Levin+Reading+Response+2

In Chapter 4 of Freshman year, the author notes how studdents come together with those who are "like" them. The students who felt they did not fit in were often seeking each other out and starting their own "likeness" group. She noted the international students friended her, because they were seen as different from "normal" college students. The author also finds that students who have hobbies or interests in common with others, often make more friends. This shows how American students like to stick with what they know and people in general like to stick with what they know even if they sometimes end up excluding people in the process. The author also notes how independent and isolated American studetns are compared to the International students. Americans are independent, I don't think it's just the college students. I also think their opinion is a bit biased; they are not familiar with American culture and do not understand it. American culture is very different from cultures around the world. If an American went to any of their country's the student would feel culture shock and would not feel comfortable. I think it was interesting for her to examine the college life through the international student's view, but I don't think it's fair to apply that view to all American students. The international students are not accustomed to our culture. I don't believe her study of viewing through other student's eyes is a good way of studying students.

In ethnography, the author taks about where and when research questions should be asked. Sometimes you don't know what question you want to ask or research until you have already begun studying persons or a topic. The author also talks about problems that come up in research, but I don't completely understand what the author means. I understnad that some ways of gathering information is better than others, but I don't really get the part about dichotomy. The part about taking notes seems pretty self explanatory. The reading is still very dry.