Final Research Paper
Gabriel Huerta
California State University Fresno
Dr. Kubal
Sociology 176
Introduction
In this paper I am presenting the findings that I have found from studying a homeless shelter in the Fresno area. I divided my research by focusing on three main aspects of qualitative research methods. The first method I used in order to research my group was by doing participant observation, so I went out and volunteered at the homeless shelter to see how things were running inside of the shelter. Next I interviewed three people in order to see the experiences that they had gone through while volunteering at the homeless shelter. Finally I did content analysis in order to study any public documents that spoke or were uploaded by the homeless shelter. The purpose of this research is looking for any signs of sociological theory that I could find within the group.
Literature Review
Looking-Glass Self and Mead
A main idea of Cooley from the readings is the concept of 'self'. Our 'self' is our personality and our values and is always changing depending on the different situations that we may be in. Our self is developed through an inner conversation between our wants and what other may want from us.
The theory of the Looking-Glass Self was a theory introduced by Charles Cooley. Being interested in the concept of self and how our perception of our self is shaped through our daily interactions with society. Cooley's theory of the Looking-Glass Self explains that we as humans looks torwars a 'mirror' to imagine how we may look like to other and based off of this self-image we how we choose to behave. Our identity is shaped by trying to understand how other people may view us.
Mead focuses on the concept of gestures which are symbols in which we use to express our thoughts. Language is one form of a gesture and it is used for us to give thought to our actions. We give meaning to these gestures and based on the meaning that we give to a gesture is how we choose to behave to a certain gesture.
Mead views the self as a process in which use to apply meaning to one's behaviour. With the concept of 'self' we can carry out an inner dialogue between the 'I' and the 'me' which then we reach a conclusion on how other view us. The 'I' is the opinions that we give ourselves, while the 'me' is the awareness of how we know other want us to behave or how the generalized other wants us to behave. With the use of all three of these concepts is how we learn how to behave in society.
Goffman and Symbolic Interaction Theory
In looking at the theory of symbolic interaction there are 3 main premises. The first premise being that we act on things based on the meaning that we give to them. The second being that the meaning of things come through interactions with others. The third being that our actions are an outcome of our self-greed and our interactions with other people.
In order to explain symbolic interaction he links life to dramaturgy. Goffman links social life and make a connection to a theatrical screenplay. He believes that life is like a stage and we are all actors playing different roles throughout our life and are also a part of different stages. Every role that we are in tells us in which ways we are supposed to behave. So when playing a role is like sticking to a script, but the difference is that when playing a role we have opportunity to improvise the way we are playing the role.
We are always displaying different performances to society through the different roles that we are playing, in our performances we are always playing out the current roles we are in. When playing a role we are always trying to control the narrative so we can control others and the way they think about us. Goffman explains the term Establish the Definition of the Situation or we try to define a situation to know how to act in said situation. By defining a situation we try to control the situation.
Goffman divides the theatrical life in which we are playing into two sections, the front stage and the back-stage. The front stage is when we are in a social setting and you are like an actor playing a role in a social setting. When in your front stage you are trying to act accordingly to the social situation that you are in and are always trying to give your best self. While we are out in our front stage we are always aiming to use impression management in the front stage. When we are using impression management we are always trying to manage a situation and manage the impressions that others have on us. When we are in our front stage we are constantly trying to control what other think about us. By using impression management we use behaviours that we want the world to see. We are essentially trying to get the audience to like us when we are in the front stage.
When we are in the back stage we are no longer in a social environment or even at home and you do not have anyone looking at you anymore. When in the back stage you can let your guards down a little bit because you are no longer trying to impress anyone and you can be much more relaxed. When in the back stage you can do whatever you want because no one is going to judge you any longer. In the back stage you no longer have to act because you are your true self when you are alone.
Goffman also believes that life is made up of rituals. For Goffman rituals are all the stereotyped ways in which we display emotions in society. Interactions rituals are the institutionalized ways in which we know how to act in society, they are the unspoken ways of acting in society. There are also non-verbal rituals which is all the meanings that we give in society to gestures.
Goffman believes that one of the places that we may lose our identity of self are total institutions. Total institutions are places in which your self identity is lost through interaction with others. They are places where people's barriers are removed from their everyday functions. These places usually are highly structured and regulated places like prisons where a lot of supervision is required.
