Blog Post 22

Interview with Griffin

B: What is your name?

G: My name is Griffin Sullivan

B: What is your gender?

G: I’m a male.

B: What is your age?

G: 22

B: Do you go to college?

G: I do not go currently.

B: You do not go to college. Ok. Did you go to college?

G: I did go to college.

B: Where?

G: I went to Raritin Vally Community College

B: And what was your major?

G: My major was undeclaired

B: Ok. So first I’m going ot ask a question about your family.

G:ok

B: How many people are in your imidiate family including yourself?

G: Currently?

B: Yes

G: 3

B: And who are they?

G: My mother, my father and myself.

B: ok. Um what family member or members are you particularly close to and it doesn’t have to be your mimmedate family?

G: um my cousins who live in the Chicago area are the closes members of my family who are not my immediate family and um on and off again is my mother and father. Depends on the week.

B: ok. Can you describe your relationship with um one of those people you’re closest to?

G: Complicated. Um (pause) how would you like me to describe the relationship?

B: Um, like

G: It’s a really broad question.

B: Yea, it’s um just like when do you get along, do you get along like how do you get along type of thing. Idon’t know it’s hard to explain. But complicated is fine just (talking over each other) that word. It’s fine.

G: Just it’s complicated.

B: yea ok. Um what family member aren’t you particularly close to and it doesn't have to be immediate family member?

G: The rest of them? My grandparents and I are kinda close. My grandma and I are really close. I'm not that close to my grandpa on my father's side. My grandma on my father's side just died recently so uh pretty much everyone that is not on that list I'm not really close to.

B: Yea, yea, I was close to my grandfather and then he, he passed away so.

G: Sorry.

B: I'm sorry about your grandfather. Circle of life. Um and can you describe your relationship with people that you aren't particularly close to?

G: It's just uh they don't agree with some of my personal politics. I uh (pause) my dad married my mom when I was 7 or 8, he's not my my birth father, so his side of the family, not all of them are really close or warm with our side of the family. I don't really get a lot of it but I don't spend a lot of time with certain parts of my family I don't feel close to them and some parts of my family I'll spend a lot of time with them. so.

B: Oh ok so it's like when you spend more time with them you're closer with them

G: Typically. With the exceptions of the parts of my family that have- we don't see eye to eye on anything

B: Right. It happens. I have people in my family too (laughs)

G: Hail Satan, am I right?

B: hm?

G: Nothing.

B: What did you say?

G: I said hail Satan.

B: Oh, no.

G: It's true.

B: (laughs) Um and-

G: (laughing) Sorry

B: (laughs) What type of family did you grow up in? How would you describe it? Traditional? Close?

G: Really complicated

B: (continuing) Dysfunctional?

G: Um hardcore dysfuctional when I was young. I was kidnapped as a baby um by my birth father. Taken on a high speed carchase across Colorado and he was drunk. Um so my mom left him and came to new jersey to live with my grandmother on her side. Um and so I I was brought up by them and I was a really rebellious- I had hardcore ADHD uh I was always really intellegent but really didn't know how to express myself at all. I was always really angry and it made it hard for them to deal, especially when she was working all the time and my grandma being old. So there was a lot of tention all the time. My mom and I , like in elementary school I used to always get into fist fights a bunch. Um I break things and just a real rotten jackass. And uh, I don't know, she still loves me. I don't know what's wrong with her. But uh when she met my dad things kinda evened out a little bit but not much there were always problems. Tense disfunctional. It's evened out now though, for the most part.

B: Yea that's good. I mean, when yo're younger it's hard to express your emotions because you don't know how it's just how first insherberstns- (cut off)

G: I just always felt like no one was listening to me. I didn't really understand parts of it, like why I was different, why everyone else had more parents than I did and stuff.

B: Hm. (mumbles) I don't know.

G: Such is life.

B: Yea. Everyone has different like family situations and

G: I'm not over sharing am I?

