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Studying Gender in the Field

  • Jan. 27th, 2004 at 6:43 PM
Default #2
I decided to enroll in my least favorite seminar, Studying Gender in the Field. Involved is a semester-long research topic by the student, in which we select a place to observe people and observe how gender plays a role.

Our first fieldnotes are due tomorrow, and I have not selected anyplace yet.

I've decided to do my first fieldnotes about my bus ride home (maybe also to school if I need more material), but I would like to pick a better place that's more interesting.

Actually, I wanted to do a project on how gender plays a role in online communities, but I just can't see how to go about observing that just yet. I also think there are a fair number of people online who withhold information regarding their gender or sex, so it might be even more difficult to see how gender operates when that bit of information is obscured. Course, if I managed to find a way (or if someone has a good suggestion!), doing fieldnotes would be a hell of a lot easier.

Other (offline) suggestions: restaurants, campus clubs/organizations, workplace (if I could find a job), a church I'm not familiar with, the BART...

Save me and make a suggestion. Please.
  • Mood: rushed

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[info]kaypoisson wrote:
Jan. 27th, 2004 06:55 pm (UTC)
when i read that, the first thing that came to mind was either the grocery store or Home Depot.

also, is that a new icon?? it looks GREAT
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[info]ilubmoney wrote:
Jan. 27th, 2004 07:58 pm (UTC)
Why, thankee. 8)
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[info]thelighteternal wrote:
Jan. 27th, 2004 06:55 pm (UTC)
hah!
IRC channels... the most AMAZING gender-based behavior I've ever seen...
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[info]ilubmoney wrote:
Jan. 27th, 2004 07:45 pm (UTC)
Re: hah!
Any IRC channel?
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[info]diasphora wrote:
Jan. 27th, 2004 07:07 pm (UTC)
Hi, there. I'm reading this through [info]feelthesin's Friends page.

I know you've kind of ixnayed the online idea, but I've heard that online-game sites/communities are ridiculously hard on gamers who admit that they're female (They're usually a rarity, or at least a massive minority). Often there is so much harassment and taunting and medievalesque disrespect that the female either ends up leaving completely or coming back as a new person with a genderless identity.

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[info]ilubmoney wrote:
Jan. 27th, 2004 07:44 pm (UTC)
Really now? What sort of online gamer communities are these? Can you refer me to any particular sort?

I'm aware of a community on LJ for female gamers. Maybe I should go ask them...
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[info]diasphora wrote:
Jan. 28th, 2004 07:24 pm (UTC)
Damn, somehow I didn't find this until now. :-( argh.

Well, I think I'm thinking of stuff like that 'Everquest,' but I'm not sure on the specifics. [info]feelthesin was the one who told me about the whole issue.

I'm also thinking it happens a lot in online roleplaying. That whole entertainment base seems very male-dominated, so whenever a female comes along, she's usually a massive target.
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[info]thelighteternal wrote:
Jan. 28th, 2004 12:04 am (UTC)
weeelll..
there's that sort, and then there's the "i am a girl, you are all desperate geek boys, supply and demand says that i can now be a total manipulative wench and that's okay because i have ___ anatomy".


i've seen that one plleeenty of times.
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[info]namosi wrote:
Jan. 27th, 2004 08:28 pm (UTC)
What about comparing how gender plays a role in different ethnic groups? Like a mall frequented mostly by caucasians versus a mall frequented mostly by Asians? Or are you not allowed to do anything with ethnicity?
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[info]ilubmoney wrote:
Jan. 27th, 2004 08:43 pm (UTC)
As long as I cover gender, I'm good. :)

I am definitely considering studying the intersectionality of race and gender. The only problem with it is that if I'm studying an ethnic group that's not Asian, I would stick out like a sore thumb and might not be able to attain the sort of trust and access an ethnographer needs.
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[info]dementia wrote:
Jan. 27th, 2004 10:47 pm (UTC)
The IRC channel I would suggest is of EFNet, where I used to play. I'd suggest either #ndallas or #submission, two channels that are pretty active. Makes for some interesting stuff really.
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