A key concept of Goffman is the fact that we are always performing to an audience and we must learn to manage our audiences. Usually we also have segregated audiences, meaning that our audience are usually always different for every different role that we are in. This in particular helps because it means that we do not always have to be consistent in the information we may give out in a particular role because it will not affect our other roles.
European Influences
Karl Marx believed that capitalism was the reason for conflict in society. In society your class defined you and believed that the ruling class control the ruling ideas meaning that the ideas in values in a society are put out by the ruling class, keeping them the ruling class. A main idea of Marx was the idea of alienation. Alienation is the idea that we are separated from each other, from human existence, our work, ourselves, and from humanity. Alienation believed that in society the only thing we have to sell is our labor causing us to be seperated. Marx also introduced class consciousness which explains that we as people acknowledge our place in a system of social class. False consciousness is a belief system that hurts you.
Anomie is a social situation in which the rules and what is expected from us is unclear on how we should act in society casing their to be conflict when the rules are unclear. Durkheim believed that as a society we categorized all things in society as either profane or sacred. The things which we hold sacred are things that hold a special symbolic significance in society. Things that we hold profane are all things that we do not hold sacred. Durkheim also talks about collective effervescence which is the feeling of excitement when people come together with each other. Civil religion are all the political rituals and ceremonies that may create patriotism that may seem like religion.
Weber brings forth the idea of social action and it is the action that has meaning to the person doing the action. Social action is action that has meaning behind it and that you have accounted for others. A main concept that Weber introduces is the idea of verstehen means to understand in a deep way or have empathy for the person you are studying. Weber believed that people act based on their personal values.
Critical Theory
In critical theory studies mass culture and how it had been hegemonized because we are losing our individuality benefiting the ruling class. In today's society, it is revolved around profits and a major player in advertising. Our reality has become what society wants us to believe is true.
Feminist Theory
In our society all things that we know to be true has been created by men and always prioritizes men. In society it is seen as weak to act in a feminine way and men are taught to not act this way. Throughout history, everything that we have learned comes from a man's viewpoint
Methods
Ethnography
Ethnography is when you are observing a group in order to better understand how the group works. You observe a group or a culture to see how they behave inside of their group on any normal day for any extended period of time. The purpose of observing a group is to understand how the group is ran. As you are observing you are writing down field notes on anything that you are seeing your group do. You can divide these observations into two distinct different types.
The first type of observation is a simple observation where you are looking for certain key ideas. A certain thing that you may be looking for is a descriptive observation. In a descriptive observation you are describing anything that you can see. This is where you describe your environment and the people in the group and the way that they are behaving. For example in a descriptive observation you may state that the room was painted with gray walls and smelled really bad. This is you describing the environment that you are in. Another thing you may observe is called a focused observation which is when you are looking for specific thing going on in your group. As you observe how your group behaves you may keep an eye out for any sort of theory like alienation, so you would be observing for people who set themselves apart from the rest of the group.
The second type of observation that you can do is participant observation. This is where you actually place yourself within the group that you are studying, you will become a member of the group for a short period to understand better what it is to be a part of the group. The idea of participant observation is to observe how you fit into the group. Also to see your interpretation of how you and other people behave when you become a part of the group.
Interviews
To be a good interviewer you must first learn to become a good listener. When conducting interviews you are focusing on three main ideas in order to complete an effective interview. The first being validate. When you are validating during an interview you are paraphrasing back to your interviewee their answers that they are giving you. This is needed in order to make sure you are correctly getting all the information that they are giving you and so the interviewee knows that you are listening to them.
The second main idea that is needed to be completed in order to successfully conduct an interview is to show empathy. Let the interviewee know that you are hearing them out emotionally. Establishing a strong emotional connection by using empathy gives for a much better interview. This also lets the person being interviewed know that you are connecting with what they are saying. Establishing this connection is key in conducting a successful interview.
The third and most important idea needed to complete a successful interview is to probe. Probing is the component where you are looking to find answers for your questions. When you probe you are asking what about the group makes you feel the way you feel. In specific when you are probing you are looking for meaningful action. Meaningful action is the meaning that people give to their actions and why. By probing, you find our why people do the things that they do within a group or feel the way that they feel within a group.
