Analysis Of 'Tube Boy'

The first thing that struck me when reading my observations was that, aside from making some assumptions at the beginning, for much of the essay I tended to rely heavily on solely descriptions, staying removed from the situation. While this can keep biases from clouding perception, being so far removed can also inhibit the ability to perform analysis due to not being fully submerged in the environment. I start the report with assumptions on the behavior of the young boy whom I nicknamed “Tube-Boy” as well as making assumptions about the players in the soccer field nearby. Starting with assumptions can lead to faulty analysis as I am more likely to notice or focus on events that are related to my initial assumptions rather than something new.
One such example is when I assumed one of the boys had gained social capital from his abilities to climb to the top of the tube slide. Despite the absence of parents I assumed that “climbing the tube was likely off limits…because parents had told them at some time it was dangerous”. This assumption was made because as a child at the very same playground I was not allowed to climb the slide. While climbing the slide may have been off-limits I do not offer any other possibilities as to why.
Another issue with my observations was that I focused a lot of my attention on the boy who had been climbing the slide. While his extroverted nature lead to more notable events happening, in focusing on him I was not able to observe or analyze some of the other people who had been at the playground. This focus on the boy also lead to me making assumptions on the boys attitude and character, writing that he was “ever the trouble
Staying under a tree in the shade trying to be inconspicuous I was not able to fully understand what the children or adults were doing as I never asked nor was I able to overhear everything. This lack of communication was likely the reason I relied heavily on solely descriptions, as I did not have enough information to confidently make assumptions or analyze what was happening. Had I moved around more freely or asked questions I may have been able to better understand what was happening around the playground.
One thing to note on the children’s behavior in the playground was that they could be split into two basic groups of the children with parents following them and those without. Those with parents tended to be younger and did not have the same kind of agency that the children without parental supervision had. Children who were without supervision had a kind of personhood unlike the children with parents, regardless of age. Younger children however, were also taken more advantage of and as such were often coerced into doing what the older children wanted them