Introduction
For the ethnography portion of the project I will be observing a church group that is made up by young mothers between the ages of 20 and 27. I will be observing them in a group setting and then using that data to find different categories of theory. Those categories include frontstage/backstage, presentation of self, definition of the situation, statues and roles, and thick description. By locating these within the data recorded I will be able to find out if the girls think and behave differently while in a group setting. For the interview part of the project I will be interviewing three different people who are part of the group; for a total of 45 minutes. In depth interviews with participants will be conducted after the completion of my ethnographic observations. The interviews will be made up of questions that include mostly theory and will be about the group they participate in. The interviews will help me get a real insight on how people think, behave, and feel when they are alone as opposed to how they behave when they are interacting with others in a group setting. My main focus during my interviews will be to identify patterns of theory that fit in with the ideas of meaningful action, statuses/roles, frontstage/backstage, role exit and definition of the situation. For the last part of my project I will be doing a content analysis of online sources. The online sources will include new articles, social media, and online flyers. The content analysis will help me understand how the group gains public support, recruits new members, and how they acquire donations from the public. All the research was conducted online and only public documents were used. My main focus during this part of the research is to identify patterns of theory that fit in with the ideas of framing, grounds, warrants, conclusions, and cultural connections.
Literature Review
Erving Goffman describes social roles as well as different face to face interactions across different social settings. Everyone has different roles they perform. The roles are made up by society, each role has a given status that has duties and responsibility attached to it. The roles given to us could be that of a mother, a student, an employee, etc. Gofman explains that even though our roles are given to us it doesn't mean we fake who we are. We find some roles very enjoyable and without them interaction with others would be impossible. The roles we have established in society provide a structure that is needed in order to act appropriately and interact socially. Our performance in everyday life can vary greatly. Changing our role is a part of symbolic exchange, interaction, and inference. We are always trying to impress others; we are like actors and want to give our best performance, so others will be impressed. During our face to face interactions we are always trying to control how others see us. However, the way people see us can also determine how we perform. Our performance can change depending on the situation we are placed in. We have a different way of acting when we perform in the front as opposed to the back. In the front we want those who see our performance to be impressed. While in the back we are more relaxed and do not have to focus on impressions or gaining respect from others. Our surroundings can have a huge influence in our face to face interactions, different props can help us determine what is going on; they also determine how we act.
Our images and presentations of self can vary. We express ourselves differently during different times and situations. For example, the way we act around our friends is different than how we act with our employer. We change depending the situation, our self changes in every social interaction. However, our change in self isn't something we own, meaning that it is not original to us. It is given to us by those who are around us; we act how people perceive us to act. We also take the roles of others and learn through interaction. Who we are is based on our relationship with others. Our social life is like that of a theater, our life is like actors performing on a stage. We communicate based on props, gestures, and appearances that show our feelings and beliefs. During our performances we try to control how people perceive us. We always want others to like us, as a result we act in ways that would impress others. We mostly show positive attributes and hide anything that can seem unappealing. We also separate our front stage from our back-stage performances. Most of our acting takes place in the front stage, where we try to act according to the part we are performing. In the back stage we can contradict or ignore our front stage acting. Both the front and the back are important for impression management because they help establish appropriate conduct. The back stage can give us an area to relax and relive stress from the front stage.
During role taking and making people will disclose their emotional and motivational states, which show the direction of the behavior people must adopt. Mead believed that it was embedded in institutions; social structures determine how people interact. Mead also talks about the generalized other, which is when someone tries to imagine what is expected of them by others. He talks about the different levels within the generalized other; normative expectations, large institutional domains, etc. Our behavior is influenced by our position in the social structure. We always try to determine the status of others and in return want them to pick up on ours. When we status take, we look for expectations associated with that status. As we take and make these statuses, we use different cues to determine the type of conduct expected. A shift recently happened between self conceptions and identities. There are different types of identities that focus on interaction. Role identities are connected to specific roles which can be seen in the work place, school, etc. There are also group identities which have adopted a more cultural perspective. We also have social identities which is the dimension of the self. Finally, there is the core identity, which is basically feelings and emotions we have about ourselves. Identities can influence how we behave and come in a variety of forms.
To convince the audience of your performance you must first influence the definition of the situation that others have for any given interaction. Setting the situation is important because if defines what behavior is appropriate. Goffman claims that we create our definition of the situation by the front we have; the front is the part that others can observe. Fronts define our actions, when they are tampered with it affects how we define the situation, which can cause misinterpretations. For example, a sales associate will have a different front or definition of the situation when at home, school, church, etc.
Meaningful action is how you choose to react to others around you. Mead stated that humans give significant meaning to what they communicate. These meanings come from our consciousness and our ability to interpret and use language, symbols, and gestures. We learn to anticipate our everyday actions and interactions. Things become significant when the meaning is shared by the interacting individuals. Communication and interaction would be impossible without shared meanings.
Frames are ways to present claims in social movements. These claims identify bad conditions and urge for social changes to fix the issue. Certain groups might use framing to construct their claims. These groups place the issue within a larger context and make the problem easier for people to understand. These frames try to shape how people view the world, they give a real meaning to something people might not fully understand. Framing is a good way to get new members to join or donate to the cause. Framing uses cultural resources to combine beliefs, values and other cultural elements that people will find convincing. Claims must attract a certain culture and be consistent with a type of understanding. They have to match up with people's beliefs and how they view the world. Every culture has their ideas about how the world should be and how it is supposed to work. Grounds are troubling conditions that can be identified. They are usually fact based and argue that a social problem does exist. They use examples that describe the conditions in detail. They focus on how a problem isn't getting fixed and how it can ultimately affect everyone. They use numbers or statistics to measure the extent of the problem and show proof that it exist. Warrants justify doing something about the problem. They carefully explain why something should be done to address the issue. Warrants often identify our values and emotions and use that to target for change. If something goes against what we value we will most likely support it. Warrants are designed to invoke powerful reactions like shock or outrage. If the warrant is successful, it will convince people to take action. All claims need a conclusion, they focus on helping those affected by an issue. Conclusions focus on both short term and long-term goals and show the extensive detail of what changes can bring.
