Critical Perspective on 24/10/13

Part 1- Primary Research: Fieldwork
 We had formed groups of 4/5, identified , agreed & planned sites and filled the Risk Assessment forms. We had agreed on the date & time of visit, identified and agreed what we were going to view and how we would record findings.

Part 2- Primary Research Approach: Participation or Observation
Observational Research ( Ethnographic) - positions the researcher as separate from or external to the cultural practices being studied.
Participant observation allows the researcher to take part in the cultural practices being studied. e.g.he/ she may interview the artist.
 Both approaches require planning and methodical execution.
As a group we need to decide whether we are observing or participating.
If participating then we need to be aware of some factors that can affect our research such as:

• How we dress may impact on how we are treated
•  consider how we will record our findings
• consider the ethics of how we record e.g.take consent if recording or filming
• carry our student id
• avoid taking pictures of children without their parents' consent
• not all apparently public spaces allow photography, so take permission

Part 3- What do you look at and why
 A list of factors that can affect our experience of the site:

• structure& style of building
• lighting: source, angle, colour
• environment and ambient noise ( background un-intentional sounds)
• deliberate sounds( e.g. piped music. Playing music requires license which in turn can affect the costing of the store)
•  how is the movement through the space/ gallery being controlled ( e.g. via marked routed like in Ikea, tiled and carpeted areas in stores)
• approx. temperature in the venue- does it affect how long we stay in there

What do we look at:

• surrounding shops
• smells
• explanatory notes ( gallery/ exhibition guide)including details about the artwork, its typeface, scale, medium.
• branding of the wider space
• other consumers/ viewers, their approx. age, dressing, ethnicity, gender, class.

Part 4- Seminar Task

• We had to make a list of different factors impacting our experience as the viewer/ consumer at the sites we had chosen to visit
• consider how we could record and how we should record our findings
•  take the notes to our seminar.