My intended major is Business Administration 

My pronouns are she/her

After attending the first class and reading the syllabus, my first impression of Writing for the Social Sciences is that it is a course that is going to require us to slow down and pay more attention to the world around us.  The concept of research as “formalized curiosity” caught my attention because it portrays research as something dynamic and real instead of purely academic, which most of the time, we as students find boring. This class feels based on real-life experiences rather than just books or theory because of its focus on ethnographic or cultural research, observation and study.

I have used observation and reflection before to better understand group behavior, even though I did not consider it as “ethnographic” work at the time. For example, I have noticed that depending on the time of the day, the social environment and perceptions of authority, people behave differently in public places such as classrooms and public transportation. Observing patterns which might include who speaks and who stays silent, helped me realize how much basic social structure shapes people’s behavior. I became more aware of how I fit in groups and how easily we adapt to cultural traditions without consciously thinking about them after giving this information a second thought. 

At the moment, I typically learn about and communicate with communities through regular, personal interactions in public areas. An environment that has recently captured my attention is the classroom itself, where interaction can be affected by a variety of personalities and cultures. I have noticed patterns in who talks a lot, who listens silently, and how group conversations change based on the topic. 

What I’m most excited to explore in this course is the opportunity to blend writing with actual experience. Assignments like the cultural profile interview feel important because they need empathy, understanding and interpretation rather than merely summarizing information.  In general, I’m excited to learn how to better understand and interact with many cultures and groups while improving my analytical writing abilities.