Content Analysis
In order to complete your research project you must do some content analysis. Content Analysis is the study of public documents that are either put out by the group or by an outside group that shows how a specific group that you are studying uses rhetoric to construct reality. These public documents may be anything that it open for the public to open on their own. With content analysis a group may want to control the way that we view them by using rhetoric. Through the study of these public documents that shows the use of rhetoric and this is done by the use of claims.
There are three types of claims: grounds, warrants, and conclusions. A grounds is anything that is found that is used to introduce the social problem to the audience. This can be done in many ways and is usually done by showing statistics to the social issue. The second claim is warrants. Warrants are anything that is found online to explain why this social issue needs to be resolved. Many times groups will link these two to let the audience know why action needs to be taken. The third claim is the conclusion. This is where the group presents how they can solve the problem. For example, if the issue is homelessness then the conclusion would be feeding the homeless and giving them shelter.
Ethnography
For my observations I did participant observations at a local homeless shelter. In order to complete my observation, I did two participant observations where there were two different settings. The first setting, I was able to write down the field notes as I was observing and participating. The second I did my participant observation and wrote down my field notes immediately after I was done participating. Doing two different setting allowed for me to view more of the homeless shelter and see the different forms of theory I could find in each separate observation.
The first observation that I did was on November 9th, where I attended a volunteer orientation that was being held at the homeless shelter. There was about 3 workers who were present at the observation and a lot of volunteers who were going to go to complete the observation. The orientation began at 3:30 and ended at 4:30 but I arrived a little early and left a couple of minutes late. I was able to write down my observations during the volunteer orientation and was mainly looking for thick description, status, and roles. My second observation was on November 16th where I went into the homeless shelter and participated in volunteering. Their was over 30 people who were also volunteering and about half of the workers were also there. I got there at 8 am and stayed until 10:30 am where we were preparing for the lunch meal. I was not able to write down my observations but immediately wrote them down after I left the homeless shelter. I was looking to mainly find front stage, and backstage, but also looked for other theoretical ideas.
The data collection process was a success. Being a participant observer helped me get a better comprehension of the dynamic of the homeless shelter. To complete my analysis I used the program fo Nvivo which is a qualitative research program in order to help code my data. I did this by using two queries that helped me code my data. I used the queries to break up my date into 5 different nodes.
Interview
For my interview paper I conducted 3 formal interviews with 3 different volunteers that I know from the homeless shelter. Each of the interviews were conducted at places where both me and the person I was interviewing felt safe and were in public. On all three of the interviews that I conducted I focused on many different topics. I broke down the questions I asked into two distinct groups. My first set of questions that I would ask in the interviews, were questions about the how the homeless shelter worked and how the interviewers personal experience was. The second set of questions that I asked during the interviews were questions focusing of sociological theory.
After conducting all three of the interviews, I listened to each of the interviews and created a transcript for them. I then analyzed the transcripts using NVivo where I coded the interview and the different questions I asked into five different nodes. The fives nodes that i created were role entry, statuses and roles, performance, front and back stage, and personal experience.
Content Analysis
For the content analysis paper I used the internet to look up 16 documents that were about my group. These documents I gathered by looking them up on the internet and using the google chrome web browser. With this web browser I was able to use the Ncapture feature which allowed me to download a pdf of the document which I was then able to import into NVivo. I was looking for documents which covered the basis of claims and frames.
After collecting the 25 documents from the internet, I then used the program of NVivo to code each of my documents. I analyzed each of the 16 documents and this is when I used NVivo to code each of my documents. The three nodes that I created after analysis the public documents are grounds which helped identify the issue. Conclusions which gave a solution to the problem
Analysis
Ethnography
Thick Description
In my first observation on November 9th when I went into the homeless shelter I looked for thick description. In my data I see that I explain how the room inside of the shelter is set up and the overall mood that you feel when you enter the room.
Inside this big room I originally walked in their were four tv's who seemed to all be playing the same programming. There was also about 15 round tables set across the room. These tables seemed to be lunch tables like the ones I would use school. The halls all seemed very gloomy with the lighting being very bad. It did also seem like more than half of the lights were off because the movie was playing inside the big room.
As I walked into the room I discuss how many people were inside of the room and the feeling that you got when you walked into the room.
