Ethnography of Cruisers Biker Bar
Stacy H. Smith
Comm-384-7501
Dr. Misner
April 20, 2014
Ethnography of Cruisers Biker Bar
. To conduct an ethnography we formed a group of three, which consisted of Mic Cahla, Daniel, and myself. As a group we decided to do our ethnography on biker bars. We choose to go to Cruisers on Thursday, April 17 and again on Saturday, April 19. We also tried to meet at Curley’s prior to meeting at Cruisers on Saturday, but it was too cold and windy for anyone to be outside on the patio, and if you are under 21 that is the only place you are allowed. On Thursday we all met up at Cruisers at 4:00pm. It was a little early in the day, so it wasn’t super crowded but gave us a chance to really concentrate on the surroundings. We went back on Saturday night at 6:30pm hoping a band was playing at 7:00, but there wasn’t. It was slightly more crowded than on Thursday, and we also stayed later until 9:30pm. The importance of this study was to uncover whether or not our preconceived ideas and biases about bikers, and biker bars were true or not. We all had similar ideas and biases about bikers. We thought that they would be abrasive and possibly scary, that we would get dirty looks, that everyone would have tattoos, and that they would be tough and rough looking. It was also important to meet and talk to bikers, and to hang out in their bar to see what they are really like, and what they do. It was important to go at a busier time than on Thursday, as well as not sit so far away from the majority of the people. On Saturday we sat up at the bar and had much better success talking with the local bikers. We used the research method of conversation to get to know some of the bikers. We shared similar tastes in music, which they picked up on when we made some selections from the juke box. We did a great deal of visual research on our first visit since it wasn’t as busy and we didn’t sit very close to people. There were a lot of suggestive
Comm-384-7501
Dr. Misner
April 20, 2014
Ethnography of Cruisers Biker Bar
. To conduct an ethnography we formed a group of three, which consisted of Mic Cahla, Daniel, and myself. As a group we decided to do our ethnography on biker bars. We choose to go to Cruisers on Thursday, April 17 and again on Saturday, April 19. We also tried to meet at Curley’s prior to meeting at Cruisers on Saturday, but it was too cold and windy for anyone to be outside on the patio, and if you are under 21 that is the only place you are allowed. On Thursday we all met up at Cruisers at 4:00pm. It was a little early in the day, so it wasn’t super crowded but gave us a chance to really concentrate on the surroundings. We went back on Saturday night at 6:30pm hoping a band was playing at 7:00, but there wasn’t. It was slightly more crowded than on Thursday, and we also stayed later until 9:30pm. The importance of this study was to uncover whether or not our preconceived ideas and biases about bikers, and biker bars were true or not. We all had similar ideas and biases about bikers. We thought that they would be abrasive and possibly scary, that we would get dirty looks, that everyone would have tattoos, and that they would be tough and rough looking. It was also important to meet and talk to bikers, and to hang out in their bar to see what they are really like, and what they do. It was important to go at a busier time than on Thursday, as well as not sit so far away from the majority of the people. On Saturday we sat up at the bar and had much better success talking with the local bikers. We used the research method of conversation to get to know some of the bikers. We shared similar tastes in music, which they picked up on when we made some selections from the juke box. We did a great deal of visual research on our first visit since it wasn’t as busy and we didn’t sit very close to people. There were a lot of suggestive