Stars & Stripes

On Tuesday, January 12th, we will be going on a field trip to the offices of Stars & Stripes. We will learn about a unique work setting and enjoy a “change of pace” from our usual class. You should use these questions to help you create an ethnography of that working environment. You’ll notice that it’s the same sheet that you were to use at the volunteer setting that you chose. In the final class, on the 19th of January, you will report on your volunteer activities and compare the following three settings in light of what you were able to notice and how you were able to answer the questions:

• Your volunteer setting
• Stars & Stripes offices
• Your ideal working environment (for your future job or career)

Just to remind you what an “ethnography” is… It is a sort of detailed description of a setting based on careful observations and notes that are taken of those observations. Ethnography first started in the field of anthropology and later it spread to other social sciences. Traditionally, scientists who were preparing an ethnographic report would stay for long periods of time in the setting they were studying (such as Malinowski studying the Trobriand Islanders–located off the eastern coast of New Guinea–for years). Over time, the idea was that the researcher would take on the perspective of the natives. In your case, you will just have a few hours at the Stars & Stripes, and at your volunteer assignments to observe closely and ask questions. And, of course, the ideal workplace will be speculative and will not be based on your observations but more on your expectations and dreams.

At the Stars & Stripes facility, you will be allowed to take photos and even collect audio recordings, so that you can use them as “data.”

Types of ID (Identification) that are acceptable

Here are the kinds of ID you will need in order to enter the U.S. military base where the Stars and Stripes offices are located. You only need to prepare one of them:

1) Passport or…
2) Japanese Driver’s License + PIN Number [YOU MUST PUNCH IN THE 8-DIGIT PIN NUMBER TO USE THIS ID TO ENTER THE FACILITY!], or…
3) Residential Registration card with photo (写真付 住民基本台帳カード).

I repeat…if you do not know the 8-digit PIN for your driver’s license, you CANNOT use it as ID to enter the base. Students who tried that last year were turned away at the gate. Don’t forget your ID at home. If you do, you will NOT be able to gain access.

The tour will begin at 11:00 AM. We will all meet at the ticket wicket at Nogizaki Station on the side of the station where the National Art Centre is located at 10:45 AM. We will then walk to the offices of Stars & Stripes together. It is a 10-minute walk. Although it’s a short walk, it is very confusing so don’t try to go on your own directly.

It is essential that you tell me IN ADVANCE if you will not be able to go on the field trip to the Stars & Stripes offices.

You should start reading the newspaper in order to prepare for the trip and have good questions to ask the reporters and newspaper staff whom we’ll meet. Fortunately, you can download the daily editions of the paper as PDFs completely for free. There are also Android and iOS apps for the newspaper.