I looked around the room and I noticed that there was about 10 people who were sitting
around the room.
Everyone that I would look around had a blank stare as they seemed to just be waiting for the person who was going to give us the orientation would come in. I looked around the room and about half of the people there were on their phones or writing inside of a notebook.
The feeling of the room made it seem as people were not really interested to be there at the orientation. The people who were there seemed as they did not know what was going on.
In my second observation that took place on November 19th, I discuss how the kitchen and prep room were set up
As I turned to the room at the right I saw a lot people who were working inside of the kitchen. Everyone in the room had a badge on, but they were all different colors badges. I noticed that everyone inside the kitchen area had gloves on. I looked around and there were large stoves cooking food, some cooking lasagna others mashed potatoes and others a red sauce. I also looked at the sinks who were piled with dished but there was no one washing the dishes. I look inside the prep room and I see a lot of people performing different activities. Some people were cutting vegetables, other were in some sort of assembly line, others were bagging sandwiches, and other were bagging carrots. I noticed that everyone was standing and that there was a lot of trash on the floor. The floor seemed really dirty as if someone had dropped something and people were walking across various times.
I discuss the conditions that the kitchen was in was discussed in the data. Discussing how you could see that people were at work and showing how dirty a work kitchen can get.
Status
In my data you can also see that people had different statuses depending on the setting that I was in. In my first observation of my volunteer orientation there was a very defined status of an instructor who was going to give the orientation
She introduced herself to the class and asked everyone in the room if we were all there to do the volunteer orientation.
The instructor of the volunteer then told everyone that we would be going through a thick packet of papers in which it would establish all the rules and expectations that are to be held of all the volunteers.
The instructor was in charge of actually giving us the orientation. Her status in my participant observation was of a instructor.
Another status that you could see but was one that was much more informal, was the status of a helper that a girl adopted after the instructor asked for help.
The instructor asked if anyone could volunteer in handing out the materials to all the people who were there for the volunteer orientation. A girl (helper) raised her hand and stood up to pick up the packets. As she grabbed the packets, the instructor directed her to go around the room.
This was a very informal status because it was attached to her by the instructor. The instructor asked for someone to help her pass out materials and the girl volunteered. In my data you can see that her status from that point forward was the status of being the helper.
On my second observation of the day of November 19th, when I observed the food preparation for feeding the homeless I also saw a clear status of a person. I saw man wearing a black hat be the leader of the entire kitchen.
A man in a black hat who was the leader of the kitchen, instructed me to wash my hands and to put gloves on after. I did that and then he told me to form the assembly line where there was four other people in the line
This status was clearly a formal status that I observed. Everyone in the room knew that he was the leader and knew that we were following directions from him.
Roles
On my first day at the orientation, I noticed that some people had different roles that they had to carry out. In the data I discussed how the helper had a certain role that she had to play out.
A girl (helper) raised her hand and stood up to pick up the packets. As she grabbed the packets, the instructor directed her to go around the room.
The helper then began to hand out all the packets and walk around the room. As she was finishing passing out the packets, the instructor then told her to get pens and pass them around. The instructor handed the pens out to the helper and she walked around the room and gave everyone a pen.
The role of the helper was to pick up and pass out any materials that the instructor wanted her to pick up. She did this by picking up and passing papers and pens.
On my second day of observation, I noticed also that certain people had different roles that they had to carry out within this group. I discussed the different roles that the leader had to play.
A man in a black hat who was the leader of the kitchen, instructed me to wash my hands and to put gloves on after. I did that and then he told me to form the assembly line where there was four other people in the line As I was bagging I saw the leader of the kitchen with a serious face directed someone to begin cutting tomatoes for a sauce that they were going to make. He also grabbed a person from the assembly line and asked her if she could begin washing dishes because they had piled up a lot.
The role of the kitchen leader was to assign people where they were going to be helping out within the kitchen. His goal was to keep the kitchen running as smoothly as possible. He did this by putting the volunteers in the correct positions within the kitchen.
Another role that I saw being fulfilled was the role I discussed in my data of gathering all the materials and taking them wherever they needed to be.
Everytime he would fill up a tray, the gatherer would come pick it up and take it into the kitchen where the cooks would use them. The gatherer would just pick up any materials that were completed and he would take them to wherever they needed to go.