Methods
Qualitative methods in sociology have certain procedures. It is important to fully understand what the procedures are before starting research. Qualitative methods are important and can help change or shape an aspect of society. Ethnographies are field research or participant observations; they involve face to face interactions within a group or public setting. Researchers enter a field and spend time observing and interacting in that particular setting. Times can vary by the size of the setting; large more complex settings take up more time as opposed to smaller settings. Every researcher takes extensive notes. The fieldnotes can be taken during the observation or as soon as possible after he or she leaves the field. The fieldnotes are very important because they become the data used for the observation analysis. Writing fieldnotes is an important part of successful field research. Fieldnotes are very time consuming and require the researcher's full commitment. Ethnographies can be exciting because you must first gain acceptance by members of the setting in order to conduct the observations. The successful entrée of the group then leads to good observations and fieldnotes. Fieldnotes are written inscriptions of what has been observed in the setting. Most fieldnotes are full of thick description. Thick description focuses closely on context; time of day, weather, and anything else that sets the stage. Thick description focuses on extensive detail; the researcher writes everything they see and hear. This can sometimes be difficult because multiple things can be happening at once and the researcher is only able to focus on one or two things at a time. Our social location defines what gets into our fieldnotes; it shapes what we notice. The best fieldnotes are written right after an event, the sooner the filed notes are written the richer in thick description. It is recommended that the researcher take brief notes while in the setting (in front of members), then complete the notes after the event. Completed fieldnotes are thickly descriptive, have headings, and closely resemble an essay. Fieldnotes can vary but the best ones have full sentences, proper grammar, and paragraphs. It is important to commit to writing fieldnotes, relying on memory instead of writing the notes can result in poor transcripts and research.
Like ethnographies, interviews also involve face to face interactions. Interviews can also be conducted over the phone and through the internet. The most common way to interview is through dyad formants. The dyad format is one on one interaction; one interviewer and one respondent. The researcher might start slow by asking basic questions, then moves on to actual question which relate to the topic of interest. There are different types of interviews; however, research interviews are special conversations where the respondent must answer questions that are relevant to a certain topic. Qualitative interviews are in depth interviews that focus on meanings such as patterns of theory. Qualitative interviews are conducted as a part of an ethnographic research project. By using both methods the researcher can focus on behavior, interaction, accounts, and biographies. Interviews have formal structures that develop a set of specific questions for respondents to answer. A researcher will either video tape or audio record the conversation between them and the respondents. These video or audio tapes will then be transcribed and used as data to be analyzed. The researcher must create questions that align with their topic. The questions must be framed in a way that all respondents can understand. In general, all questions must be created and submitted to the IRB before they are asked to the respondents. Some questions might be problematic, these disturbing questions can be left till the end of the interview. A researcher will have a set of planned questions; however, they must be prepared to probe for additional details and better answerers. It is important to be more forthcoming and not obtrusive during an interview. Another important part of the interview is finding a good location. The respondents should be in charge of setting a time, date, and location. The location should maximize respondents' comfort as well as your own comfort. It should be in a quiet area and free of distractions. A good interview should be convenient for the respondent, comfortable and safe, quiet and free from distractions, and private.
Sociologist may use the media and the internet to observe patterns in the social world. They will use qualitative analyses to find cultural meanings in media representation. By focusing on the media and the internet qualitative researchers can study culture. Many documents can be used during a cultural analysis, these documents include, images, newspapers, magazines, websites, and social media. Documents of many kinds can be used including public documents published by certain groups and the government. Other useful documents are newspapers and magazine, they can be easily found and used to analyze their advertising strategies as well as their content. Many articles from magazines as well as local and national newspapers are online, making the internet a valuable and inexpensive tool in locating sources. Images are also important because they play an important role in conveying culture and experience. Images can be analyzed as reflections of different social scenes. They can also communicate direct messages to researchers. The internet is a great source of cultural representation. Data found on the internet can show different aspects of reality. Other parts of the internet such as social media can be used as either sources of communication between researcher and respondent or as sources for data. Social media can allow a cheap way to gather public data that can be used to analyze different behaviors and cultural beliefs.
Ethnography
During the ethnography, I started off by asking myself "what exactly are you looking for"? My initial proposed explanation was that all the girls form the group would act and respond the same; they would all be similar because of the age group they are in. I started collecting my data by my fourth visit with the group. I waited that long because I wanted them to get used to the idea of having me around, I also wanted them to be comfortable. My data was collected with a combination of both observations and participant observations. Both types of observations are part of the field research process that is used in my observations. Through observations I was able to write down notes in my note book during group sessions. The notes consisted of simple words and detailed phrases that would help me remember exactly what happened at any given time. Participant observations were a little harder because it required active participation with the group, notes would be written later. There were instances where I had to read or actively participate in conversation. After those face to face interactions and the group session was over, I wrote those missing notes. Participant observation requires the notes to be written as soon as possible; too much time in-between can interfere with the quality of the notes. After my notes were complete, I then typed them into a word document and looked them over for errors. I then created a project in the application NVivo. I used NVivo to analyze my data and create nodes, the nodes helped me separate the data into specific categories. The nodes I created from my data are: frontstage/backstage, presentation of self, definition of the situation, statues and roles, and thick description. I also used NVivo to create a word frequency query of my data. With the word frequency query, I was able easily identify what words were used most often in my observations. I also ran a text search query with NVivo.
