Audio Elicitation

My idea of audio elicitation, supervised by ethnographic filming, serves the purpose of exploring the various, unique ways subjects interact with music and what the listening experience entails. Unknowingly, I initially performed this method in my first ethnographic film on DJ culture (many of these clips that show audio elicitation were not included in the final version). I asked Sam to explain album covers that he had taped to his wall and I got a brief history of the artist, when he purchased the cd, when he started listening to a particular artist, his thoughts of how they influenced rap music, and so on and so forth. Rather than simply asking one's subject what music they listen to, how they listen to music, when they listen to music, and why they do so, audio elicitation allows the subject to perform his/her listening experience. While the presence of the videocamera is not necessary, I believe that film is the best way to capture every experience that may not be witnessed by human observations. And yes, I do believe with the right camera angles and over a certain amount of time, EVERY experience in this particular situation can be captured by videocamera. It is difficult to explain this idea in a written format since I haven't done too much work expanding the idea and how I might format this method. Look out for a video on audio elicitation soon! ....real soon

Possible Grant Proposal for Fieldwork in BMore

(A montage of rap artists)

Describe your research question/hypothesis or research objective:

To what degree, if any, is socialization—the process in which societal identities are formed—of black youth in Baltimore City influenced by rap music? Given the idea that the mass media has a primary role in influencing elements of culture and shaping personalities and perspectives, I assert the likelihood that rap culture actively influences the cultural capital of black youth. Growing up around rap music in the latter ages of my youth, I became familiar with trends and styles that were ‘in’ as a result of a rapper’s appearance on a magazine cover or from the lyrics in a frequently played song on the radio. The commercialization of rap music additionally marked a growing relationship between endorsement deals and rap artists, thus forming marketing schemes that appeal to rap fans wishing to replicate materialistic identities. In focusing on only black youth I attempt to look at all aspects of black culture that converge with rap culture. Rather than general, mass-mediated popular music, the decision to specifically choose rap music and black inner-city youth allows me the opportunity to focus on historical, cultural, and socio-economic factors that may be buried or go unnoticed with a broader research population. It is important to understand that while rap music has undergone vast changes since its inception, especially with its emergence into mainstream society, rap music is still an element unique to black culture that speaks to values, lifestyles, struggles, and so forth experienced by members of the black community.

Describe the field you propose to study, define its boundaries, and explain any characteristics that will affect your research methodology:

There are four domains that require a definition of boundaries and an understanding of its cultural makeup to properly grasp their relationships with one another: 1) rap culture, 2) rap music, 3) black youth, 4) and Baltimore City. I use Tylor’s (1871) definition to assist in defining rap culture. “Culture, or civilization, taken in its broad, ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” Thus, rap culture is a conglomeration of these elements resulting in a creation of a unique way of life. Secondly, rap music itself is immensely difficult to define with recent genre fusions in music and even differing rap subcultures (Southern rap as compared to East Coast rap or ‘gangsta rap’ as compared to rap music that engages social and political issues). I will define rap music simply as music that embraces or embodies rap culture and is performed in a spoken, yet lyrical content by an emcee or a group of emcees to a beat. Thirdly, black youth I have designated as individuals between 13 and 20 who recognize themselves and are recognized by others as black, or African-American. I have no intention of restricting possible informants with interracial heritage as long as black culture is prevalent in his or her daily life. Fourthly, I decided to define Baltimore City, my field, within its current political designations, West, Central, and East Baltimore. After briefly studying various demographic and political maps of Baltimore, I found that West, Central, and East Baltimore encompass what is geographically and culturally understood as the inner city of Baltimore. While I do want to have an accurate and expansive selection of informants, I intentionally decided to refrain from selecting particular neighborhoods of study before establishing rapport and determining whether or not work in certain areas is feasible.

How does your research project build on previous research in anthropology/cultural studies, or closely related disciplines? Give specific examples of this research and its findings?

Although the field of rap music has not been extensively researched in the capacity of socialization and in disciplines like media anthropology, but the theories backing my research supplements beliefs of socialization and cultural capital held by Altheide and Bourdieu.

What evidence will you need to collect to answer your question? How will you collect and analyze this evidence?