In my observation I noticed the gatherer picking up any materials he needed and taking them wherever they needed to go.
Front Stage
In my the data you can see that I discussed many instances where people were displaying a front stage presentation. I took the observations of front stage in times that we were actually working on something. On my second observation I noticed that people in the kitchen had to behave a certain way.
Everyone in the room had a badge on, but they were all different colors badges. I noticed that everyone inside the kitchen area had gloves on.
No one was allowed to be inside the kitchen if they did not have gloves on. As people were working, people had to have their gloves on no matter what. It was their front stage presentation of all the people who were working in the kitchen.
Another instance where I discussed a front stage presentation is how the leader would be while everyone was working.
I looked at the leader and he had a serious face and not talk to any of the volunteers unless it was for something work related.
The leader was serious while we were all working. He presented himself to be a man of respect.
In my first day of observation I noticed that the instructor also had a front stage, but she seemed more relaxed than the other people in her front stage.
A lady walked inside the room and introduced herself as the instructor of the orientation. The lady was wearing tennis shoes, jeans, a t-shirt polo, had glasses, and had her hair in a ponytail. She seemed very relaxed and easygoing which let down the tension in the room.
Although she was in her front stage, the instructor seemed very relaxed. It seemed that she did not stress too much about what she was doing.
Back Stage
In order to code back stage I noticed that people all displayed their backstage behaviour when they were on their break. On my second day of observation I discuss how the leader of the kitchen behaves while on his break
While on his break, I looked at the leader and he seemed much more calm than he was in the kitchen. In the kitchen he was focused on getting everything completed. He sat down on a bench and took his hat off and began to drink a cup of coffee. He was using his phone but was also talking to one of the volunteers. They were talking about the weekends football games and were laughing.
While he was on break he was much more relaxed. He was even laughing. A sign that he was relaxed was the he had taken his hat off.
The assembly line also showed a back stage presentation.
While on our break, the 5 people who were in the assembly line, we all chose to sit at the same table. As we sat down a man who was helping us asked us what we thought about what we were doing. Everyone said it was pretty boring but that seemed to get the conversation going within us 5 as we all started to get to know each other a little bit.
The assembly line which I was a part of did not take a single time while we were making the baggies. Once we went out on break we were much more comfortable with each other.
The gatherer was also not in such a fast pace while we were on break
While on his break, the gatherer walked out of the prep room and began to say hi to a lot of the regular volunteers that would go. He was much more relaxed and not in such a hurry to get materials. He had a smile on his face as he walked up and down the room.
The gatherer displayed a smile and was super friendly to other while he was on his break.
Interview
Role Entry
The first node that I created focused on exploring what brought each person to come volunteer at the homeless shelter in the first place. Every person that I interviewed I asked them what was the reason they decided to become a volunteer.
Interviewer: So what made you go to the homeless shelter in the first place? Response: I had a class they required me to go that I had to do about 40 hours.
The first person I interviewed I asked them what made them go to the homeless shelter in the first place intending to find out how they entered the role of becoming a volunteer at the homeless shelter. They said that they were here because of a class they needed to complete their hours for.
Interviewer: Okay so what made you going to the organization in the first place? Response: I started a couple years ago during in high school are a club we have we went to the convalescent home and it's all good getting back we went during Valentine's Day we give out roses to everyone that was there and that kind of made me give me a good feeling about giving back so around thanksgiving time me and a couple of friends from church would go to homeless shelter and serve food. And that's what brought me to this homeless shelter. We kind of try to come to this homeless shelter every year and serve food.
The second person I asked said that they had entered the role of a volunteer years ago with a club from school. They came to the homeless shelter during Valentine's day and he has been coming ever since.
Interviewer: Okay so what brought you into the homeless shelter in the first place?
Response: I started seeing what society was really like and I believe the first time that I helped someone I was actually getting out getting out food for myself and a couple friends and there was a homeless man who was just sitting outside of the restaurant seeing you no asking for money on food and I think that just triggered my mind into helping anybody in the community. After that it sort of just hit me like a yellow school bus that not everyone is as privilege or seems to be privileged as they want to people just don't know what they truly have until they open their eyes and see what is out in the world so after that experience I felt the need for the kind of want for me to find somewhere that I can help and give back to the community since I've been pretty privilege myself more than others.