Interviews
During the ethnography part of my research I introduced myself to the group; not only did I explain who I was and my interests, but I also told them exactly what I was doing. Early on I told the group of girls that I would be conducting interviews for my project. I gave them a brief description of the theories and then asked if anyone would be interested in being a part of the interviews. To my surprise only four girls out of thirteen who were present raised their hand, I took down their names and numbers in my notebook. The second step was to come up with a set of questions I could ask the participants. This step was increasingly difficult for me because my initial set of questions were too difficult for the average person to understand. I had to go back and rewrite each one to include a basic understanding of the theories in order for the participants to fully understand. The third step was to follow up with the girls who were interested in participating in the interviews. I sent out four text messages; however, only three girls responded. The text message read "Hey (participants name), this is Julie from group. I was wondering if you were still interested in doing that fifteen-minute interview with me? If you are please message me a time, place and a date that would work for you. Thank you". I started to panic when thirty minutes had gone by and no one responded to my text. After about one hour I had three responses, which lucky for me was the exact number of people I was hoping to interview. The forth step was to go out and meet up with the participants. In order to ensure my safety and the participant's safety each interview took part in a public place; two different parks and one office. Before we began each interview, I had each participant sign an informed consent form. The form gives me permission to record them and share all information gathered with the promises of anonymity. I kept the signed form, they got to keep an extra copy for their records. I recorded the entire interview on my phones voice recorder. The interviews had to be conducted in a quiet place but also a public place, unfortunately for me each public place that was selected by the participant had some type of background noise. I was able to make it work by placing the voice recorder close to both of us so that our voices could be heard loud and clear. After each interview I listened to the recording and used the dictate option on my computer to type up my transcripts. After I had all three completed, I uploaded them to the application NVivo and began to analyze them. In NVivo I created five nodes, each node is theory based. The name of the nodes are: meaningful action, statuses/roles, frontstage/backstage, role exit and definition of the situation. I also used NVivo to create a word cloud which was made from a word frequency query for all the nodes. The most common word used by the participant was the word "like".
Content Analysis
For the content analysis portion of this project I looked at different online sources; the internet is a quick and easy way to gather data. All the online sources were public and included items that highlight teen pregnancy as a social issue that needs to be addressed. The first thing I did was look up the group's name on an online search engine. Initially, only a few webpages popped up but after typing their name and different cities, I was able to come up with more sources to analyze. I then looked them up on social media and found that they used four different networks to spread their message. After looking at these webpages, I was still short a few sources. I decided to go back to the search engine and look them up again, but this time I was more specific with my search. I was able to find a few more webpages that included a blog as well as affiliated members that discussed the group's actions in the community. The flyers came from the group's local web page, each one has a positive message that attracts attention and urges young moms to fulfil an action. Those actions include voting, breastfeeding, completing school, or joining their cause. After I located all of my sources, I was finally able to transcribe the information I found. This part was a bit tedious because some of the articles were long and filled with valuable information. Most of the information was transcribed by me with the exception of social media pages, for the social media I used Ncapture. Ncapture is an application connected with NVivo that allows you to analyze hundreds of posts and comments at once. This application is extremely helpful because it creates the data sheets for you, making it easier to work with your data. Unfortunately, some of the social networks did not allow the use of Ncapture. As a result, I was only able to analyze twenty-seven sources instead of the thirty that were expected. However, by the time I got to these, I already had a mountain of valuable data I could use for my project. After everything was transcribed, I uploaded my transcripts to the application NVivo and began to analyze them. I created five nodes, framing, grounds, warrants, conclusions, and cultural connections. I used NVivo to create a word cloud which was made from a word frequency query for all the nodes. The most common words used in the data include: teen, young, mother, school, and groups. I also ran a compound query that focused specifically on the word school. I then ran a new frequency query for the new node created with the compound query.
Analysis
Ethnography
The analysis part for this section was a bit difficult because my lengthy notes seemed impossible to organize. When I first looked at them all I could see was thick description. Intense detail is what I focused on when writing my felid notes. I wrote down everything that was happening without paying any attention to theory. However, after reading through my field notes several times, I started noticing patterns of theory scattered throughout the paper. I used NVivo to analyze my data and create nodes, the nodes helped me separate the data into specific categories. The nodes I created from my data are: frontstage/backstage, presentation of self, definition of the situation, statues and roles, and thick description. I will be describing each node and sharing quotes in order to share my findings.
Frontstage and Backstage
The idea of frontstage and back stage is part of symbolic interaction and was developed by Goffman. He stated that our social life is like that of a theater and we are actors performing on a stage. We separate our frontstage from our backstage performances. Most of our acting takes place in the front stage, where we try to act according to the part we are performing. In the back stage we can contradict or ignore our front stage acting. The backstage can give us an area where we can be ourselves, relax and let our hair down. Here are two examples of frontstage backstage taken from the data I collected. The first one would be frontstage acting:
"Her story was about 30 minutes long, but it was so emotional that no one said anything. The girls just listened. She was attacked by a sexual predator and had to fight for her life. She ran away and broke her ankle while trying to get away. All the girls had look of concern on their face. Their facial expressions clearly showed sympathy for the poor girl."
This is an example of frontstage acting because some of the girls are showing sympathy for the poor girl with crutches. The second example is backstage acting that corresponds to the same scenario:
"We walk out of the building together. One of the girls says I don't feel sorry for her, she knew what she was getting herself into The other says Yeah, I have her on social media and she's always posting how much she parties The other girls says I mean I feel bad for her but what does she expect, she should know better."
Clearly, this is an example of how people act backstage. In front of the girl with crutches they showed sympathy. As soon as they were alone and in a comfortable environment, they revealed how they truly felt about the situation. Here are two more examples of frontstage and backstage acting. The first one is frontstage acting:
"We walk and some of the girls are joking around. I can hear them laughing. The two of the girls walk at a distance and away from the group. They seem shy and do not like others around them. Last week I noticed they do not participate in some of the group's activities. They are just there. They only listen."
This is an example of frontstage acting because the two shy girls are not participating when they are in a public type setting. Their way of acting is by staying quiet and only listen to what others say. Here is an example of backstage that includes one of the shy girls,
"We walk to our car. I can hear someone scolding their child in the small white car parked next to me. It's one of the shy girls, she is upset because her child stained his new sweater with pizza sauce. It is nice to hear her full voice. It's loud and clear. At this moment she isn't shy at all."
This is an example of backstage acting because she is not around anyone (only her child) and is comfortable talking. These four examples illustrate how change from one setting to another.
Statues and Roles
Goffman also describes how we acquire status and roles. Roles are made up by society, each role has a given status that has duties and responsibility assigned to it. The roles given to us could be that of a mother, a student, an employee, etc. Statues and roles are very important and without them interaction with each other would be impossible. Here is one example of statues and roles:
"One of the facilitators says, "its time to start". She stands up and walks over to the white board. She writes a quote on the board. The quote: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres". She then says that today we will be talking about love and relationships."