B: No! It's good, it's good. Um are showing your emotions encouraged in your family?

G: yes we're a very very open, especially with my mom and I, we're very open and honest about our emotions. We're uh, when we're angry we yell and scream at each other and when we're sad we cry. Um we're a hugging family. When we're happy we laugh and smile. Uh we don't really, I was never taught to hold my emotions back. I know a lot of dudes are and I don't get it. If you're feeling something feel it. So that is how we pretty much behave. It's always hard to get a read on my dad though. I'm not really sure if or whenever he's really feeling anything. I don't like that.

B: Yea. Yea it's hard. Usually I feel like, like you said guy dont' express their emotions as much as women do, but I dont' see why it's a bad thing. I don't know.

G: in my experience women hate it when you cry like a little bitch.

B: Well (laughs) you don't cry like a little bitch.

G: But I do.

B: Well whatever. (laughs) Um how many friends would you say that you have who are really close to you.

G: Right now? Or, too many. Uh. Really close friends.

B: Usually I like to think of it as if I was in jail who would come to get me haha! That's how I think of it.

G: I know who would be the first person I'd call. But I share like like I just for my friend group it's more common for them to (?) out because it's not who would come get me it's who has the car and the money to bail me out.

B: slight laughing gasp

G: Which narrows the list down. I think probably 10 really close friends I think I can count on if I needed them.

B: Mhm

G: And other 20 just outside of them.

B: That's a good amount of frineds. That's really good.

G: Yea. I don'w knot why people seem to like me. It's weird.

B: That's cause you're awesome

G: Aw thank you.

B: I think you're awesome. I love talking to you. Um so who is your closest friend?

G: Right now, My two friends raymond strife and ashley are my two closest friends.

B: And how did you meet them?

G: Uh I dated ashely. She was a friedn of a friend and she seduced me. It was awesome. She seduced me by beating my assin jusit tsu and then starting to kiss me. Which was impressive. Little slip of a girl too. And I met ray through uh the punk scene uh he was friends with a lot of people I was starting to meet and uh one night I drunkenly got into his car to go to a show he was playing. I didn't realize I was in the car with him and uh I actually ended up with alchool poisoning that night. But uh I jumped out of the car while it was moving because I didn't realize that the car was going to the same place I was and so the next day he started talking to me more (laughing) (B laughs too) he's like you're a really weird kid but I like it.

B: that's cool. I was going to ask can you describe that relationship but

G: Ha! Uh It's interesting. We're both, frequently intoxicated uh screw ups uh. Not lived up to our potential he's incredible intelegent but he's a pizza delivery boy and a professional rapper. And I am uh professionally unemployed.

B: I think you guys are both, well I never met him, but I think like you're really intellegent. Like more than some kids who go to college.

G: Easily. College kids suck.

B: Yea. (G laughs) Probably shouldn't be saying this on here but- whatever! (laughs)

G: It's alright. If you can't engage in a deep philosophical debt with me and you're a senoir you did something wrong.

B: yea exactly. There's so many kids who go to school and they're literally kids like you're not ready-

G: Mommy and daddy bought you your education and you dont' have to work hard because they have connnections. Maybe you didn't learn as much as someone else.

B: I don't know.

G: That's kinda judgemental. I- I There are plenty of smart people-

B: definitely

G: who have their parents buy them their education but uh I don't know. Maybe i'm bitter that I didn't finish college. Grr.

B: Grr. It happens but you can feel that way. It's okay.

G: Thanks for your permission.

B: Well some people are like I shouldn't feel that way and it's like yea you can feel that way it's your emotion.

G: I like to think I'm pretty intouch with who I am most of the time and if I feel a ceratin way I have every right to feel that way. I don't need to make apologies or exceptions to any one else.

B: yea and that's how people should be.

G: It's part of how I am. Thank you.

