Choosing Your Field Site

Picking your field site is one of the most important things you will do in this class. You are choosing a site that will be the topic of your research for this semester; if you choose a site that has a subculture that is fascinating for you, you will enjoy your research. If you enjoy yourself, chances are that you will put more time and energy into your research, which will result in a better grade for you. Follow these guidelines for choosing your field site.

Choose a site you feel a connection with. This may mean choosing a site with a subculture you have had a lifelong interest in, or it may mean picking a site with a subculture you have recently become curious about. You may choose to “step in” to a site that is unfamiliar to you, or you may choose to “step out” of a more familiar site.

Chose a site that you can reasonably “step in” and “step out” of. Sites such as your church, your fraternity, your sorority, or your job will be too difficult to research because you have such strong loyalties and commitments to the people there. You are so much a part of those subcultures you will not be able to remove yourself enough to write about them. It is also more interesting to find out about something new. Also strong negative feelings about a site can hinder your research. If the subculture at a site makes you very angry, upset, or repulsed, your feelings can get in the way of research.

Choose a site that is easy for you to access. You must pick a site in the State College area that you can access many, many times throughout this semester. You may be interested in mountain climbers or circus clones, but if you cannot easily access these people throughout the semester, you will not be able to complete your research. Also, you may need special permission to conduct research at some sites, such as public schools. If you cannot quickly and easily obtain permission for your research, you will not be able to finish assignments.

Choose a site with a distinct subculture. Sites like airports, malls, and restaurants may cause problems for you because the people who frequent them have no connection to these sites. The more public a site is, the more difficult it can be to find a subculture. Also, if a site is too private—for instance, a group of close friends or a family—it may prove difficult to research. Ask yourself these questions when choosing your site: Do people at the site share feelings of belonging? Would they identify themselves as part of a group linked to that site? Do they use insider language? If your answers are no, your site does not have a distinct subculture.

Choose a site that you can enter. Some field sites contain a subculture that is so closely knit that you cannot “step in” enough to conduct your research. Such a site might have a subculture that is too private or too hostile for you to talk to people or to just hang around and observe. Make sure your site has people that will be willing to give you information.

Choose a site, rather than a topic. In this class, you will need to conduct field research, which means that you should start with a specific place you are going to research. Having a specific site will give you the opportunity to observe a subculture and interview its members, as well as to conduct library research and develop theories. Simply having a topic will lead you to a typical library research paper, which is not the object of this class.

Choose a safe and legal field site. Some field sites may seem like interesting topics for your research, but illegal or dangerous activities that go on there make your research a hazard. Other sites might be dangerous to visit alone or at night. Think carefully about whether your site is safe enough to visit with no worries. In addition, make sure that your observations of the subculture are legal, (for example, do not choose to observe a bar if you are under 21.)

It could be beneficial to choose a site that relates to your future career. Previous students have had success networking and learning more about a future career by choosing a field site related to that field of study.

Be unconventional and creative. If you have an original idea for a field site that sounds interesting to you, I am willing to work with you if at all possible to make it happens.

Research can be very enjoyable if you are excited about what you are studying—choose carefully, and have fun!