This example includes both status and role, the facilitator is the status and their role is to guide the group and ask questions. Another example of status and role is:
"Another girl (I will call her molly) has a set of twin boys. She shows them love by giving them both the same amount of attention. She says it's hard because one of her boys is mentally slower than the other, but she tires her best to keep it even. She also says that she tries to give them everything they need and want so they can be happy."
This example also includes status and roles, the status of the girl is clearly that of a mother and her role is to take care of her children. The final example of statues and roles is:
"The next person talks about her job. She has a lot of responsibilities at work. She has to make sure everything is perfect before it hits the sales floor. She is an assistant manager."
This is clearly an example of statues and roles; the status is an assistant manager and their role is to make sure everything is perfect in the store. These basic examples show that different status and roles exist amongst a small group of people. Each status and role is important because it define who we are.
Presentation of Self
Goffman also talks about presentation of self and how we perform in front of others. We want everyone to see positive aspects of our personality in order to shape how they view us. We always want to impress others during face to face interactions. One example of presentation of self is:
"Most of the girls try their best to impress others. They dress nice; wear expensive clothes, and always talk about how great of a parent they are. Some of them talk about how amazing their relationships are. They want to seem appealing and only share whatever good qualities they have. They avoid anything that would make them seem less appealing."
This is a great example because it shows that most of the girls want to leave a lasting impression. They want others to only focus on positive attributes and ignore anything that could make them seem unappealing. Another example is:
"I struggle to open the child proof door so one of the girls opens it for me. I walk in. I am greeted by the girls. "You are early today" says one of the girls. I know, I got off work early today, so I decide to come in early."
In this example, one of the girls helps me open the door and then talks to me in a friendly manner. She is showing me that she is nice which indicates that she wants me and others to think of her as a pleasant and helpful person. The last example is not very positive but is still a good example of presentation of self:
"Most of them do not trust me yet. I can tell because they look at me a lot. I can feel them judging me. They also ignore some of the things I say. I only know two girls here. The other two that are friendly are just being nice. They make eye contact and respond when I say something."
Some of the girls are showing me that they don't like me, and they do not care if I am there or not. However, there are two girls who are showing me that they like me and are being nice and polite. Some of the girls are presenting themselves as rude while others are trying to show their best attributes, so I can like them.
Definition of the Situation
By defining the situation we are making sense of things that shape how we act. However, the definition of the situation is not just how we view things but includes how other people see the world. As a result, defining something can be difficult because sometimes the meaning is hidden or is ambiguous. It is also important to note that everyone's reality is subjective; one person's reality might be different then someone else's. Here is one example of definition of the situation:
"During this time all the girls are quiet. They do not exchange any words with each other. Some of them get on their phone. While the facilitator talks, they all look at her and do not look at their phones or look around the room."
This is a great example because even though it isn't thoroughly explained how everyone should act, everyone knows what they are supposed to do. Its almost as if everyone has a shared reality of how they should behave. Another example is:
"The group provides a place where girls can share their emotions. Everyone who attends is here for support not only from the church and facilitators but also from each other. Those who attend seem to have the same understanding of how the group works."
All the girls who attend seem to have a common understanding of what the group is and what it represents in their lives. However, everyone's reality might be different, one girl might go for support while another might go give someone support. The last example is:
"Everyone who attends this group comes together to feel accepted and feel like they are a part of something. Every time the girls show up they all seem content. The group is not mandatory, but they chose to join anyways."
This example shows that most of the girls have defined what group means to them in the same manner. The group isn't mandatory, yet people still attend because it brings them together.
Thick Description
Thick description is the process of paying close attention to specific details in the environment. When doing an observation, it is sometimes helpful to write down everything you see. Some of the things I wrote about in great detail were the parking lot, the childcare center, and the room the group meets in. Here is one example of thick description:
"I park my car in the main parking lot near the front entrance. This side of the church building has about 40 parking spaces. Only 10 of them are occupied. I see a familiar car, a grey SUV I know belongs to one of the group's facilitators. I get off of my car. I walk over to the back and get my 4-year-old daughter off."
Here I am describing the layout of the parking lot. The description isn't really important which I why I listed it as thick description. Another example of thick description is:
"I can see that the lights to the child care building are on. We walk over to the brown building with giant windows. There are three doors. The first door says INFANTS in bold black letters. The second door says TODDLERS in white letters. The third door says SCHOOL AGED in dark blue letters. Only the middle door has its lights on. I think the kids are in there. I walk in and see that they have set up a table with snacks."
In this part I am describing the child care building, including specific detail is very important. The last example of thick description is:
"The reader is a turquoise blue color and has a butterfly and a young woman with a child. The work book is pink and is much bigger. It also has a picture of a young women with a child. The journals are black with sparkly stars. The insides are blank. They are used to take personal notes. She calls out names and passes out three books to each member."
Here I am talking about the books we use in group; the specific color lets me identify what book we used during participant observations.
Interview
The analysis for this part of the research project was a lot easier than the ethnography, partly because I had a clear checklist of questions that I followed throughout each interview. The checklist made it easier to identify where each theory was in the transcript, as a result, analyzing it with NVivo and creating nodes was easier and a lot faster than before. Again, the nodes I created with the data collected are: meaningful action, statuses/roles, frontstage/backstage, role exit and definition of the situation
Meaningful Action
Meaningful action is a way that people interact with each other. It is your reactions and how you choose to act or respond to others around you in a social situation. The first set of questions asked during each interview had to do with meaningful action. The first girl when asked: when you are in a group setting or situation how do you react to people around you? Responded with,
"I am actually very quiet and very shy. I think they ignore me because I am very quiet and shy. I don't really like people."
She was also asked: tell me a story of how you and others cooperate during conversations,
"Well I mean I answer their question as fully as I can."
This is an example of meaningful action because it shows how the participant acts in social situations and how she interprets her surroundings as well as how she thinks others see her. During the second interview the participant was asked similar questions: when you are in a group setting or situation how do you react to people around you? She answered with,
"I try to act as respectful as I can, like sometimes my body picks up on their vibe. If there in a bad mood I can sense it and I won't mess with them. You know can't play around with them today so just try to play it off as best as I can, so I won't get people upset. If there in a good mood, I'll be like cheer for them and stuff".
