Gaining Access: Difficulties

Unfortunately, I have learned the hard way how important it is to have a plan B. As most of you probably know, my original intent for the field working project was to study a nursing home and investigate that subculture. After emailing the place I had chosen as my field site and receiving no reply, I decided to make a trip over and speak to the director in person. When I did so, she informed me that because of privacy reasons, I would not be allowed to observe there. Naturally, I was distraught. Up until then, I hadn't really had a plan B in mind that was in the same area of study as the nursing home, and after thinking about my project for so long, I really did not want to give up on the idea of studying the elderly. So, I turned to the only other thing I could think of: a senior center. This made more sense to me, once I thought about it, because I hoped that it was a place that would not have the same kinds of privacy rules, seeing as it is more of a place that members of the community can choose to go to for some time as opposed to a place where people live. With the due date for the field notes fast approaching, I cursed myself for waiting until the last minute, but immediately got to work on finding a new field site. The first place I thought of was a senior center in Needham, MA where my grandmother has volunteered in the past. I figured that maybe she could help me get my foot in the door, but after careful consideration and some advice from Dr. Cook, I decided to try for Salvatore Mancini Center. This is a better choice for me, because it's Providence location is far more ideal. I also liked the idea of studying someplace that is a part of the Providence community. Thus began the journey of gaining access to this new field site. That same Monday, I tried to call Salvatore Mancini Center, but being a holiday, they were closed so I sent them an email. I was petrified that, like the first field site, I would get no for an answer, but I was determined to keep on trying. I made a phone call on both Thursday and Friday, and left a voice mail with my contact information and a description of my project so that hopefully they would get back to me. After waiting over the weekend since they are closed, I decided to make another call on Monday and finally the persistence paid off, because I was able to get in contact with the director's secretary. Again, I laid out all of the information about my project for her, and she told me that she had to run it by the director, but assured me that she would get back to me, hopefully within the week. It's a slow process, because at a place like Salvatore Mancini Center there is plenty of other things going on that would put a project like mine at the bottom of the priority list but hopefully after a little more persistence, I will get the green light to start my research. But in the end, the most important thing to remember is how important it is to have a plan B, and that if you are planning something it is always best to contact the people that you need permission from as soon as possible.

Analysis of Digital Landscape

My digital landscape is all about the world of senior centers and their participants. While researching, the first thing that I noticed was the abundance of bright, colorful pictures. The search results included pictures of groups of seniors engaging in various activities, like exercising, quilting, dining and dancing. In all of the pictures, the seniors are smiling and look like they are having a wonderful time. To me, this represents the extensive variety of activities that senior centers supply, and the fact that all of them seriously enjoy being a part of the community and participating in these activities. Many of the websites I viewed were from various senior centers across the country, so that I could get a feel for senior centers other than Salvatore Mancini. The texts on the websites that I saw were all large and colorful, portraying a cheerful, welcoming feeling and oftentimes accompanied by photos of the centers themselves and calendars listing the many upcoming events. The general message of these websites seem to be that all are welcome in these places, and the bright graphics that display the upcoming events seem to beckon to the seniors of the community, begging them to come and take part in the excitement. There is definite evidence that in places involved in this subculture, there is always something going on to get the seniors involved. There is a general vibe of liveliness that seems to come from these web pages, which may be unexpected to some, considering that the intended audience is senior citizens, which many people may not expect to be so lively and involved. This leads me to another surprising fact that I stumbled upon in my searching. According to the National Council on Aging's website, 75% of senior center participants visit the center 1-3 times per week and spend an average of 3.3 hours each time they visit. This fact shows me that most of those who choose to participate in the activities at senior centers enjoy themselves so much that they keep on coming back. There were some other interesting facts on this web page as well, for example, about 70% of senior center participants are women and about half of them live alone. This makes me wonder why there are so many more women than men, but it also proves that it is very possible for seniors to be independent, and that senior centers can be a very helpful resource for who live alone. The website also states that "compared with their peers, senior center participants have higher levels of health, social interactions, and life satisfaction and lower levels of income". Judging by what I have seen on the websites that I investigated, I can definitely see how this is true. If a person is involved in such a healthy environment, it would definitely manifest itself in a positive way and could translate into the senior being healthier and more satisfied with their life by providing a community and a sense of purpose.  

Analyzing Field Notes

Will be posted once I get things back on track and manage to make it to my location :)

Lenses

It's strange for me to think about exactly how much my background, beliefs and other "lenses" will undoubtedly shape how I end up viewing things throughout the course of my field study. I have always viewed myself as a rather open person, the kind who tries not to let her own ideas get in the way, but in the end, it's true that all of us have these lenses that shape how we see things. Because of this, I feel that it is important for me to tell you a little more about me and my subjective positions, so that you might understand why I view things in the way that I do. My name is Sarah Buttrick, and I am a white, 19 year old female. I was born in the medium sized town of North Attleboro, Massachusetts and have lived there since, with my family which consists of my mother, father and little sister. While I come from a small family, I do end up visiting my grandmother quite a bit. She was a volunteer at the senior center in Needham, MA up until recently, when she had to undergo surgery for a broken hip. Since I have a grandmother that is part of a subculture similar to the Salvatore Mancini senior center, it may influence the way that I think about this field study. Besides the obvious point of view that comes from my age being so different from the members of the senior center, another concept that intrigues me is the ways that a senior center is very different from a nursing home. My perspective of nursing homes is more focused on the idea that they are a place for elderly folks who cannot take care of themselves anymore. Where my views on nursing homes are dreary and dismal, a senior center seems far more uplifting and positive. It is a place that the elderly can use to keep them active and give them a community of friends which whom to socialize and spend time. I feel that these differences will seriously impact the way that I interpret my findings from this site, because I will be on the lookout for cheerful, positive seniors who reinforce my preconceptions that a senior center is a place that is full of joy and live.

As far as textual positions go, the idea is for me to try and keep things as real as possible when I write about them. As I transcribe conversations, I will try and capture the nuances of each individual's speech, to give the readers a better picture of who they are. My language will stay friendly and informal, while also being informative and truthful. One thing that I need to consider is what the elderly would prefer to be called. I know that I need to be sensitive, because certain labels may be offensive. Throughout my writing, I will probably be referring to them as "elderly" or "seniors" unless I find that people would prefer to be referred to in a different way.   

Purpose

The purpose of this blog comes from my natural curiosity about what it is like to be a senior citizen. Salvatore Mancini Resource & Events Center is the kind of place that I really never knew much about. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, it's the kind of place that seems to always have something going on. To me, it is refreshing to see a place like this that is dedicated to helping the elderly in the community. It seems that too often the elderly are ignored and forgotten in our society. The questions that I plan to address in the field study will deal with this idea of how the elderly are treated at a senior center as opposed to the way that they are sometimes overlooked in other places and situations, and I also plan to focus on the lifestyle and the stories of the elderly that keep involved and visit the senior center. Throughout my field study, I will attempt to uncover the subculture of Salvatore Mancini Resource & Activity Center, and in turn understand what it might be like to be a part of this kind of community.
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