Project Proposals...

Opposing Sides Youth Case Studies

These would be case studies based on one-on-one interviews done with the 16-20 age group, youth who were not alive during the destruction of the wall and were therefore born into a "united" (geographically, if anything) Berlin. I would speak with Easterners and Westerners about their views of "the other side" and research why the youth, whose older relatives' experiences are their closest experience to the wall's effects, are divided still.

This altar would include:

-A high school history book

-Pre-1989 family photos

-Car keys

-iPod, cell phone

-Friends list from facebook (showing friends' networks)



Social Borders in Berlin's Marketplaces

I would spend hours, days in marketplaces and try to establish an understanding for Berlin's social divisions strictly by watching the people interact. The writing would be mainly ethnographic prose, much like my "Borders in Seattle" assignment, except for longer and more in-depth. This would definitely be image-driven prose, as Shawn is encouraging us to do, but it would also be personal reflection and narrative, investigative sociocultural work, and definite creative non-fiction.

This altar would include:

-Marketplace produce

-Loose change

-A wrinkled notebook

-Photographs of crowded squares

-A collection of differently-priced shoes



Stories of the Rising and Falling Wall

This project would be a creative writing project in which I would write short stories of made-up characters facing realities that have been historically proven to be very real. I would focus my writing on characters who were divided by the wall in the '60's and characters who were united (or met each other, but coming from different sides) after the destruction of the wall. Quite a bit of research would be required even though this is a fiction project, the setting and historical events I would require myself to keep accurate.

This altar would include:

-Debris from the wall

-Photographs of friends, lovers, or a family together during the pre-wall era

-A phone with the cord cut

-A collection of letters sent in the '60's and '70's

-Photographs of friends, lovers, or a family together in the present day



I really wish I could do all of these projects (really!). The idea of each of them really excites me. However, I have done ethnographic work before both in the form of case studies and experience-prompted writing (on scene). From my experience, I don't see how I could possibly establish any hypothesis (and still get the writing done) with the first prompt. Talking to someone respectfully about their life and their personal views on what are often touchy subjects is very time-consuming... and then comes the analysis of the data and the writing itself. I might be able to complete two full case studies to my satisfaction, which is not nearly enough to understand the youth divide in Berlin. The on-site experience and image prompted ethnographic work is something I do on my free time and am very comfortable with. I can very easily see myself cranking out 30+ mini ethnographies, which is more than enough to develop a hypothesis and write on it regarding social margins in Berlin's marketplaces. I feel very comfortable with this prompt. The short stories is a really exciting idea for me, but the time may be an issue as I am a perfectionist when it comes to accuracy and we only have four weeks. So in sum, the second research project is definitely looking the most appealing to me right now as I am comfortable with it, experienced in the work, and enjoy that type of ethnographic study very much.



WHEW!