I have selected several methods to help me define the relationships between Baltimore City youth culture and the culture of rap music. These methods will be employed in order to extract information regarding practices and actions of youth, and also attitudes and emotions. Attitudes and emotions are terms more commonly heard in social psychology, yet, ethnographic methods dealing with one’s sensory experience can equally extract useful data on cognition. Cohen states that self-knowledge can be attained and is not less important than social knowledge. He argues,

…although people’s self-knowledge is not easily available to the ethnographer, anthropology cannot continue to be written as if it does not exist, or is immaterial, or, even, is less important than ‘social knowledge’. People’s knowledge of themselves is of critical importance to us for without it we misunderstand them (1992, original italics).

With this in mind, I have extended the idea of photo elicitation to an audio format. This entails listening to a favorite rap album, for instance, and having the subject explain how they may feel about a particular album, how the album came into their possession, what was happening in their life at the time the album was received, or which lines are ‘quotables’. To understand one’s feelings in this context is to understand self-knowledge. In addition to audio elicitation, photo and video elicitation are individually unique in accessing certain forms of implicit knowledge. The goal here is to carefully organize and synthesize elicited information in order to conclude whether or not parallels exist between elicited attitudes and emotions and rap culture. Additionally, Hendrickson expands and explores the benefits of visual field notes as a way to supplement the ethnographer’s written notes. Whether she is drawing a conch shell or attaching an admission ticket to a description and sketch of an event, Hendrickson demonstrates how this can be especially helpful in remembering and organizing mass amounts of field notes, and since drawing is naturally reflexive, the ethnographer-as-tool can be critiqued as well.

Scissors, glue, and bits of the material world brought together on the plane of a journal page open up a universe of possibilities and enable the anthropologist to work as a bricoleur of fieldwork ephemera…The motivations for this sort of archival work vary and at different times reflect emotions, a sense of attachment, a recollection, a visual play, a classification, a kind of comment, and a general engagement with the materials and the ideas these carry (Hendrickson 2008:127)

Using visual field methods as employed by Hendrickson reduces the anxiety that ethnographer’s often express when attempting to later synthesize vast amounts of data. This echoes Malinowski’s approach to mapping out data originally gained through written notes and observations. By using a wide array of methods, I will attempt to tap into both social and self-knowledge. These methods will produce the evidence I need in collecting information from informants that parallel cultural artifacts and actions within rap culture.

What ethical concerns are raised by this project? How are you prepared for them? How will you protect the people with whom you work?

Ethical concerns over drug intake, alcohol usage, and illegal activities, especially when performed by minors, are my primary concerns with this project. There is the potential possibility that during my observations I may experience drug and alcohol use among my informants. Unless these activities prove detrimental to the informant’s mental or physical health, I do not plan to report what may be labeled as ‘problems’ to the authorities (parents, teachers, etc). My primary responsibility and trust goes to protecting my informants. After I finish my fieldwork, I intend to use fake pseudonyms to cover the identity of informants. In this way they are not implicated in whatever they may confide to me.

What contribution does your research make to the field (of either anthropology OR cultural studies)?

With most of my research being backed by theories of socialization and the effects of mass media, my research expands those two fields respectively. Assuming that my hypothesis is correct in that rap music socializes music, my proposed research of understanding to what degree this socialization occurs has the capacity to greatly supplement research within the field of media anthropology and other notions of agency and power. Also, fine-tuned research methods and my critical evaluation of the significance of these particular methods in particular situations make a considerable contribution in fieldwork methodology. This will help answer many questions, especially those that deal with the sensory experience and a push for visual anthropology. Anthropology will not be the only field to benefit from such research. Content analysis and the application of utilizing semiotics to understand visual symbols and representations may further critical research and look at new avenues in conducting analytical work. The greatest contribution, I believe, is the action of doing fieldwork in Baltimore, thus opening up more room for anthropologists and cultural studies scholars to carry out fieldwork in the inner city.

