Tag Archives: Environment

1. INVESTIGATE YOUR NEW NEIGHBORHOOD

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What do you see out your front door?
A road? Fields? Mountains? Another house?
Does your house have a front yard? What is it like?

Take a walk around your neighborhood

Is your neighborhood residential? commercial? a combination of the two?
How would you describe the types of buildings? Apartment buildings, homes, store fronts?
Does any particular building seem to stand out? If so, why?
How far do you have to walk to the market? to church? to the next door neighbor’s house?
Are there trees, flowers along the street? in peoples’ yards?
Do you have to walk on the street? or is there a walkway of some kind?
Are others outside walking? Are there animals around? Are children playing outside?
Note activities which are performed and who is doing them. Note the time when you make these observations.

When you return home:

Make a rudimentary map of your neighborhood and label the buildings and streets as far as you can. You will continue to build on this in the following assignments.

2. DESCRIBE YOUR TOWN/CITY

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General:

How far is the next town or village from yours? How far is it to the nearest large commercial center?

Get to a main crossroads area of your neighborhood

Describe the type of buildings: height, size, type of roofing, building material, windows, decorative features.
Where are main buildings located? post office? government buildings? banks? schools?
Is there a central plaza or green area? Are there green areas throughout the town? If so, what plants or trees are there? How do people seem to use these areas?

What kind of transport seems to be available?

How do people get to your town? Location of train or bus stations, airport, car parking
How do people get around town? bus service, taxis, private car, walking, bicycles? Are there street signs? Other directional signs? In which language(s) are they written?

Note the location of major and minor roadways, of walkways, of possible shortcuts

When you return home:

Add any new information to your map

3. A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

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Look at how space is used in your neighborhood

How much space is there between buildings?
Do buildings usually face in a certain direction?
How are boundary lines designated?
Is there a fence around the yard? Is it a gated area? If so, how is an outsider admitted inside?
What types of out-buildings (garages, storage sheds, granaries, barns, chicken coops, toilets, etc.) do you see and where are they located in relation to the house?
Are there different out-buildings in an apartment setting?
Are other buildings located near homes or apartments? What are they used for?
Does it appear that some kind of building code is observed? Explain.
Are there places where people sit around to talk? What might this tell you when you try to make friends with your neighbors?
Are there empty spaces between houses or shops? How are they used? Are they clean?
What other space is used besides what you see on ground level? the roof? stair wells?

Communal space

Is there a central well, pump, or faucet where people draw water?
If you noticed a central green area, how is this used? by whom? At what time of the day, week, or month? Is it more busy some times than at other times?
How much of the space in front of a house or shop is maintained by the occupant of that building? Are there things in that space that declare ownership?
Is there any other use of space that you can see at this point, as a special place for butchers to slaughter animals, for traveling entertainers to set up their tents, or for itinerant salespeople to set up their wares?

4. GETTING INSIDE WHERE PEOPLE LIVE

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Do most people live in apartment buildings or in single family units? Does the location of the residence make a difference? urban vs. rural? city vs. suburban?

If the buildings are multi-storied, how do people get to the next floor? Are there elevators? How many floors do they service? What is the condition of the stairwells? Are they used for more than going up to the next floor? Is the roof accessible and utilized?

Look at the windows. Are they barred or open? Do people open their windows or do they keep them closed for the most part? Do the windows have any decoration, like curtains, window shades, flowerboxes or potted plants, etc.?

Is the dwelling surrounded by a gate? or can you walk right up to the front door? How does one announce one’s presence or ask for admission? Is there a knocker? a doorbell? or does one simply call out?

Where is the door located? on street level? at the top of the stairs? Is there more than one door into a home or apartment? If so, which is for family use, and which is for guests?
When you enter the house, what are your first impressions? Do you enter directly into the house? or into a courtyard? Does this depend on the type of dwelling?

Is there an open area the family uses? Where is it located? in the front or back of the house, in the center, on the roof? Is it cemented in? What does the family use the space for (work, storage, social time, drying clothes, other)? Is this a secure area or is it accessible to others? Is there a time of day when the area is more used than at others?

5. ROOMS IN THE HOUSE

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Living areas

How are the rooms arranged? around a courtyard? in a linear fashion?

How many rooms are there in this house? Are they interconnected? Does one key give you access, or does each room need a key?

How many people live in the house? are they a single family unit, or an extended family?

What kind of furniture is in the room in which you are seated? Note floor covering, curtains, and other decoration on the floor, walls, or ceiling. Is there anything that surprises you?

What other rooms are in your host’s home? Are there rooms that are off-limits to a visitor? If you can see into other rooms, what other furniture is there? Does the furniture tell you what the room is used for? Do rooms seem to be multi-purpose or have a specific use?

Do the furnishings in the house give you a clue as to the economic status of the occupants?

Where do the children play? indoors? outdoors? Is this a secure area?

Working areas

Where is the kitchen located? What kind of stove is used for cooking? What kind of fuel is used for cooking? Where and how is this available?

Where are the dishes, utensils, pots and pans stored? Where are supplies like flour, sugar, onions, etc. stored?

Where do the dishes get washed? What is used to scour pans? Are spotless pans a thing of pride? Are the dishes drip-dried or dried with a towel?

What do you think their standard of cleanliness is in comparison with yours?

Where is cleaning equipment kept, like brooms, sweepers, etc. What kind of equipment is used for cleaning? Does the type of building determine this?

Is there electricity? For how many hours a day? Hot and cold running water? Otherwise, how is water heated? Is this done only when needed, at certain times of the day?

Where is the laundry done? Are bigger pieces (sheets, etc.) sent out to be washed? Is the laundry at home done by hand or by machine? What kind of soap is used? Where are clothes hung out to dry?