This is also an example of meaningful action because it shows her reactions to others in the group, she is clearly following certain rules that people in the group would react to in a positive way. The third participant was also asked: when you are in a group setting or situation how do you react to people around you? She responded,
"Honestly, I'm very outgoing, and when I'm around people I don't like, I like to set the mood to just like have a very happy environment around people."
She was also asked: How do people react to you; how do people react to you trying to set a good mood? She stated,
"Well most of the time it's very positive and they do for example if I meet someone new, they tend to be more friendlier instead of being more serious, so I think that just opens up more like it's me being more open to people that way they can be open themselves."
This is clearly an example of meaningful action because she wants others to react to her mood and interpret her as a happy person. She is clearly choosing her actions in reaction to other people.
Statuses and Roles
Roles are made up by society and help society function. Each role has a given status that has duties and responsibility assigned to it. In this particular group the statuses that could be identified are those of a child care worker, a facilitator, or a group member. The group is made up by girls who hold statuses that include wife, mother and friend. The second set of questions asked during the interviews had to do with statuses and roles. The first girl when asked: who are you, how do people see you in your group and who are you in society? She responded,
"I really have no idea, I'm not them. I know I'm shy but once people get to know me, I can be kind of obnoxious. So, I don't know I'm probably the weird one honestly. In society probably just, the stay at home mom".
In this part she is clearly identifying her statuses. Within the group she holds the status of the shy one but also the weird one. In society she is simply viewed as a stay at home mom. She was then asked about her roles: What do you do as a stay at home mom? She stated that,
"You're a nurse, a chef, a maid, you take care of the household, you take care of your little minions."
I then asked her about roles in the group: Okay what do you do in your group specifically, is there any specific roles? She stated that,
"So the facilitators are pretty much like they give us information, they try to help us out with anything they can, they in a way like construct the lessons for the group, they bring us food and everything. They have daycare, so and then the girls were just there to I guess learn like have the support to be like a better parent and as well as getting closer to god."
Here we can clearly see the roles that she can identify in her own life as well as in group. Her role as a stay at home mom is to cook, clean and care for her children. Her role at group is to learn and listen to the lessons constructed by the facilitators. The role of the facilitator is that of a leader, they have to run the show and take care of the girls. The second participant was asked similar questions. She was asked: who are you, how do people see you in your group? She responded with,
"I am a mom, housewife, sister, daughter, and just someone who is happy all the time. Probably as the kind one the one with the big heart, like a motherly figure and people come to me for advice often."
This is an example of statuses she has identified in her life. These informal statuses have been given to her by society, she is a mother, a house wife and someone who is happy all the time. She considers herself someone with a big heart and people in her group have labeled her as such; she is a motherly figure to them. I followed up with questions about roles, I asked her: Can you give me like a few specific things that you do as a stay at home mom? She stated,
"I get the kids ready, I cook, I clean, I make my husband lunch for work, and I'm basically a slave to my house."
I then asked her about group: What do you do in your group? She responded,
"We have different curriculum, like as of right now we are reading books and were just learning about how to make ourselves a better person basically. How to become a better mom or wife or a person in general in society."
These are examples of roles because she is sharing what people expect of her. At home she must take care of her household by cooking and cleaning, while at group her role is to learn and become a better person. The third participant was also asked a set of questions that discussed different statuses and roles. She was asked: who are you, how do people see you in your group, who are you in society? She responded with,
"I'm a mom, my group views me as a mom, and society views me as a mom".
This is an example of an informal status given to her by society because it wasn't appointed, it's a status that just happened naturally. I then asked: Can you tell me a little bit of what it is being a mom, what are your roles of being a mom, what do you do that gives you the title of mom? She stated,
"I think it's just caring for your baby your child being for example, actually being a mom is a lot because you go form one role to another role. You're not just one thing. For example, if my child gets hurt you need to think as a nurse, okay I need to go get the band aid or I need to go get this you know. If your kids going through a tough situation you need to be like a therapist and sit down and talk to them that way, they are able to communicate with you, Tambien (Spanish: also), their learning from you you're a teacher. They are learning everything from you everything that you do on a daily basis they are eventually going to do it themselves."
This is clearly an example of roles because it's not only what her group expects of her but what society expects her to do. As a mom her role is to teach her child, care for him, and make sure he/she is okay psychologically.
Frontstage and Backstage
We separate our frontstage from our backstage, majority of our acting takes place in the frontstage, where we try to impress or fit in with others. In the backstage we can contradict or ignore our frontstage acting. The backstage can give us an area where we can be ourselves and express our true feelings. The third set of questions had to do with frontstage and backstage performances. The first participant was asked: how do you prepare for group? Before you enter like the group setting what are the steps that you do before you do that? She responded,
"It's always whish-washy like they accept you to go in your pj's and whatever, but I'll go casual and I'll go dressy sometimes just depending on how I feel. If I don't have prior arrangements for daycare, I do take the kids to their day care and then I just walk into group and sit down and wait until we start and have conversations with people."
This is an example of frontstage/backstage, before she goes to group, she has to decide whether she wants to go causal or dressy. She then has to look for childcare before deciding to use their childcare facility. After that she goes into her frontstage performance by walking into group and sitting down patiently before they start. The second participant was asked: Do you ever like rehearse what you're going to say, or do you say Oh well I'm going to tell the group this today? She stated that,
"Well yeah, if anything exciting happens during my week I prepare a little what I'm going to share that was so exciting that happened to me. If I had something bad or like a down, I know that I would share this at group like you know if it was upsetting, I would like to see what advice they could give me to help me out."
This is also an example of frontstage/backstage, she is clearly practicing and organizing what she is going to say in the backstage before she goes to group. Once at group during her frontstage performance she can share her thoughts and feelings clearly and effectively; she can also ask for help. The third participant was asked: Are there any specific rules or guidelines that you follow when you're at group but not at home? She stated,
"Well having to go, well for example at home I'm able to more like a homebody just be home chilling having my hair down just you know if I want to be in my pajamas, I can be in my pajamas all day. As in if I go to group that's when you know you have to change get ready and actually go out and be more responsible be more professional that way… I'm pretty sure a lot of people do that especially when they go to group, so they won't be judged."
