Black House Observation
My plan for conducting interviews with the Black house kids in Chicago started with my key co-collaborator, Dxxxx Pxxxxx, who is a well-known and highly respected presence in the house community. I knew that he would provide the entry point for where to conduct my spatial observations of the spaces that the house kids used for their social gatherings. This led to combining my snowball sample technique that Dxxxxx helped oversee as well as the house kids that stood out at the party selected for my fieldwork, for various reasons, during my first observational study at the Underground Wonder Bar. Thus, I developed a master list of names and checked off who was present at the party that I could speak with as follow up. After my participant observation
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Specifically, to offer moments of distinct reflection and experiences relative to their identities as active participants. Consequently, I created a list of general criterion questions to ensure that each participant was eligible based on my research parameters. I also made a list broken down by sub-sections (spatial, music, culture, community-making) to explore the cross-pollination of ideas, norms, values and ways of housing within the Black house community. As well, I drafted separate questions based on what I believed to be their most prominent role at the party. For example, Mxxx Pxxxx controlled the guest list. Therefore, I asked her questions specific to the importance of her determining who would be invited to the party. After my data collection at the Underground Wonder Bar, I set up 2-3 hour blocks at libraries that were located close to where my participants lived. Often, I picked them up and conversed on our way to the library to ‘break the ice’ before conducting semi-structured interviews with all three collaborators. I selected this method to allow for a more conversational and relaxed environment since prior to setting up these interviews, I learned that most house kids speak in highly excitable tangents about their culture. Through this observation, I realized that I would often find insightful
Specifically, to offer moments of distinct reflection and experiences relative to their identities as active participants. Consequently, I created a list of general criterion questions to ensure that each participant was eligible based on my research parameters. I also made a list broken down by sub-sections (spatial, music, culture, community-making) to explore the cross-pollination of ideas, norms, values and ways of housing within the Black house community. As well, I drafted separate questions based on what I believed to be their most prominent role at the party. For example, Mxxx Pxxxx controlled the guest list. Therefore, I asked her questions specific to the importance of her determining who would be invited to the party. After my data collection at the Underground Wonder Bar, I set up 2-3 hour blocks at libraries that were located close to where my participants lived. Often, I picked them up and conversed on our way to the library to ‘break the ice’ before conducting semi-structured interviews with all three collaborators. I selected this method to allow for a more conversational and relaxed environment since prior to setting up these interviews, I learned that most house kids speak in highly excitable tangents about their culture. Through this observation, I realized that I would often find insightful