Is there a special area for chopping wood? for preparing vegetables or meat for cooking? for keeping seedlings for planting in the garden? for keeping animals?

When you return home:

Draw a diagram of the house with any special observations about the various rooms and use of space. Add to this as you visit more homes.

6. WHERE ARE THINGS KEPT?

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What kind of arrangements are made for storage? If there are cupboards, are they locked? Do they have doors, or are they open? If open, are they curtained off?

Is there a specific room for storing foodstuffs like flour and sugar, grain from harvest, other non-perishables? Do these need to be protected from rats, mold, rain, thieves? If so, how is this done?

Where are dishes, pots and pans and other daily-use items kept? Is this a different place than where seldom used items are stored?

Where is fresh produce stored? Is there electricity and a refrigerator? Or does fresh produce need to be used the day it is bought? If there is a refrigerator, is it still considered best to buy fresh produce daily?

What kind of receptacles are used? baskets? tin boxes? plastic containers? Find out what they are called, what is kept in them, and where they are kept.

Where is clothing kept? After washing, are they mended and ironed immediately, or as needed? Are they then hung in closets, or folded into cabinets or boxes?

What is done with bedding each morning? At the change of seasons? How often does it get changed? How are heavier items like quilts and blankets freshened?

Where are larger items like bicycles kept? Are such storage areas included in the living complex? Are rental storage facilities available? How accessible and affordable are they?

18. GETTING WORK DONE

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What things have you observed around the house and neighborhood that help the residents accomplish tasks? Find out what they are called and what they are used for (e.g., field or garden work, food preparation, weaving, hunting, home maintenance, car repairs)? Note especially tools which are new to you.

Who uses what tools when? Are there role expectations or restrictions on which sex uses which tools?

Try to use some which are appropriate to your sex and role. Are they easy to use? Mimic the instructions people give you while you are using the tools.

Are the tools bought commercially or home-made? Are some of them used for a quick job and thrown away? or are some of them permanent items? When they break, who fixes them?

Are there specialists available for certain jobs? What jobs do they do? Where are they located? How are they repaid for their labor? How is the price negotiated and by whom?

Do they only work in their store or shop, or will they come to the home to do work that is needed? How are they contracted? Who does the negotiations? What else needs to be negotiated besides the price?

Is there a period of time in the day when work is not usually done, as a “rest” time? What is the expectation of the local people? How graciously do they respond to an interruption? Would the request be acted on at that time, or put off to after the “rest period?”

28. GOING DOWNTOWN OR TO THE MALL

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Does your village, town, or city have a “downtown” area, that is, a main shopping center? Or are there big shopping centers scattered throughout? How far is it from where you live to one of these centers?

Is going to the mall or to a downtown area a special occasion? Do people dress more formally when they go? Do they go here for special reasons, like business or events, or do they sometimes go just to have a good time?

Are the shops under one roof? Situated on a main plaza? Located on a jumble of interconnected streets?

What kinds of shops are located in the center you have chosen? Are the same types of shops found in other centers, or does each center have a “specialty?” Is there more variety found downtown than in local shops?

Are any of these connected to a Western franchise? If so, how familiar does it look to you, and how much has been added in deference to the culture? Are the products of these international shops considered more prestigious than local items?

Are larger shops more frequented than the smaller neighborhood shops? How has the local economy been affected by the arrival of megashops?

Are there special venues for events located downtown, like the opera, musical programs, or plays? Would businesses have special events for their staff at downtown sites rather than at a local venue?

32. WILDLIFE: ANIMALS, BIRDS, FISH, & INSECTS

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What wild animals are found in the country? In your immediate neighborhood? Do people fear them? Are there stories about them? What traits are attributed to various animals? Do certain animals have special significance for the clan or ethnic group?

Do animals have souls? What happens to their souls at death?

What birds are found in your area? Are any harmful to crops? How are they frightened away? Are some birds bad or good omens? Are people aware of birds that are not detrimental? Do they know where nesting sites are? Are there organizations to protect birds and preserve their habitat?

Is fish available for eating? Is it river fish or ocean fish? Is it caught locally, or is it bought in the market place? How is it transported to local markets? Would it be safe to eat?

Find out the names of various fish found locally. Are there different names for the live fish and the same fish prepared for market or for eating? Which fish are especially valued for food?

Are various types of fish prepared in different ways? Are they eaten at different times of the year or times of day?

What insects bite or sting? Which are poisonous? What remedies are used for bites or stings? Which insects are ruinous to crops or possessions? How are they controlled or eliminated?

What insects are edible? How are they obtained and prepared for consumption?

Make a list of the local names of these creatures. Supplement your descriptions with sketches or photographs wherever possible.

33. HUNTING AND FISHING

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Why do people hunt? What proportion of the food supply is obtained through hunting? How is the meat or bones divided? What is done with the hide?

What weapons and what methods (e.g., tracking, lying in ambush) are used in hunting? Are baits or decoys used? Traps? Is hunting an individual or group activity? Who participates in the hunt? Are there any restrictions (e.g., abstinence from sex or certain foods) on individuals before a hunt? Is there a particular territory within which a person or village may hunt?

Which animals are hunted? Is hunting a regular or intermittent activity? Is any type of game conservation practiced? Is this locally monitored or regulated by an outside agency?

Which birds are considered edible? How are they hunted? Are the eggs of any birds collected and eaten?

Do some make their livelihood by fishing? Are fish caught for home consumption alone or are some sold or bartered?

Describe all methods of fishing and sketch or photograph nets, traps, and other fishing equipment. Is fishing done from a boat or from the shoreline? What bait is used?

Is fishing done by both men and women? Are some methods used more by one than the other?

If possible, go fishing with some of your new friends. Have someone tell you about their fishing experience. Do they tell tall tales about the “one that got away?”