Poetic Fieldnotes

Fieldnotes are one of the many integral methods to ethnographic work in anthropology and other disciplines that attempt to gauge and explain an activity or event from the perspective of the notetaker/ethnographer. During a methods class, I was instructed to go out and take fieldnotes within the Baltimore community. Long story short, when I attempted to describe a tangible object, the outcome of the description looked somewhat similar to the simple sentences kindergartners write except my vocabulary was much more expansive. This can be partly attributed to the overwhelming pressure to write down as much as possible as fast as possible before the object moved out of sight or before something more important came along. Yet for the most part, this action of simply listing the colors, shapes, and patterns of objects were futile in providing an accurate description and portrayal of the described object. The perfect ethnographic description of something allows for the ethnographer to reread his/her notes time and time again while retaining a vivid understanding and feel of that item (especially after months have passed from the initial notetaking). A vivid understanding of anything entails that all senses are activated and utilized to better preserve the item in its entirety. And who better to orchestrate the perfect description of an event or activity than a poet?

True poets have the glorious ability to describe a cultural ritual like 'Washing Day' by painting a picture of the chores performed by the women and detailing the emotional and physical atmosphere. The most significant aspect of this poem is Anna Barbauld's portrayal of women, how they are treated on this unique day, and their role within the kinship system during this particular period in time. Learning and perfecting the art of prose is to gain enlightenment of the observed culture. I argue that poets were the first cultural anthropologists and still are. There are few people in the world who can articulate and arrange details in such a readable and recognizable form. Poetry should be taken seriously as a form of writing fieldnotes. While my knowledge of poetry is limited to British literature, I should not be dismissed as someone has not given this idea much thought. Think about it...

The Muses are turned gossips; they have lost

The buskin'd step, and clear high-sounding phrase,

Language of gods. Come, then, domestic Muse,

In slip-shod measure loosely prattling on

Of farm or orchard, pleasant curds and cream,

Or drowning flies, or shoe lost in the mire

By little whimpering boy, with rueful face;

Come, Muse, and sing the dreaded Washing-Day.

What if everyone had a camera?

I am kino-eye, I am a mechanical eye. I, a machine, show you the world as only I can see it. Now and forever, I free myself from human immobility, I am in constant motion, I draw near, then away from objects, I crawl under, I climb onto them. I move apace with the muzzle of a galloping horse. I plunge full speed into a crowd, I outstrip running soldiers, I fall on my back, I ascend with an airplane, I plunge and soar together with plunging and soaring bodies. Now, I, a camera, fling myself along their resultant, maneuvering in the chaos of movement composed of the most complex combinations.

- Vertov 1923

What's behind the camera?

Not only is there speculation and concern about reflexivity, but there is an equal amount of curiosity about the landscape, atmosphere, and depth perception of what the lens does not capture. Think about the first time you started driving. You had little to no perception of the parameters of the car. You feared backing up and hitting the car behind you, you raised your body to see where the front bumper ended, the right side of the car was a mystery when pulling alongside a curb, and to make it worse "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear." Although there were many things you were unsure of, you had somewhat of a vague idea of the car's body. The same goes for the parameters of the camera. The audience is aware of the activity that takes place within the frame, yet they only have a vague idea of what may be behind or to the sides of the camera. The filmmaker may pan to the left or to the right, and may even do a full 360º, but the environment is constantly changing as well as the expressions of the filmmaker. The Vertov quote above shows the extensive mobility a filmmaker possesses. This style of filming works to reveal as much as possible, but it does not reveal what is directly behind the camera.

Imagine being in an interview and having a camera recording you as you record the interviewee. There wouldn't be much need for reflexive methodology since the there is a camera from both cultures. This would be improbable to do with a larger group outside of 3-4 people, unless you are willing to spend the money to arm everyone with a camera. My thoughts are that it will alleviate the problems of representation and reflexivity, while fueling collaborative film. There is still a great amount to think about, but it is a start!

Digging through old files

This is really interesting because I was going through papers I had written Freshman year of college and I stumbled over this. As my interest in culture studies developed, I started thinking about doing an ehnography or research regarding the n-word. It is interesting to see how some of the same ideas and interview questions overlapped with that of my Racial Dynamics Project. In looking at this information I think that I may start working on an ethnography that solely focuses on the n-word. I will still finish the Racial Dynamics Project film for the Fall.