B: Um. Aand do you have any other imporant people in your life? Like teacher boss family friend mysterious stranger, that's what I wrote down (laughs)

G: Let me think. Like role models? Or like people like actually actively helped me in life that I look up to?

B: Um I guess role models would be like a good word yea

G: None of my role models are that people anyone should have as role models

B: (Laughs)

G: But yea like I

B: Do you want me like- my next my next part of that question would be um can you describe what they did for you and why that's important. I don't know if that will help but...

G: Yea I uh my favorite band is the world inferno friendship society and the lead singer's name is jack terricloth and I always admired and looked up to him. Um I only met him a couple of times personally. We had a couple of small chit chats. I don't know him that well but his his stage presence and the way that he presents himself and the way he writes just kinda clicks and it's inspired me uh since first getting inot the band to be a little bit more uh engaged and a little bit more uh extroverted. To just act like the owrld 's a stage and and not worry about how that is going to be precived and I think that's improved my social dynamic a lot. So. that.

B: I think you're- I think. I don't know how you do it but you always make friends with everyone. I feel like. I mean except for nazis but (laughs)

G: Yea well racists can go uh go burn. High school interview. (B laughs) Let's not talk about any crimes I committed (laughs)

B: yes it won't believe me no

G: don't need to record that

B: We just need some background information and then get into book.

G: Oh yes nice!

B: Which we are actually going to get into now.

G: Alright, excellent I love reading.

B: So this is about your childhood experience with reading. What was your first reading experience that you remember?

G: alright so. My mother and my grandmother have always pushed uh literacy and reading as a fun activitie on me like very since I was like baby baby like infant um one of my first memories is sitting like in bed uh not even in bed in my crib having my mother and grandmother both take turns reading chapters to me from books um. Complicated books too like don quiotie and things like that just I wouldn't completely grasp the the subject matter or entirely understand the stories but things with colorful characters even complicated things with colorful characters. I've always just kind of gravitated to and they've always grabbed my attatnion hard and uh so my earliest experience with reading like I have a clear memory from when I was like 1 and a half

B: Wow

G: when my mom was just reading. That was more of uh a picturey book but I always remember us sitting there and doing that.

B: That's aweome

G: Yea. I credit her for most of my intellegence. If it wasn't fo rher pushing me I probably wouldn't (puase) be who I am.

B: that's cool. I don't like I don't personally remember my parents reading for me but I remember my mom would take us to the library all the time and I would always juust sit and read books

G: Yea we would do that like twice a week. Like my mom, I remember like cause I lived with my grandmom for a while, my mom and I did in her little appartement in ewing and am I being loud enough?

B: Um I don't know

G: Because that would suck if this entire interview didn't click

B: Let me see (pause and listen) So where were we?

G: Is it recording again?

B: Yes.

G: OK so  

Blog Post 21

From my short analysis I learned that I don't necessarily have to come up with a hypothesis right away. It can be kind of open ended. Nothing is really concrete, especially since we have such a small sample. So we don't necessarily have to make a hypothesis. Sometimes our research comes together and the information helps them come to an answer to their question.

I also learned how to organize my essay and use my information to make codes and categories. Then I can make connections that will give me an answer to my question. I already knew how to do this, but my short analysis helped me get my thoughts together and coherent so I can be organized and understandable.

I also learned that I need to add limitations which I didn't know that I had to do. But I do understand why it needs to be added. There is no "sure" answer to many things in regards to human reaction to literature and literacy. So we always have to account for that. 

