Site for participant observation (give enough detail to really describe it)
Initial Questions (complete BEFORE you go to the site)
What appeals to you about this site?
The church has aged properly; it has been established for a few years now.
The presence of one of the largest congregations around the area.
The church participates in several other activities apart from the Sunday services, thus have more to offer in terms of study.
What concerns or anxieties do you have before setting out?
Hostility from the congregation. Many people are not happy about being observed and studied.
Alienation; I was afraid that I would look out of place in the church thus interfering with my ability to observe keenly.
I was afraid that if the church members realized that I was conducting a research they would send me away.
What do you hope to find out about? What specifically anthropological questions do you have as you set out?
(Questions involving, for example, issues of personhood, agency, social roles, symbols, rituals, authority and power, sexuality, economic survival, etc.)
Gender roles as depicted in the church
Flow of power and authority
Dress code
Activity conducted on every church day
Sensory experience
Inside the church there is a very religious experience, clam and quite
The temperature is moderate inside
Movement
The movement inside the church during the service is very controlled
However after the service outside the church people move freely and interact
Persons
Most of the congregation are African American,
There are however different people from other ethnic backgrounds
The different categories of person by age or race interact freely in this environment
Activities
Normal church occurrences such as singing and praying
Friendly interactions after the prayer service
My participation
Took part in singing and praying
I was also involved in other miscellaneous activities that occurred during the service
Verbal Interaction
People are very free with each other after the Sunday service hence speak much
I had a few interactions with people my age in the form of saying hello
Most of the conversations I took note of were caring and religious in nature
Initial conclusion
The church provides good study area
There are a couple of activities conducted during the Sunday mass
The people do not seem to be hostile