The third person I interviewed said they entered the role of being a volunteer after seeing how society treated homeless people. After helping a homeless person she decided she wanted to continue helping so she looked for a homeless shelter to become a volunteer.
Status and Roles
The next node that I created focused on the status and roles that people noticed at the homeless shelter. Sometimes informal or even formal statuses that they say inside of their group and the role that each status had.
Interviewer:Okay, what type of positions did you see that there were because you said that that you would usually just walk in the kitchen what were some different positions that you saw? Response: So there was just like general volunteers like us then there was like kitchen leaders the cook and then there was a person going around that gathered everything I pick things up and take him to the kitchen from the kitchen to any other place.
Some of the different statuses that were in the group were the kitchen leader, their was cooks in the group, there was a person who would go around and gather all of the food or materials that needed to go to anywhere inside the kitchen.
Interviewer: I know you mentioned I kitchen leader what would you say that some of his tasks were some of the things that he had to do? Response: Well a lot of his main task is being the head of of everything of being in charge he make sure everything's done make sure everything is getting done at a reasonable pace he makes sure that the food is being expedited you make sure that that just everyone puts in their part that everyone that is there is doing everything that needs to be done everything that needs he's basically just like he's just a head he does everything he can do everything he can expedite at the end of the day he just really does what needs to be done.
A informal status that was inside the group that was mentioned during the interview was that of a kitchen leader. The kitchen leader was in charge of basically managing the entire kitchen.
Interviewer: What were some of the different positions you saw in the group? Response: Well there was always the cooks always the people cleaning up in the kitchen the people cleaning up the restrooms the people who do yard work there's always I don't know if there was a manager or not but you can call them superiors or leaders who would give everybody directions on when to take breaks when needed to be done and just make sure everything was or every task was completed and was done in a timely manner so that they can get started on another task just to kind of keep the rhythm going and nobody's stop and lacked on anything.
Some of the statuses that were also observed by the people i interviewed were people who were in charge of cleaning restrooms and doing yard work. They also mention a manager of supervisor or leader of the kitchen.
Performance
In the node that I created for performance I put together all the instances where the people who are interviewed explained how they would perform their roles of being a volunteer. In one of my interviews, the response explains on what they would do once they would go volunteer.
Interviewer: And when you usually go and volunteer what is it that you end up doing? Response: Mainly kitchen work which arm vegetables anything they need help with washing dishes making lunch bag to take the schools they need just whatever they really need us to do.
They discuss that when they go volunteer when they are performing they are usually put to cut vegetables, wash dishes, or make lunch bags. During their performance they are usually told what to do by a superior.
Another instance that displayed the volunteers performance is discussed when asked what some of the task they are put to do when they go volunteer.
Interviewer: And what is some of the tasks that you do when you go volunteer? Response: Maybe I just work in the kitchen I don't know usually it depends on what the kitchen leader says most of the time when people go. What's the time in most of the time it's like cutting vegetables like if a dish needs to be washed most of the time its it's mainly mostly cutting vegetables and making lunch bags.
Mainly they are put to do kitchen work. They follow whatever the kitchen leader needs them to do. Most of the time they are put to cut vegetables or wash dishes.
The last person I Interviewed also discussed the performance that they put on when they go and volunteer.
Interviewer: What are some of the things you actually do at the homeless shelter? Response: Well every time that I go it's something different but well me personally I've always just helped out in the kitchen I have had a couple friends who come and volunteering and are put to they get paid to do yard work but me I help in the kitchen I help packaged sandwiches broom wash dishes anything that has to do with the kitchen I'll do it I get I am giving directions to do things I don't I don't make myself at home to just come and do something because there's obviously superiors who I need to look to.
This person's performance consists of helping out in the kitchen by helping to pack sandwiches, broom, wash dishes, or any other general labor in the kitchen.
Front and Back Stage
Another node that I created was that of front stage back stage. I generally got this node by asking during the interview on their experience and what they saw going on during breaks when people are more relaxed rather than when they are performing their work.