NOTES, OBSERVATIONS, & EPIPHANIES REGARDING THE INFAMOUS “N” WORD
- On Nov. 1 2008, I was riding in the back of the bus (irrelevant) when I heard a fellow band mate of European descent repeat lyrics she heard from a rap song of some sort using the “n” word. I was uncomfortable, furious, and sad all at the same time. I said nothing to her to avoid making a scene in front of her friends who encouraged her and let each articulation of nigga hit me like a blow to the gut. Whoever said sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me was an optimistic that lived in a fantasy world. I began to ponder the reason why this simple word did so much damage. I separated my attachment to the word and attempted to imagine how she viewed it. It became obvious that it was just a word to her, and to me it was a reminder of past sufferings by great grandparents and conflicts in my personal life. The attachment I have to the word is uniquely different than her attachment.

- As I write this I began to speculate the reasons she uses this word. A way to approach this was to observe the influencing factors in society’s media, which is a breeding ground for the “n” word. For example, rap and hip-hop music, YouTube videos, cartoon shows like The Boondocks, movies (American History X), etc.

- Among the black community, the word nigga and its variations can be a strong, unifying theme. Like nationalism between World War I and II in Germany, Italy, and other European countries, the word is so strong it gives a sense of unification, power, and a feeling of belonging. The question I would like to explore is “Do black americans say the “n” word solely (or partly) to feel like they need to belong, and branch out to others that say the “n” word because they feel misplaced in White America.

Questions to ask during informal and formal interviews to white americans:

- Have you ever said the “n” word? If so, why?
- If you have said the “n” word in a leisurely manner what is your justification for doing so?
- Have you ever said the “n” word to verbally abuse someone?
- In a general statement, what do you think about this word?

...to black americans:

- Have you ever said the “n” word? If so, why?
- If you have said the “n” word in a leisurely manner what is your justification for doing so?
- Have you ever said the “n” word to verbally abuse someone?
- Where did you learn/ hear the “n” word?
- What do you think about white people who say the “n” word?
- What does the “n” word mean to you?
- What do you think about non blacks and whites that say the “n” word?
- Are some people allowed to say the “n” word and others are not?

Racial Dynamics Project update

• I am currently watching and rewatching footage
• Taking notes on philosophies, perspectives, and experiences of the interviewees (I am not speculating or analyzing statements and ways of thinking yet. I am simply noting their views about racial issues)
• I have yet to take notes on the classroom discussion since I will have to analyze far more than individual perspectives, but also reactions to comments, particular ways of speaking, body language reactions, etc
• Beginning to notice correlations between interviewees and their views
• EVERYTHING they say is important data, even if it is incorrect/invalid or "different"

An argument against disturbing culture

Several anthropologists and ethnographers have stated that once you begin recording an event or person, you are interrupting, disturbing, or altering everyday life and culture (Pink 2007, Ruby 2000, & Rouch 1973). They state that a filmmaker cannot film based on the premise that he or she is invisible. In other words, the belief that you are filming what would normally happen without the presence of the camera is an incorrect notion. I agree to a degree. Yes, there are scenarios in which recording may be a social taboo/inappropriate or it may attract self-indulgence and 'acting.' This is likely to experienced when filming indigenous people, filming an event where people use cameras instead of video cameras, filming a group of people that may feel insecure about their looks, filming someone who wants to impress the camera, etc. However, this is not always the case. Americans, especially those who live in a large metropolis, are increasingly accepting to the presence of media and hypermedia. Of course this depends on the amount of exposure one has to media forms and other electronic capabilities. My argument is not that the camera now has the effect of being invisible in certain, rather it does not provoke a drastic behavior change among people who are 'hip' to technology. Once again, yes, there will always be the 'attention whore' (for lack of a better word) that may change his or her behavior to impress others, but this does not categorize most individuals who end up in front of a camera. Additionally, filmmakers have experimented with direct observation and other methods that allow the subjects to become indifferent to the presence of cameras and film crews. Obviously, this is not a sound argument, but my main reason for bringing this up is to criticize those who believe that the camera always changes one's behavior.

Edited film versus raw footage

As I started to review and take notes on the footage I had gathered from interviews and the class discussion on race, I noticed great benefits in raw, unedited film. Since nothing had been changed from the original footage, I could study every aspect of the film in its entirety. Also, because I knew of circumstances that cannot be determined solely from the footage (i.e., in depth personalities, social backgrounds, conversations outside of the frame, and my relationship with certain individuals), I immediately understand more than an audience would. This is not to say that I cannot add a voiceover to explain these aspects. However, without additional features, the film may be misinterpreted by an audience. Even with additional help audiences may still misunderstand the meanings in/intention of my film. So what's the point of showing this to an audience when all the data, in its unaltered form is available?

