causes," said Allison chair to the board of directors."

Central California Young Leader try to frame their organization in a way that will attract young professionals. They want to make sure that they build the connections to stay in the city and help the community. Making them feel like they are an asset to their city.

Agency Framing: Content Analysis

When I was looking for quotes for agency framing I was really focusing my attention to words and statements that made members of the organization feel like it is worth wild being involved with this group. I found a great example for this.

"Tim said he wants CCYL to be thought of as innovative and collaborative, and to be known for the opportunities it creates. 'As a student, who wouldn't want to have those kinds of experiences to talk about in job interviews or to put on their resumes?' Tim said."

            Tim who is a director of professional development, says exactly how he wants the organization to be framed. He wants them to me seen as "innovative and collaborative". He adds that those key points would look great on a resume and even questions "who wouldn't want to have those".

             One of the frequently asked questions for the Central California Young Leader's program Downtown Academy is, "What are the goals of Downtown Academy?" and they responded with…

"A class curriculum that explores the complexities of urban renewal. An overnight field trip to other cities to help visualize successful revitalization strategies. Completion of a class project that directly advances revitalization efforts. Become a downtown champion and member of a tight-knit group that supports vibrancy, innovation, advocacy, and partnerships in our downtown!"

            They frame the program as a way that makes it seem like it is worth wild. They even use the term "become a downtown champion". As well as using other framing words that really reel you in and grab your attention.

            Maybe you do feel like a champion after being apart of the group. I found a statement from a member of both CCYL and DTA. Here's what he had to say…

"After completing DTA, Chris was inspired to transition to a career in city planning to pursue change and revitalization in downtown or urban core settings. "I'm drawn to density and walkability – and those settings offer those types of opportunities," said Chris, who is now a city planner in Manhattan, Kansas."

            After being apart of the program, Chris was very inspired with the group that he changed his career. He frames the agency as a place that offers opportunities. Chris ended up changing his job to focus on the revitalization of downtown. Although, he did end up leaving Central California he still is in the same field as a city planner.

Typifications: Content Analysis

For my typifications portion, I focused on how the problems were talked about within the organization as well as how they chose to solve those problems. I found a lot of data on this concept. I ended up finding some information from the cities Mayor from a Twitter post.

"Thank you to Central California Young Leaders (CCYL) for having me as the keynote speaker at your luncheon today and allowing me to discuss what's happening in town and how young leaders can help"

 

            From the post I found that the organizations solution to informing their members of ways they can help in their community was to hold a luncheon and have someone come and inform them of the different ways they can help. This someone so happened to be their Mayor. From the post, the Mayor seems more then happy to help educate the members on how they can help their community.

            One of my contents talked about how a lot of the young professionals leave the city, but sometimes they come back. A lady had a solution to when they do come back…

"'When they come back, we want them to go to a CCYL mixer,' said Sarah, field representative for U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and chair of CCYL's board of directors. "As soon as someone comes in, we want to grab them and deeply implant their roots in this community." "People who say there's nothing to do in Central California aren't looking for things to do in Central California." Lisa uses a combination of social mixers, community service projects, lectures, and mentoring programs to connect young professionals with each other and get them invested in their community"

 

            Sarah explains that when they do get people who come back that wants them to go to a Central California Young Leader's mixer right away. Trying to get them involved as soon as possible in the community. She goes on to further explain that there are things to do within our community and you do not have to look far to see them.

            I found an Instagram post that showed Downtown Academy attending their overnight trip. The overnight trip consists of going and visiting another city's downtown and finding out what works and does not work for them and learning from it. Here is the post that I found…

"Downtown Academy Class 7 is heading to Long Beach for their overnight trip. The goal of the trip is to learn more about the revitalization and growth of other downtowns and how we can implement the same strategies in Downtown Central California!"

 

            The overnight trip was to visit Long Beach and visiting it's downtown. That way those in the program can get a sense for a vibrant downtown and explore different ways they can revamp their own downtown. Here they show a solution to how they plan on revitalizing Central California's downtown, by educating young leaders in their own city.

            Overall, I found that this organization really showed the key concepts of Erving Goffman's Social Interaction Theory, especially the ideas of impression management. By conducting an ethnography, interviews, and content analysis I was able to get to know the organization a lot deeper. The organization framed their group as an inviting organization for young professionals who have a passion for leadership and change. From the course of a few months I became apart of this group and I learned a lot. I feel that my research and data were very interesting.  Even though the group that I was researching was small, there was a lot of information within and it just took some time to find it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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