Interviewer: Can you explain to me Maybe what it was like when people were on break when you guys got your chance to take your breaks? Response: Yeah it was I usually working retail so when you take a break to take it by yourself but I mean it sort of feels the same you know you could see everyone and their natural habitat outside of what we're really doing and you get to really know . I know everyone if you go by yourself I mean you know you're not talking to friends anything so you get a chance to really approach everyone in and most of the times they all give you the same answers it doesn't matter what they're doing or why they're doing it. At the end of the day everyone is on the same boat as you you just want to give back even if you were forced into it you start to enjoy it but I mean even the workers they get a real sense of a real sense of accomplishment and gratitude towards everything even though they're getting paid to do everything. I mean they're pretty approachable you think they wouldn't even talk to you or anything because they're really aren't ever going to see you again but you really get to know them and build a relationship with everyone there even the kitchen leader.
This explains that when people are on their break or in the backstage people are much more approachable to talk to. That people are much easier to talk to when they are in their backstage.
Interviewer: And usually what would you guys do what was the normal procedure for brakes? Response: Everyone would just kind of gather around in the room chill We didn't really do much everyone would just be on their phone or talking it was normal break stuff. Interviewer: When you say no more break stuff what do you mean can you explain that a little bit more like what are the behaviors? Response: Some people were social they like talk to each other and some people were just on their phones some people wear on their earphones some people didn't talk to anybody and yeah that was about it.
Another part explains that when people are in their back stage performance, people would usually be on their phone. Overall people were much more social and people would talk to each other way more when they were on their breaks.
Interviewer: And where they're saying things that you guys would you on break that you guys kidding while you guys were working? Response: Yeah when you're volunteering you don't really get to have your phone now or have conversations with people you really just do your work do I need to be done you know we sort of have a deadline. Well it's not that we're not allowed is just you know you see everyone and their own zone so you don't really want to interrupt that so when we're on our breaks you know it takes we just take the time to talk laugh just get to know everyone that is there.
This last part of the transcript explains how when people are volunteering or in the front stage you are not really allowed to be on your phone in order to get work done. In the backstage it explains how it gives people time a chance to talk and laugh and to get to know everyone.
Personal Experience
The final node that I created was the personal experience that each person got out of volunteering at the homeless shelter.
Interviewer: Okay so how has your experience been volunteering at the homeless shelter? Response: It's been good it's been very eye-opening. Interviewer: Eye-opening in what regards? Response:I don't know I just didn't realize how much homeless people there were I think I was more just in my little bubble.
One person explains how volunteering at the homeless shelter has allowed for an eye opening experience. A very good experience that helped them realized that their was life outside of their little bubble.
Interviewer: So just to end things off what would you say has been your highlight of you volunteering? Response: I feel like the experience as a whole has been a rollercoaster of emotion so I can't really take I can't really pick one specific moment but I mean all of it is just amazing being able to just help out everyone is just indescribable I'm going to be doing for hopefully the rest of my life so I can't really choose one moment there's too many to just pick just one.
The other explains how the entire moment that he is a volunteering is a roller coaster of emotions but that overall it is a great experience.
Interviewer: So how would you say your overall experience was if you were telling someone like your basic feelings you had and feelings that you experience how would you say them? Response: I say it was a good experience because I do it again but I'd probably be more hands on and I would probably recommend that they would do some volunteer work just because it's a good thing to do it makes you feel good.
The last explains how they felt the experience was overall good. The only thing that they would like to have changed about their experience is to get more time to spend with the homeless and be more hands on.
Content Analysis
Status and Roles
The documents that I found helped explained some of the different occupations that were a part of the homeless shelter and some of the things that the different occupations did.
As people queue up in the morning in front of it, Imelda, Volunteer Coordinator/Office Manager, and Mary, who assists Imelda, prepare for another busy day. The Contact Office is the hub of our organization, the place where all those moving parts of homeless shelter intersect: homeless clients, volunteers, court-ordered community service workers, staff members, residents and donors.
This document speaks about how the Volunteer Coordinator is the person at the homeless shelter who prepares for the day.
FROM THE DESK OF CEO CRUZ AVILA On a weekly basis, my staff and I give tours of the homeless shelter to people who are interested in our services. At the end of every tour, the common phrase I hear is "I didn't know the homeless shelter did so much, you provide so many different services."
The CEO of the group is in charge of giving people tours of the homeless shelter along with his staff.