First off, no one wants to see unedited footage (unless you are conducting scholarly work). This hi-tech generation is very impatient and unsatisfied with long films that fail to entertain or stimulate the brain. As stimulating as topics on race are, my raw footage is probably not as captivating to an audience who knows nothing about me, Towson U, or my interviewees. And it doesn't help to be in the ethnographic/documentary genre since many people associate these films with words like boring and dull (however, creative filmmakers are experimenting to change these views). Nowadays, people expect to be entertained. Raw footage simply does not live up to those standards.

With that said, what type of film is more beneficial in respect to what I am trying to accomplish, edited or unedited? I started this project (after the firing of Allen Zaruba) with a few questions that can best be summarized into the following: Are there racial issues on Towson's campus between white students and black students? This question branched out into topics of racism, discrimination, affirmative action, etc. However, the main reason for conducting the interviews was to understand the extent of racial issues on campus. In this case, it would make more sense that I should use the acquired raw footage to simply analyze and make discoveries. At the same time, creating an edited version that is a detailed summary of all my footage, allows an audience to also understand racial dynamics on campus. Although I really want to create an edited ethnographic film, I will need to evaluate the reasons for doing so. More later...

Chris Rock & An Indirect Critique on Race & Comedy

(1:37 - 2:46)

I found the Chris Rock clip while reviewing my footage of the classroom discussion and I believe it sums up ideas of jokes about race. This theme is centered around the difference between a white person making fun of a black person versus a black person making fun of a white person. The class seemed to be in agreement on this particular topic.

My eyes are separate from the camera

While I am very influenced by Jean Rouch's philosophy on how the ethnographer-filmmaker should behave with the camera, I have several independent views, one in particular that sprouts from how I was brought up as a child. My parents were very persistent in demanding that when I speak to someone, particularly an elder, I look them in the eyes as a sign of respect and attentive listening. For the most part, I have always looked someone in the eyes when talking to them about a serious matter or in an attempt to understand what they have to say. When I first starting filming (before my interest in visual anthropology) I would look through the viewfinder or the LCD screen. I believe that this can be attributed to feeling as if this was that right thing to do. Outside influences showed that this is how professionals were always portrayed, so I naturally mimicked those behaviors. I continued filming in this manner until I was assigned to create my first ethnographic film freshman year. This time, when interviewing the subject, and only when engaging in dialogue with the subject, I would remove my eyes from the camera to make eye contact with the subject. In addition to this stemming from childhood habits, I found that eye contact relaxed the pressure and intimidation that the camera lens often places upon the subject. Occasional glances at the camera were necessary to make sure my hand did not get lazy and cut off the top of his head. In other words, I had to constantly make sure the frame was situated in appropriate parameters. However, when I was recording and Sam wasn't talking, my eyes focused on camera. One might ask, what happens when someone or someone interacts with/distracts you outside of the frame while you are filming? I noticed that this happened frequently and proved to be very problematic in some cases.

In filming the video above, there were times when active movement or conversation of others around me, who either paid no attention to the camera or demanded attention from it, briefly solicited my own attention. In the scene (4:37) where Sam is speaking to an experienced DJ, there are people everywhere who are preparing for the show. Emcees, DJs, sound engineers, and stage designers were moving in and out of the frame. Some minded their own business and others took an interest in the camera. The most notable "interference" with the footage is when the young emcee stands in front of the camera (6:12) and says "Ay, Mr. Cameraman. Old Lil Wayne, not new Lil Wayne. New Lil Wayne is garbage." In this situation I paid little attention to him because I felt as though the real conversation was going on between the other performers. This was perhaps an ill-conceived move. I often wonder if I should have devoted more attention to his comment, but at the same time when one is listening to a conversation, one does not always turn to listen to secondary influences and background noises. I quote Rouch in this respect to allow one to understand my reasoning for choosing to half-heartedly acknowledge the "interruption". Steven Feld quotes Rouch,