Blog 19/20

Introduction:

Looking at my collection of books on my heavily filled bookcase I skim the titles of books that I own. Everything from "The Iliad" to "The Hunger Games" line the shelves. As I read over each title I feel different emotions sweep over my mind. I feel accomplishment at "The Iliad," remembering how I didn't understand a word that Homer was saying when I first picked up the book. But through careful reading, a good teacher and some research of my own I was able to finally understand the book and appreciate its beautiful lyrics. "The Hunger Games" makes me feel so many different emotions. At first disgust, for the sick twisted mind who created the idea for children to fight each other. Then empowered, for this young girl, younger than I, leading a rebellion to stop the madness. Next futility, for all that the main character Katniss went through to ultimately lose what she was fighting for and herself in the process. Finally hopeful, for the future. I come to a small thin book from my childhood. It is shorter than most of my books and the thinnest of all my collection. Just the sight of the distressed ends and the yellowing pages brings back memories of sadness. I feel my heart quicken and my stomach drop as I read the title. Memories of tears of both shock and knowing come back to me at "The Bridge to Terabithia." Just the mere sight almost brings tears to my eyes. But why?

What makes us cry? A question that is subjective to each individual. Some cry out of happiness, some cry out of sadness, some cry out of frustration, and some cry for attention; there are so many reasons that people cry. With these thoughts in mind, I wanted to discover what it is about books, specifically young adult books, that make people cry? What is it about this book that made me so utterly and completely sad causing tears to run down my face? What is it about any book that makes people cry? There are a lot of questions that can be asked and a lot of answers to be discovered by this.

First I will talk about crying. I will start off talking about the mechanics of crying, the scientific side. I feel it is important to understand why humans have this ability to cry and its purpose. Then I will go into what are the reasons that people cry. This relates to emotions, upbringing, religious/cultural values and personal beliefs. Crying is something that is unique to each and every individual. Some cry easily, some don't. Some cry freely, some don't. It is important to understand that what one person my cry at another person may not. However, I am hoping to find a connection as to why people cry when reading books. That brings me to my next part which will be about books that have made people cry. I will discuss what the book was, the part of the book that made the individual cry and what might be the reason behind that person crying at that particular moment. I am hoping that some sort of connection either to themselves or an event that they personally experienced will be the reason why they cried at that particular moment in the book.

I feel that this research is important and one that has to be done. This topic is a hard topic because crying is an emotion that is personal and, more often then not, brought on by an emotion that makes the individual feel uncomfortable. To be put in that place is very hard and hard for people to talk about that experience. However, to get a better understanding of others, humans in general, and most importantly yourself, crying is a subject that must be studied. It will help with understanding and sympathy towards others. It will also be helpful for authors who wish to write a book that will evoke crying. The best works of writing evokes emotions, many times with the release of crying.

Literary Review:

I need to work on this part. I haven't been able to do too much research on the subject just yet.


****

1.  What are the strengths your writing for the introduction?  What do you need to work on? 
What are the strengths of your writing for the review of the literature?  What do you need to work on?

Strengths: I think I got across what I wanted to say. I feel a personal experience is important and one that leads into what I want to write about is good. I also feel I stated my question, my hypothesis, my organization for my work, and my reasons why it is important very effectively.

Work on: I want to add others point of view to the piece. I feel that will make it better. I also want to get more of a structure to what I'm going to show in my essay. I also want to add some literary references/evidence to my work. But all of this will be done when I do my interview as well as my research.

Strengths: It's mentioned?

Work on: EVERYTHING!

2. What is the research problem identified in your introduction?  How do you point out what your research project will contribute toward resolving this "problem"?  In other words, what have you written about  the importance of your project for writing studies?

My research problem is "what it is about books, specifically young adult books, that make people cry?"
I point out that this will help not just authors hoping to evoke that response from readers, but it will also help with our understanding of crying and human emotions.

3. What have other researchers found out about your topic that is relevant to your research project?

I'm not exactly sure. But I do know a lot of how people express their emotions are through their upbringing and the community they grew up in (religious/cultural).

4.  How do you connect findings from question 3 to the purpose of your project?

I feel that this will help my purpose in that if you want to get a certain emotion out of readers you need to get a connection to that person emotionally. It can be with the individual themselves or an event in their life, but it must bring that emotion they were feeling at that time out.

5.  What is your plan for finishing/revising your introduction and literature review?

I want to read more and do some more research on crying. I also want to interview subjects. I have one female, I'm trying to get a male subject as well as possibily another female.