Another instance of a role that the CEO of the homeless shelter is explained in one of the monthly newsletter.
I have many diverse tasks as CEO. My duties include overseeing
the personnel and the operations of the homeless shelter , working with the board of directors, raising funds to continue the mission, and representing the homeless shelter and its clients to the community. However, my most important task is similar to what I did for my father so long ago: holding the light.
The monthly newsletter explains that some of the roles that the CEO of the homeless shelter is to oversee the personnel and the operations ran at the homeless shelter.
Grounds
The first node that I created was the node of grounds which is information that depicts the problem or identifies the problem.
Helping a person end the cycle of homelessness is complicated and requires many different approaches. Many of the homeless population suffer from severe mental illness and substance abuse issues. Many homeless have experienced both physical and mental trauma from living on the streets.
The online website identifies the problem that homeless people go through. The process of ending a person's homeless cycle is complicated because many times their is a mental health issue associated with it. This documented identifies this problem.
The San Francisco homeless shelter served people who were characterized by poverty and despair. It was a place where they could come to find acceptance, a smile, and unconditional love. There, Mike found the answer to his problems: service to others.
Another instance where I found where the problem was identified is in their Mission Statement. They state they help people who are characterized by poverty.
Homeless people often feel forgotten and Supporters of View to the Soul: A Tribute to Papa Mike Thank you!
Another article discusses how homeless people feel forgotten. This shows the problem
That homeless people face.
Conclusion
A conclusion is part of the claim that tackles what needs to be done or what is being done in order to address the problem and in this instance, the problem of helping the homeless people in the community.
The homeless shelter serves anywhere from 1,200 to 1,600 meals a day. Meals are served in the Dayroom, a safe, warm and/or cool place for clients to eat their meals and receive social services. The Dayroom has a family side and a single side; families are seated together and served. On the single side, clients get in line to receive their meal tray and choose where to sit.
In their online website, it explains how the homeless shelter served anywhere from 1,200 to 1,600 meals in any given day. They are served in a warm or cool place and they also offer social services.
The homeless shelter provides three meals a day, 365 days a year to men, women and families along with services that improve people's quality of life. These services include clothing distribution, emergency food bags, a medical clinic, the Men's Resident Rehabilitation program, temporary overnight shelter for men and women, and social services for individuals seeking to end their homelessness situation.
Another document that I found on their online website states that besides providing meals 365 days a year, they also give overnight shelter for men and women, have a medical clinic, and offer a rehabilitation programs.
Although I do not do street contacts on a daily basis, homeless shelter is part of the HERO Team that does outreach to Fresno's homeless population. The HERO team is made up of several agencies such as homeless shelter,, and is funded by the City of Fresno. This team goes out seven days a week and provides intensive case management to those they encounter. Their main purpose is to assist chronically homeless people by helping them attain their basic documentation, such as identification cards, and link them to housing programs
Including, the people at the homeless shelter are a part of an outreach program to help members of the community with intensive case management and assist chronically homeless people and this is another of the solutions that the homeless shelter offers.
Conclusion
After completing my research on the homeless shelter around the Fresno area you can see the influence of sociological theory that is had on this organization. With my participant observations I was able to see different traces of theory such as front and back stage, statuses and roles, and a thick description of what was going on. After conducting my interviews I was also able to notice theory within the group. With these in depth interviews I was able to see how people entered their roles as volunteers and how people believed the chain of commands were within the homeless shelter. With content analysis I was able to see how the homeless shelter uses its online presence to present its claims to the community. All in all you can see how the research shows how sociological theory can be found anywhere in our lives.
References
"Chapter 4 ." Symbols, Selves, and Social Reality: a Symbolic Interactionist Approach to Social Psychology and Sociology, by Kent L. Sandstrom, Oxford University Pres, 2014.
DILLON, MICHELE. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY: Theorists, Concepts, and Their Applicability to the Twenty... -First Century. JOHN WILEY & SONS, 2019.
Dunn, Jennifer L. "Looking-Glass Self." Encyclopedia of Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 2010, doi:10.4135/9781412972017.n165.
Warren, C. A. B., & Karner, T. X. (2015). Discovering qualitative methods: Ethnography, interviews, documents, and images.
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