This is also an example of frontstage/backstage because she acts differently when she is at home versus when she is at group. At home is able to relax, hangout and not feel any pressure; however, at group she must dress nice and act responsible and professional.
Role Exit
Role exit is the ability to switch roles in life and throughout the day. Roles are not set in stone therefore we are able to easily move from one role to another. For some, role exit can be difficult especially in conflicting situations. Role exit is proof that drastic changes can transform our behavior. For role exit each participant was asked questions that go with the theory. The first participant was asked: have you had any major changes that affect how you behave; can you think of anything specific? She responded,
"Just going on with life and I'll put it as traumatic experiences have changed my view on life and change my view on pretty much to behave like I had to grow up real quick was still living with my parents and they did not kick me out but they advised me that I would have to get out on my own to pretty much see how it feels to be able to support myself and my family by myself without support so we actually did that and then we actually kind of moved in to like a hostile environment unintentionally and then so we had to move back in with my parents but yeah having kids at a young age makes you grow up real quick."
This is an example of role exit because she had to go from being a young teenager to being a mom in a matter of months. This transition in roles definitely affected her behavior and switched up her roles in life. The second participant was asked: Would you say your behavior changes from one place to another, is the transition difficult? She responded,
"yes when I'm at work I'm more professional I do my job and that's it you know I try not to talk to anybody. At home I'm open got to act like a mom and get everyone ready you know. Maybe when I first started because I didn't know or expect how the job would be but after like a week or two It came natural and I already knew okay I have to do this, so it comes naturally I guess after a while."
This is also an example for role exit because she starts off her day as a mom then quickly exits that role and enters the role of an employee. At first, she had trouble and was a bit resistant to the change but after a while it came natural to her. The third participant was asked: tell me a story of how your behavior changes throughout the day, so how do you go from one change to another? She stated,
"It's not difficult it's just pues ya saves (Spanish: You already know) when you're at home you have your well you know how you are at home you have your attitude well not your attitude but your more laid back at home but when you go to work for example when I have like bank days when I have to go to the bank I feel like I have to act more professional when I'm at the bank and I just well my mood changes there so like once I get to work I'm like okay I'm at work I get to do more stuff at work."
This is also an example of role exit, when at home she has a certain attitude; she's more laid back. When she is at work, she has to be more professional. She has to switch between those two roles throughout the day.
Definition of the Situation
In basic terms definition of the situation means "what is going on". In order to figure out what is happening around you, first you must assess what is happening. By defining the situation, we are making sense of things that shape how we act. Everyone has their own views and beliefs; therefore, the definition of the situation is subjective. It is subjective because not one interpretation holds truth, everyone has a different perspective of reality. All three participants were asked a set of questions that go with defining their situation. The first participant was asked: Have you noticed any type of differences or do they interpret things differently, like during certain situations that you can think of the way one person reacts is like totally different from another and your reaction is completely different from those too? She responded,
"Yes, I've seen it in the group. A lot of the girls in the group are a lot younger so I don't know how to put it, Yeah I would say were not like on the same level so if we come to a situation like I'm more of the like I have to know the facts and everything for that situation as to why the situation happened and everything and I take more of a I guess like a professional grown up glance at it because I did have to grow up young so not that I feel like I have more life experiences then them but a lot of the problems that the younger girls have gone through I have already gone through them myself so I have."
This is an example of definition the situation because everyone has a different perspective in the group. She views things like an adult while some of the girls there might still view things like a teenager. The second participant was asked: do people in you group have different beliefs, do they interpret things differently, do you get different reactions from one as opposed to another? She responded,
"Yes, everyone has different beliefs you know some people express them more than others so it's easier to tell some people I know there is a couple of people if something happens to one girl that other person might have more personal experience, so they feel like it touches home its more emotional and so they react more into it."
This is another example of definition of the situation because certain situations can shape how people act. In this case if a girl gives off the impression that she is sad she is shaping how people view her, additionally she is influencing how others will react to her. The third participant was asked: how are your reactions different from other peoples? She stated,
"Well it all depends on the situation but most of the time I am more laid back you know I try to be more open minded to a lot of situations and just be more calm especially if were not in a good situation I just want to stay more calm."
This is another example of definition of the situation because the impression of some situations and other props can shape how group members will act during conflicting situations.
Content Analysis
The analysis part of this paper was a bit difficult because some of the webpages had a lot of information to look at. I used NVivo, Ncapture, and my own transcripts to gather and analyze data. Again, the nodes I created with the data collected are: framing, grounds, warrants, conclusions, and cultural connections.
Framing
Frames are ways to present claims and social movements. These claims identify bad conditions and urge for social changes to fix the issues. Groups like to frame in order to build their claims. Groups will fix the issue in a way that is easier for the general public to understand. These constructed frames will help shape how people view the world; they give a real meaning to something some might not understand. A good example of a frame is,
"Breastfeeding the natural choice. Being a new mom is a huge adjustment. You may have a job, be in school, or both. You may wonder how breastfeeding can fit in with all that. Breastfeeding is the healthiest and most loving choice you can make for your baby, and it absolutely can fit in with your lifestyle. And remember, breastfeeding doesn't last forever, doing it for a year or more is encouraged, but you can nurse for the length of time that works for you. You're the only one who can breastfeed your baby. It's something special between just the two of you. Did you know? Breastfeeding feels natural and normal: it doesn't hurt! All new mothers make breast milk and can be great at breastfeeding, no matter their age. Breastfeeding only makes your breast feel different, not look different. You'll save money on doctor bill or missed work because breastfeeding moms and babies get sick less often. Breastfeeding helps you lose weight faster. And you don't have to follow a special diet- you can eat what you like and make awesome milk! Breastfeeding saves time. You don't have to prepare and clean bottles, and you can nurse while you eat, talk on the phone, etc. Breastfeeding is your right. Others may try to discourage you but know that you're choosing the very best for your baby when you breastfeed".