6.  What feedback do you want from me?

I would like some feedback on the type of person I can interview. I have a friend in mind who I can interview but he doesn't go to college so I'm not sure if I can use him. I also would like some solidity. This is not an attack, but I feel like I'll say something and then you will tell me that is a good idea. And then the next time we talk I'll keep with the same idea, but you will have thought of something and tell me to change my idea. It makes me feel behind/ confused. I know you don't tell me to change the idea, you tell me to just think about it. But when I do think about it I feel it works, but then all of the work that I did goes out the door. It is  overwhelming for me. 

Blog Post 18

Brigit Bauma

Eng 3029

Professor Chandler

October 22^nd

Short Analysis Draft

            In class we previously did an assignment based on oral histories. Oral histories are a verbal documentation of a conversation between an interviewer and their subject. In this little assignment we paired off in groups to talk about our experiences with September 11^th. There was a designated interviewer and subject that were to remain constant throughout the assignment. The interviewer as well as the subject was to take notes through out the interview. Afterward the class discussed their experience with the assignment. As homework for the next class we were given written instructions as to what our blog posts were supposed to be based on the oral histories. This is what the post said:
911 interviews. After this introduction you worked in pairs to conduct oral history interviews about experiences on 911. One of you was the interviewer, one of you was the subject - and BOTH of you took notes. I stopped you several times to catch up with your note taking. You were instructed to note what was said by both, the timing and sequence of the unfolding information, how the speakers interacted, and descriptions of "what happened" as the interview progressed. You were instructed to write down as much as you could as you were talking, and you were given several spaces of time during and after the interview to add your "head notes" (what you remembered) to your notes. All of these notes taken together should be posted on your blog. IN ADDITION - Blog 3 should include (at the end, or added to the main post in a different color font) and other stories, observations, "quotes" conversations that you remembered as you thought back on the interview. 
For next class:
Read: Methods/best practices for collecting oral histories http://www.oralhistory.org/do-oral-history/principles-and-practices/
Blog 3: Post your notes to your 911 interview (see 911 interviews above for complete directions). Title your blog "Blog 3: Interviewer (name), Subject (name) where you fill in (name) with the name of the participant in your group.

This blog post gives the instructions as to what the students were supposed for the interviews and the assignment due for the next class. When we came in next class we noticed every one had written their blog post in a different way. It was a very interesting outcome, but brought up the question: What are the different ways that the oral histories were recorded and what is their effectiveness in getting information for analysis? This essay will try to get an answer to that question.

            Break Down of Assignment:

            First thing that I did was I took the assignment given by the instructor and broke down the different parts. The assignment was the “911 interviews” which had instructions on what the teacher was asking for. She asked for one interviewer and one subject who would remain constant. Next she asked for both to take notes and these notes consisted of descriptions of what happened. What was said, sequence of unfolding information, and interactions were examples given. Then they were to end with writing head notes of what each individual remembered of the interview and add any of these afterthoughts at the end or in a different color.  The “official” assignment for next class was to post our notes, but to “see above” for more detail.

            Coding:

            After going through the breakdown of what the students were to do I went through each of the student's blog for that day and broke them down into a few main codes. I had the role of each person: Interviewer and Subject. The Inveriewer asked the questions while the Subjects answered the questions. Next I had the forms that they were written in: Q&A and Paragraph. Q&A stands for Question and Answer. This is where the writer wrote down the questions and under the questions the answers were recorded. Paragraph is where the writer wrote their blog in a paragraph or paragraphs. With each form I took note if there were references to what was said with answers/quotes/questions (Said), if there was an order (Sequence), and if there was interaction and connection between the interviewer and subject (Interaction). Then I looked to see if they had Afterthoughts. If they did I looked where the Afterthoughts were added: Beginning or End. Afterthoughts help with analyzing data because they show how the subject and interviewer were feeling during the session, which can be used as part of analyzing the data.

