The subculture I have chosen to study is the Indian Diaspora at Ohio University.
Box 11: Positioning Yourself
Before entering the field and continually during my field study, I must question my relation to the subculture. I know that as I am not an Indian national myself, fully becoming an insider of this group would prove difficult. The different cultural backgrounds we have will greatly shape my position in this subculture. As this is a relatively large community and time allotted for this project is minimal, I will also have to pick and choose which aspects of the subculture I will focus more on. However, there are several factors that positively influence my position in the field. I have several friends in the Indian community at Ohio University which allows me to easily gain access to personal interviews and insider knowledge. My former internship with the Friends of India organization on campus updates me on Indian events and has introduced me as a familiar face at such events. Finally, my experience in India and my knowledge of the culture will help portray my respect for their heritage and hopefully increase the level of trust.
Subjectively, studying this subculture has its benefits for me. In increments I have studied the culture of India and the subculture of this Diaspora at OU in the past. My academic studies largely incorporate India as a focus area. As a result, studying this subculture will continue to propel my studies. I am already slightly involved in this subculture as I am studying the Hindi language, attend many events and frequently communicate with several members of the community so my choice to study this subculture is also quite convenient.
Box 11: Positioning Yourself
Before entering the field and continually during my field study, I must question my relation to the subculture. I know that as I am not an Indian national myself, fully becoming an insider of this group would prove difficult. The different cultural backgrounds we have will greatly shape my position in this subculture. As this is a relatively large community and time allotted for this project is minimal, I will also have to pick and choose which aspects of the subculture I will focus more on. However, there are several factors that positively influence my position in the field. I have several friends in the Indian community at Ohio University which allows me to easily gain access to personal interviews and insider knowledge. My former internship with the Friends of India organization on campus updates me on Indian events and has introduced me as a familiar face at such events. Finally, my experience in India and my knowledge of the culture will help portray my respect for their heritage and hopefully increase the level of trust.
Subjectively, studying this subculture has its benefits for me. In increments I have studied the culture of India and the subculture of this Diaspora at OU in the past. My academic studies largely incorporate India as a focus area. As a result, studying this subculture will continue to propel my studies. I am already slightly involved in this subculture as I am studying the Hindi language, attend many events and frequently communicate with several members of the community so my choice to study this subculture is also quite convenient.
There was an interesting segment on ESPN showing the diversity of India, varying from the slums to the very wealthy (a play off slumdog millionaire, so original). But there seems to be so much depth to India I never knew about
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