This is an example of framing because the group is trying to persuade young women to breastfeed. They want to normalize it even if some people might not agree. They use real life scenarios and language that is easy for everyone to understand. Framing is also a good way to get new members or get others to donate to your cause, here is another example of framing,
"Your giving is an act of trust and you want impact. When you donate to our organization every dollar counts down to the penny. Wouldn't it be nice to know how your precious donations are spent? For every dollar donated you create an impact on teen mothers which in return multiples its effects to many young mothers. And only ten percent of the donated amount goes to administration and fundraising, meaning that a full ninety percent of your contributions goes to transforming the lives of teen moms. Every young mother has the potential to do great things".
This is an example of framing because they are trying to reassure you of where your money goes, which will persuade you to donate more money to their group. They are appealing to people's values and beliefs by showing them what their money can do for young mothers in the community. Frames will also use cultural elements that people will find convincing. Here is another example of a frame,
"Where Potential Meets Opportunity. Meet student, athlete, mother and so much more. In June of her 8th grade year, at age 14 she found herself pregnant. Due to her pregnancy she was enrolled in continuation high school, where her teacher connected her with the teen program. Four years later she has grown and flourished in her journey as a student, an athlete, a mother, and a precious child of god. Thank you for sharing your story. During her freshman year of high school, she gave birth to her beautiful baby girl. She continued to attend school because there was a childcare center on campus, which allowed her to bring her baby with her. However, she wanted more. Through the support of the school district, she was able to transfer to a traditional high school, which included extracurricular activities. Changing schools has not been an easy task for her. Yet even though the challenges, she maintains a 3.0 GPA, is active in clubs, after school sports, and continues to be a member of the group".
This is an example of a frame because it is using a real-life success story to convince people about the group's positive actions. There are certain things that people might not understand; however, when using real life situations and combining that with the equal right to education, people will feel a cultural connection because it ties in to what they value most.
Grounds
Grounds are bad conditions that can be identified. They are usually fact based and argue that a social problem does in fact exist. They use vivid examples that describe the conditions of the issue in detail. Grounds also use numbers and statistics to measure the extent of the problem and show proof that it exist. Here is an example for grounds,
"This group empowers young mothers to graduate high school and break out of the cycle of poverty for themselves and their children. Only 38% of teen moms graduate high school. The number one reason girls drop out of high school is unintended pregnancy. In the United States, only 38% of teen mother's ever graduate high school and less than 2% graduate college by age 30. Women of color are most affected by teen pregnancy. Young women of color from low-income backgrounds are disproportionately affected by teen pregnancy. They face a cycle of poverty and young parenthood that clings on generation after generation. Navigating barriers to education alone is hard. Remaining engaged in school is hard for young moms. They face shaming from educators, punitive absence policies, and lack of support for moms who breastfeed".
This is a good example of grounds because it identifies the troubling conditions that surround teen moms. It uses examples that vividly describe their conditions. It also uses statistics to measure the issue, which shows the public that the problem is very real. Gourds sometime focus on the kind of people that are affected and provide real evidence about the troubling conditions. Here is another example of grounds,
"Mission not accomplished. The numbers are striking. Since peaking in the early 1990's, teen pregnancy is down 55% and teen births have plummeted 64%. There have been impressive declines in all 50 states and among all racial/ethnic groups. Despite this extraordinary national success story, nearly one in four teens still get pregnant by age 20 and progress remains uneven. Teens and young women of color still experience higher rates of teen pregnancy. The vast majority of the American public seems to recognize the challenges that remain and support additional efforts to prevent teen pregnancy".
This is an example of grounds because it focuses on teen moms of color. It also uses statistics to show that teen pregnancy has gone down but is still an issue in low income communities of color. Another example for grounds,
"Teen pregnancy disproportionately affects low-income communities and young women of color. Two out of every three babies born to teens in California are born to Latinas. Poor and low-income teens who make up approximately 40% of the adolescent population, account for 83% of teens who give birth. The communities that this group serves are primarily comprised of people of color and have high school drop-out rates. These communities struggle with issues of intergenerational poverty, decreased health outcomes, community violence, and little hope for a better life".
This is an example of grounds because it is fact based and uses example that call for public attention. They use statistics to show the extent of the problem. They also narrow their range and focus primarily on low income people of color.
Warrants
Warrants justify doing something about the problem. They carefully explain why something should be done to address the ongoing issue. Warrants will identify values and emotions and use that to target for change. Warrants are designed to convince people to take action by invoking powerful reactions such as shock or outrage. A good example of a warrant is,
"Many of these young mothers need assistance with basic necessities for themselves and their child. By helping them we will also be helping the community by developing strong and caring women, this programs purpose is to educate, support, and empower pregnant teens and young parents surrounding the ever-growing conversations around teen maternal public health issues and reproductive rights on a local and nationwide level".
This is an example of a warrant because if justifies why something should be done about the problem. They use examples to appeal to our values and emotions about helping children in need. Another example of a warrant is,
"The group is a weekly group where pregnant and parenting teens meet to talk and learn about meaningful topics with peers who understand their situation. Why should you this group? Members receive $10 weekly stipends. Additionally, members receive $50 for every twelve weeks they attend. Snacks and childcare is provided. Discover a supportive community of others who understand your situation and get support for setting and reaching goals for your future".
This is an example of a warrant because it invokes curiosity amongst nonmembers. It encourages them to join the group and receive help from the community. It also gives good reasons why someone should join the group. Another example of a warrants is,
"Over the past year, this group has helped 235 teen mothers in the Central Valley who gather once a week in small groups to learn about parenting, setting and achieving educational goals, and things like contraception and waiting to have another child until they are financially and emotionally ready. The group helps girls between the ages of 12 and 19, however the group's average age is 14 years old. Facilitators will get calls at 2 in the morning because our young women don't have somewhere to live, or because they are in an abusive relationship. A lot of them come from probation or foster care, so they are really young girls who are struggling to just make ends meet".
This is clearly a warrant because it carefully explains why young mothers need help. It uses emotional examples that go against our values and beliefs. If something goes against our beliefs, we are more likely to support the group that is trying to address those issues.
