Assignment task: Observation of a Culture
This paper will be based on your observation, for at least an hour or two, of a specific cultural setting. Observe this setting and apply course material to what you see around you. You can choose a setting for the culture you are part of (i.e., insider perspective) or not (i.e., outsider perspective). Some examples of the settings are a wedding, a religious service, a restaurant, etc. But the setting could be also something as mundane as Starbucks, in case you want to observe the mainstream American (or New Yorker) culture. Select a setting that is likely to present behaviors you can analyze based on a range of course concepts, has potential to provide a lot of rich information, and would be interesting for you to write on.
In your paper (about two pages), describe the setting, the people who are part of it, the behaviors you observed, or the interactions you were a part of. Analyze your observations in terms of relevant course ideas or concepts (this analysis should be the main part of the paper). Make sure to explain cultural psychology concepts and how they apply to observed phenomena. Use at least 2 references from the course assigned materials, or any other sources.