In an ethnography, the author gets into a subculture and explains the inside scoop that the average people may not know. Casassa talks about the coffee shop that she worked at, and describes all the different types of people that go there at different times of day, and the effect these people have on the overall atmosphere of the shop. Dudley talks about marijuana paraphernalia at a hemp store (which he infers is like a “head shop”), what types of people shop at this place, and how controversial all the different things are and how they can be disguised and sold. Casassa talks not about one specific subculture; she talks about all the different subcultures that are involved with the coffee shop. Each of the people she describes are very different and belong to different subcultures (such as a soccer moms and the businessmen), though the place would not be the same without each and every one of them. She goes through her day and shows who shows up at what times of the day, and what is so special about them, and tells a little bit about them. Though they are all different, they are all drawn to this intimate/friendly privately owned coffee shop. This is an ethnography, though it is not exactly like the one that Ballenger tells us about. Ballenger says to find one subculture and research it, but it seems like Casassa researches one specific place that holds many different subcultures. Dudley follows pretty much the same path that Casassa does by picking a specific place instead of a specific subculture. Dudley also writes what is more like a research paper; he looks into why people go there, the laws that deal with the store and its merchandise, and the history and future of shops of that kind. He does get into the different types of people that frequent this shop, though I think he should have spent more time on these people. A couple examples of the people he said are all of the high school/college kids who are looking to have a good time, and also a vegetarian who would only by the pesticide free hemp instead of what is sold at other stores.
To get evidence like these two authors would require a good amount of work. You would have to get into the place and pay very close attention to the people; what they wear, what they say, what they buy, what they do, and their general attitude. Casassa got to know the people and actually interviewed them. Dudley looked into the history of stores like that one, and also looked up the laws reguarding what was sold there, and also looked into the different types of people that shop there (though not as in depth as Casassa did).
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I like how you went through and discussed what culture each writer was tring to portray. I agree that Casassa "talks about all the different subcultures" versus just one as Dudley seemed to do. I think that because of this difference, it made for two completely different essays. I also agree that Dudley's essay seemed to be more like a research paper. I think it was good that we read two very different essays because this showed me all the different options that we have when we write our own ethnography. I also agree that these writers had to have spent a lot of time and effort to get such detailed reports. I think that is what really made their essays standout-the fact that they were so involved with their topics.
Your essay gives me a fresh perspective that the coffee goers Casassa describes are very different and belong to different subcultures, but "they are all drawn to this intimate/friendly privately owned coffee shop." I did not realize this when I read the essay, Thank you John. And I totally agree with you on that Dudleys essay is more like a research paper. I also think he'd better spend more time on the hemp shop goers. But unlike Casassa, Dudley does not work in the hemp shop, the chance to have access to the customers for him is limited. And I must admit that Dudley does a good job to give me a good view of that hemp subculture.
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