Unit VIII The Worlds of Work and Play
Lesson 1 On the Job

Make sure you have permission to be an observer at a work site. As you observe a work situation, use this sheet to jot notes about any of these topics that arise. Later, when you conduct an interview, ask what these topics mean to the interviewee, and what other topics they might add to yours. What's the story behind the scenes at this work site? Use another copy of this worksheet to record your edited, refined fieldnotes or as a template to design your own fieldwork survey or final report. Do any responses relate specifically to the region or the state where you are conducting your research? Use the Occupational Fieldwork Checklist to prepare for your project and stay on track.

Date

Name of Student Observer/Interviewer

Occupation or work observed

Place (address, parish)

Circumstances (time, season, location, weather, setting)

Names and contact information for any interviewees

Look for and ask about the following:

Overall workspace arrangement and decoration

Individual workspace arrangement and decoration

Terms or special language

Equipment, gear, clothing

Gestures, body language

Special techniques, skills, practices

Formal training required

Tricks of the trade and training learned traditionally by observation and imitation and from colleagues on the job

Lines of authority

Roles of men, women, children, age groups

Spatial relations, movement patterns (sketch and later make a map)

Sounds

Customs

Jokes, humor, pranks

Stories (for example, what were some funny, hard, good, or dangerous experiences)

Beliefs, good luck charms, omens

Initiation of newcomers

Aspects interviewee considers unique

Aspects student considers might be unique to Louisiana

Other

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