Conclusions
All claims must have an end, they all need a conclusion. Conclusions focus on helping those affected by an issue, they focus on both short term and long-term goals. Conclusions show extensive detail of what change can bring. In more basic terms, conclusions recommend changes and new polices in order to address the problem. Here is an example of a conclusion,
"Nationally, just 38 percent of teen moms' complete high school, which perpetuates a cycle of intergenerational teen motherhood and poverty, according to this group. However, 93 percent of the young moms in this program have completed high school or its equivalent. This group is hoping to increase the number of success stories in 2019 by doubling the number of young families it serves from 36 to 70. Donations from readers would help the nonprofit pay for healthy snacks and childcare during the peer and individual coaching sessions, space for the meetings and a year's worth of diapers and wipes for young mothers".
This is an example of a conclusion because it shows how the group is addressing the problem. They share how much success they have had and what they plan to change in order to keep addressing the problem of education and teen moms. Another example of conclusions is,
"Two local organizations will be working together for the year of 2018 and 2019. They will be providing assistance to young mothers in need. Many of these young mothers are ignored by their families emotionally and financially. Society can sometimes view them as a burden as well".
This is an example of a conclusion because it briefly shares what two organization will do for the upcoming year. These groups will be focusing on the young women affected by teen pregnancy. They are changing how they work and implementing new polices in order to address the problem. Here is another example of a conclusion,
"This group is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty for teen mothers and their children. It is our belief that having a baby as a teen is not a permanent barrier to success in school or in life. We believe that education is a key factor in breaking the cycle of poverty and through our program, we are opening the door for more young mothers and their children to achieve their full potential. The young women we serve participate in 18 months of one-on-one coaching and peer learning group. They focus on their educational path, develop life skills, deepen their knowledge of reproductive health, and grow their parenting skills, with a focus on early literacy for their children. We recognize the resourcefulness and resilience of our young mothers and partners with them to develop action plans, access services, practice their parenting skills, and ensure they are on track to graduate. Our participants forge strong connections with other young moms and build their belief in their ability to improve their futures through hard work and dedication".
This is clearly a conclusion because the group is focusing on those affected by the issue and has created a plan of action in order to combat the problem. They show in detail what change can bring, in this case it will lead to graduation and future success.
Cultural Connection
It is well known that claims must attract a certain type of culture and be consistent with a particular understanding. Everything has to match up with people's beliefs and how they view the world. In other words, in order to have support, group efforts have to align with how people view the world in order to gain attention. Every culture has their ideas about how the world should be and how it works. Here is an example of a cultural connection,
"This group transforms lives of young mother's one step at a time. Many young girls get pregnant before the age of 16, this groups mission is to provide a variety of support for young moms and their children. They work with two generations at a time. Their main goal is to support educational navigation. They encourage their members to get back in school and if they are in school, provide support for a successful graduation. This group believes that every child and young adult deserves to have a strong sense of value, the knowledge and ability to make positive decisions, a strong supportive network of community relationships, an age-appropriate education, and skills needed for success".
This is an example of a cultural connection because it is trying to attract the attention of people who value education and equality. In order to gain the publics, support they have to appeal to those who feel empathetic towards these young girls. Here is another example of a cultural connection,
"The Teen Mom program at our group seeks to serve young mothers in transforming their lives. Our group believes that every teen mother deserves an opportunity to be successful. To accomplish this, this group runs two programs for young mothers: one for mothers under the age of 18, and another for those 18 and older. Each year The Teen Mom programs serve more than 40 young mothers throughout the communities of California. Originally our groups Teen Mom Program started 15 years ago with the hopes of making a big impact on young mother's lives".
This is an example of a cultural connection because it discuss transforming the lives of young women. This would attract the attention of people who believe that women deserve opportunities to be successful. Another example of cultural connections is,
"This flyer is discussing wages earned by women. It says that Latina women only make 54 cents for every dollar paid to white men".
This flyer is trying to attract the attention of young Latina women so they can see what is going on around them and they can demand equal pay. This is an example of a cultural connection because it is specifically targeting Latina women. This flyer is attracting a certain type of understanding from one specific culture.
Conclusion
Developing an initial explanation was a great way to start my research project. Entering an already familiar group was not too difficult; however, gaining the girls trust once again has not been easy. Most of them have still not fully accepted as one of them, which made it difficult to find emotional connections between them and other members. During the observation the nodes I focused on were frontstage/backstage, presentation of self, definition of the situation, statues and roles, and thick description. Through frontstage and backstage I was able to identify different instances when the girls performed a certain way when in public but drastically changed when they were alone. Presentation of self showed me that some girls try to leave a lasting impression; they want people to view them in a positive way. The definition of the situation helped me understand that there are shared meanings people have. Those meanings help shape who they are and how they act in any given situation. Everyone has status and roles that have been created by society and help us communicate and interact with one another. Finally, thick description helps add detail to observations and fills in the gaps. It also helps you focus on things you wouldn't normally focus on that can be important for research. For interviews I focused on members from a church group. The members of this group are all young mothers in their twenties. This part of the project required three in depth interviews with different members. The total time of voice recordings added up to 45 minutes. The questions I used included mostly theory and focused on how individual group members think and behave. For the interview portion of the project I focused on meaningful action, statuses/roles, frontstage/backstage, role exit and definition of the situation. Overall, most of the girls answered my questions clearly and without problems. The last part of the project required a content analysis of thirty different sources. Due to technical difficulties, I was only able to gather and analyze twenty-seven sources. The theories used for this portion of the project focused entirely on claims and how they work to persuade people to act during social problems. The theories I focused on were, framing, grounds, warrants, conclusions, and cultural connections. Overall, most of the sources had valuable information, with the exception of a few flyers that had very little wording on them.
Bibliography
Best, Joel. Social Problems. W.W. Norton & Company, 2017.
Discovering Qualitative Methods: Ethnography, Interviews, Documents, and Images, Third Edition. 2014. Carol A. B. Warren and Tracy Xavia Karner
Dillon, Michele. Introduction to Sociological Theory : Theorists, Concepts, and Their Applicability to the Twenty-First Century, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csufresno/detail.action?docID=1566387.
Sandstrom, Kent L. Symbols, Selves, and Social Reality: a Symbolic Interactionist Approach to Social Psychology and Sociology. Oxford University Pres, 2014.
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Warren, Carol A. B., and Tracy X. Karner. Discovering Qualitative Methods: Field Research, Interviews, and Analysis. Roxbury Publishing Company, 2005.
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