Thoughts on Chapter 1 and 2

I have decided to keep a writing journal for my research on my family and use this blog for class thoughts and thoughts on the reading material too. The library tour was so very helpful and it was so exciting to start researching on the library genealogy system.
It is helpful to read about journaling in the first two chapters in our Fieldworking book. I'm learning that I need to write everything down that seems like it could be relevant to my project. I realize that while I am researching, how do I know what I will need when I am ready to put together the final project and I certainly can't go back and recreate everything I come across if I don't write it down. I might try the double entry system and write down facts on one side and my thoughts and perspectives on the other side. I think that will make it easier to go back and look for certain things that I might need when I'm writing.
To me, fieldworking means studying in depth whatever I am attempting, but it means including the people within the project. It reminds me of a sociology project in a way because of the people context. The examples in the reading are interesting because they have shown an outsider perspective, but also to a smaller extent, an insider perspective. I think it is assumed that doing a genealogy project would show an insider perspective because we know our family best more than anyone else. But then, how well do we know our family? The further the generations go back, the less we know our family and it does become more of an outsider perspective. On the other hand, we are so caught up thinking that we know our families, that stepping back and approaching some of the research as an outsider might uncover things that we can't see as an insider. I think that we need both the insider and the outsider perspective when we write about our family because it will add a balance and a fullness to our writing that won't be there when we are too close to the subject and if we write just from an insider perspective.
Genealogy is different than family writing because genealogy focuses more on the facts of a family line and usually is more narrowly defined. Family writing tells more of the story that mere facts can't bring out. Family writing puts the genealogy in context of the time period, makes the people real where genealogy shows a lineage, but isn't focused on the people themselves and their lives.
As I do write in my journal on the research, I will try to keep in mind and answer the three questions of 1) what surprised me? 2) what intrigued me? 3) what disturbed me?

Chapter One of Fieldworking - Subcultures

It is easier to define a subculture on someone else. I had to think of what subcultures I belong to. I do have a specific church I attend so that would be one subculture of mine. In this church group, we share specific rituals such as attending services every Saturday together in the morning. We usually have a potluck following the service. It is a standing joke that while officially we have a potluck only once a month and snacks on the other days; it is impossible to tell the difference because it usually is the same amount of food. We keep certain religious days together throughout the year and certain days that others might keep, we don't keep. We share a common behavior within our subculture with our dietary laws of not eating certain foods. In my church group, I could use acronyms for words such as FOT or DUB and anyone within the group would know what that stands for. If I mentioned Worldwide, other members would know that I was referring to the church's past history, not some global event. So this subculture can be quite well defined.

Another subculture I belong to is the auctiongoers group of people. This is not so well defined and a much more of a loose connection than the church group. There are certain understood rules that most abide by. You get there early to scope out what you are interested in. The same ritual is required to get a number so you can bid. It is understood that once you buy something, you are responsible for it, but almost all the people respect boundaries and don't touch what you have bought. You can make deals with what has been bought at the auction if the two parties are agreeable in both reselling and buying. Everyone knows that you have to be fast and don't wave or gesture during bidding if you don't want to buy something. Bring containers such as boxes and bring extra help to cart stuff out and to help bid when there are several rings going at the same time.

It is interesting to think in terms of subcultures because any group that we belong to can be a subculture even where we work, go to school and within our family.

Start of the Search

My first step has been accomplished with the creation of this blog. Now to start adding in information about my search that has been started on my family history.