Figured I should have to do this too...

On the schoology page I posted an example of an ethnography that I found somewhere else, and it is about us. As in, Minnesotans.

Sorry the quality is so bad, but it was such a weird example and a funny little story behind me finding it that I figured I would share. It is one of those signs that the ideas I teach have flooded my brain and I can't help but see the world through my new lens. And soon, you will join me as well.

This summer I was down at the in-laws cabin. The kid was taking a nap and Amy and I were relaxing and watching a little tv. At the cabin, like many cabins are, there is little tv. No cable. Oh, the humanity! So we are reduced to watching things on the bunny ears. Funny, how there are so many cool random stations when all you have are bunny ears. There are 4 different versions of PBS. We watch SO many cooking shows down at the cabin on rainy weekends. But, I digress.

We were flipping the channels, and hit upon PBS4 and the goofy looking start to the program I posted "How to Speak Minnesotan". We watched it, unable to tell at first if it was mocking MN, a being funny about the issue, or actually serious. I debated whether it really was old at first or just made to look old, making the point that MN is backwards or something? We sat and watched the whole thing, unable to tear ourselves away from the cheesy, weird, awesomeness of the piece. It in fact is old, and the main guy did a comedy book with the same title and then MN PBS made the piece we had been watching. But what he did was a tongue-in-cheek ethnography of MN and explicitly listed the rules for how you are expected to behave and communicate while in our great, frozen state.

My wife and I now laugh at each other whenever we do the "finger salute" as we pass someone on the road down by Lanesboro (she prefers to only lift one finger, I usually go for two). The things that are described in it truly are the rules of small town midwestern life. And it is a perfect example of what a presentation of an ethnographic study of a group would yield.

If you are lost about what to write about, don't know how to organize it, or aren't sure what is important from what you saw - this piece is actually pretty useful. He states the rules of MN, gives examples, shows how people dress, shows their artifacts & food items, and explains why Minnesotans act the way they do. And, if you know any old school Minnesotans, you'll see them in this piece. The bit about body language and old men talking on the street is hilarious (starts at the 9:30 mark).