            Categories:

	Interviewer	Subject	Q&A Form	Paragraph Form	Said (Quotes and Questions)	Sequence (Beginning and End)	Interaction (Both Parties)	Afterthoughts?	Beginning	End
Andrea		Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Valerie		Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Brigit		Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Corrine	Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes
Sara	Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes
Tshandi		Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Shana	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Rachel	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nahimot		Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (All)
Liana		Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kelsee	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes
Josh		Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Generra	Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes

            Hypothesis:

            By looking at the data and the break down of the assignment my hypothesis is that the blog posts with a Q&A format with a Paragraph of reflection (Afterthoughts) would be the most effective form for getting information.   

            Patterns:

            Based on my findings it seems that that many of the Q&A formats were not as effective as paragraphs because Q&A doesn't get the interactions between the two parties. You only really get one side of the story. With the Paragraph format, the writers are able to give both sides of the stories and their interactions. However, with the paragraphs you don’t get full range of questions asked so that you can fully analyze the data. Some are missing what was Said, some are missing Sequence, some are missing Interactions. It doesn't seem to be a reliable form by itself. Another thing I noticed is that all blogs in which the Afterthoughts are at the Beginning are in Paragraph forms. Afterthoughts at the beginning do not complete the assignment that was given. However, that doesn’t make the blog not effective to analyze the data. I also noticed the only blog that did not include an Afterthought was a Q&A format.

            When looking at the chart there are six students who completed the assignment so that they would be effective enough to analyze. These students are highlighted. Of each of these students two used Q&A, three used Paragraph and one used a combination of both. When looking a back on each blog post I noticed something very intriguing. The Paragraph forms that were effective had elements of the Q&A forms. They directly stated questions and quotes as well as answers, much like a Q&A would. Also, almost all of the blogs had Afterthoughts, which of course help with analyzing data.

Another thing that I noticed was 4 out of the 6 students who had effective data were subjects. This could be because these students were not focused on asking questions and getting answers. They were focused on their answer, their own feelings, the interviewer’s reaction and the interviewer’s feelings. Maybe to get more effective data the best way to do it is to focus not so much so on the questions and answers, but on the interaction and thoughts during and after the interview. If you aren’t focused on the questions you ask and getting the information you get more out of the interview. It could be better to have a device to record the interview so that one focuses on the interaction while still getting information through the questions and answers asked.

            Conclusion:

            This supports my hypothesis that blog posts with a Q&A format with a Paragraph of reflection (Afterthoughts) would be the most effective form for analysis. The students who completed all of the requirements had a few different forms however they all had elements of a Q&A format, making that most effective. It is also important to include a Paragraph of Afterthoughts so that connections can be made and thoughts of the interview can be recorded. In this way data can be analyzed because it includes what was said and their thoughts/reactions during the interview. This helps if someone wanted to write a paper using the 9/11 oral histories. Recorded the other ways, the information given is not effective or detailed enough so that information can be analyzed and gathered to create a research question and hypothesis. The best way to go about this would be to record your questions and answers with a device that would record what is said while you focus on the interactions and feelings between interviewer and subject.

            Limitations:

            The professor’s assignment said two different things. In the “911 Interview” part it calls for all of the requirements needed for the assignment. However, in the “for next class” part she says to post your notes. Yes it does say to refer to “911 Interview” for the full assignment; however some students would just see what they need for next week and just post their notes as is. They wouldn’t look at the structure asked for and the requirements needed to complete the whole assignment. It might have been better to have those requirements repeated in the “for next class” part. Another limitation may have been that one of our assignments was to read how to do an oral history. Those who read the assignment before writing their blog may have written their blog like the reading assignment calls for rather than what the teacher was asking for. This is reiterated in the professor’s blog post in the paragraph before the “911 Interviews” where “oral histories” are discussed. It may have confused the students as to what the professor wanted/ what was the correct way to write an oral history.