To return to the terminology of Vertov, when I make a film I "film-see" (ciné-vois) by knowing the limits of the lens and the camera; like wise I "film-hear" (ciné-entends) by knowing the limits of the microphone and the tape recorder; I "film-move" (ciné-bouge) in order to find the right angle or exercise the best movement; I "film-edit" (ciné-monte) throughout the shooting, thinking of how the images are fitting together. In a word, I "film-think" (ciné-pense). [Feld 1989:234, in original emphasis]

I know I mentioned earlier that my a few of my views were independent from Rouchean methodology, however this quote best explains what happened and why I made the decision I did. For the moment I press record, I am capturing and ingesting the recorded material. At the same time, I am also figuring out where I want to point the camera in the context of the conversation.In "thinking of how the images are fitting together" I felt the comment about Lil Wayne was inconsistent with the dialogue about dancing/club music versus non-dancing/club music. In what I had conceptualized, his comment was irrelevant. This is an avenue I have certainly not mastered; "film-think". My detachment from the camera, insofar as not looking through the viewfinder or LCD, influences how I "film-think" and questions how I can properly capture what is ethnographic.

A peek into my ethnographic research

An update in the ethnography

I had my sixth interview with Adam Jackson, most notable on the Towson campus for his involvement in student organizations and being the columnist of "The Adam Jackson Report". I'm not going to comment too much about my thoughts on the interview and his ideas because I'm still developing my degree of objectivity and reflexivity. Because I am a black American, I have very, very, very strong issues concerning race and who should and should not say the n-word. I actually have spent the last 3-4 years of my life refusing to say the n-word after an epiphany in high school. In talking to these six men pictured above, my ideas have been both challenged and reaffirmed. So at this moment I am trying to find a good boundary between being a young black adult in everyday life and striving to be an anthropologist. As an ethnographer-filmmaker my goal is to create films allowing you to see the "big picture" through individuals and their lived experiences.

Additionally, representation is something I have struggled with since the beginning of this project. How many white people should I interview? How many women? What about other races and ethnicities that aren't black or white? Are interviews too limited? Should I film a classroom? Does representation even matter? It seems almost obvious to declare, "Yes, representation matters!" However, how can I acquire full representation on these racial issues? The answer is, I can't. I'm not going to be able to easily find someone who has ideas that greatly counter Adam Jackson or someone who's political views differ from Alex Peak. But to some extent I should try and have a wider range of voices from various backgrounds. I'm still scratching my head about this, but it will become more clear as I analyze the current footage.

Racial Dynamics on TU Campus: an ethnography

[top right to left: Alex Peak (member of College Libertarians of Towson), Chris Reed (psychology major), and Deverick Murray (president of Black Student Union]

[bottom right to left: Kyle Bavis (Resident Assistant) and Robert Smith (member of Caribbean Student Association)]

This ethnography was sparked by the firing of Allen Zaruba who said "nigger" when referencing a quote in his class, which gained a significant amount of media coverage (SEE The Washington Post, The Towerlight, and MrSoulInblack on YouTube). To me, racial epithets and incidents seem to be unusually high on the Towson University campus and this incident, specifically the aftermath, confirmed it. In the four semesters that I have been a student at Towson, accusations of racism has never been an outright problem, until racial slurs were written on doors and whiteboards in the dorm rooms. However, racism doesn't appear to be openly prevalent and I believe that not all actions of vandalism are racially motivated. Thus, I noticed racial tensions presented themselves in commentary and evaluation of these actions with peers, through Facebook statuses, comments on the Towerlight, and occasional discussions in classrooms. Of course these were my opinions so they were hardly an accurate representation of the racial dynamics on campus. As an anthropology major, I was self-motivated and felt like I had somewhat of an obligation to begin an ethnography that would allow ethnographic accounts to reveal macro phenomenon. Since that spark, I have conducted five interviews (pictured above), educated myself on the socio-historical aspect of Nigger, read Black Anxiety, White Guilt, and the Politics of Status Frustration, spoken with professors regarding my work and help I may be able to receive, and I have monitored the Towerlight website when an article is published regarding race or ethnicity. I am working to interview more people who I believe may have an interesting perspective on race, but other than that the project will be over soon. I will edit in the summer and I hope to be able to feature my ethnographic film in a film festival in the Fall. The presentation of this film does not mean it is finished. I plan to continue interviewing and branching out into different aspects of race in general. This is only the beginning of my interest in racial issues in America.