Observational practice in virtual worlds: revisiting and expanding the methodological discussion

Virtual worlds, such as World of Warcraft and Second Life, have seen remarkable mainstream uptake in the last decade. Such environments have grown from hosting niche interest groups to providing sites for leisure, business and education for tens of millions of Internet users. Concurrently, a multi-disciplinary research field exploring the application of such spaces has emerged. This article examines in detail one data collection practice – observation in virtual worlds – that has been applied extensively, but without extensive methodological discussion. By revisiting and extending earlier work on this topic, the article presents four key considerations for those conducting observational research in virtual worlds: defining and delimiting field sites, discerning attention, charting actions and attributing intention. It is concluded that researchers must both ward against flawed assumptions about virtual world observation and consider multi-method strategies to overcome limitations in observational data.     

幼儿园新教师观察能力现状调查与分析——基于福建省幼儿园调查

幼儿园教师专业性的重要体现是通过观察和解读儿童,为儿童提供适宜的支持,促进幼儿的学习与发展。通过问卷调研福建省1062名幼儿园新教师观察能力现状,从确定观察目标、选择和运用观察方法、筛选观察信息和观察记录以及观察分析和支持四个维度进行分析。研究发现：幼儿园新教师具备较强的观察意识,但是观察能力普遍处于低水平观察。新教师的观察能力在学历、幼儿园等级、幼儿园性质、幼儿园所处地域上呈现显著性差异。研究建议：完善职前课程培养体系,通过情境式的研训方式提升新教师的观察能力。     

社会学民族志的力量:重返早期社会研究的田野工作

自20世纪70年代以来,社会学民族志在田野工作和叙事复兴中与传统人文学汇聚,显著扩展了自己的学科边界。但是,这种扩展并没有解决社会学民族志在深度的经验发生和强烈的理论诉求之间遭遇的紧张。对于这种紧张,本文主张再访早期社会研究的田野,即19世纪末期到一战之前的若干典型研究,从中反思早期社会学田野工作是如何在“直接经验”的倾向中完成类型化,以及如何在这个经验感获得的同时改变对社会世界的道德想象。早期社会学的田野工作的力量之一不在于以规范的诉求压制经验感,而是以独特的情感结构连接经验的观察和道德理想的重生。由此,我们不仅需要反思诸如社会调查到社区研究这样的简单思路,更要重新理解理论史上所谓的“进步主义式”的道德本身。这一工作对重新认识早期社会研究和今天的社会学民族志都具有意义上的准备。     

Applying a Positive Youth Development Perspective to Observation of Bereavement Camps for Children and Adolescents

A positive youth development perspective focuses on recognizing psychosocial strengths and providing social environments that contribute to the development of these in children and adolescents. Bereavement camps can provide such an environment as they help children cope with the death of someone close. The purpose of this study was to observe bereavement camps through the lens of positive youth development to determine the applicability of the eight features of positive developmental settings for describing bereavement camps (safety, appropriate structure, supportive relationships, opportunities to belong, positive norms, support for efficacy, skill building opportunities, integration of family and community). Observational notes were recorded by researchers during on-site visits to three different weekend bereavement camps. Results identified how each element of positive developmental settings was exemplified in either typical camp activities or bereavement-focused activities. For example, assigning campers to cabin groups based on age and gender provided opportunities to belong, and giving campers a comfort object and a big buddy provided supportive relationships. Findings were used to create a positive developmental settings observation checklist for use by bereavement camp practitioners to assess the extent to which each camp provides the requisite elements for promoting positive youth development.     

90年代散文创作中人文精神因素的考察

90年代是大众文化的年代,也是散文创作有所作为、能够产生“散文热”的年代。在这种状态下,负载人文精神、寄寓人文理想的散文有了充分表现的空间。这类散文往往是以这样几种方式出场的通过对现当代历史事件和历史人物的剖析,表现出对历史与人生的严肃审度;借山川景物感悟人生真谛;对人类命运的终极思考与关怀;把握人类与大自然的关系;当代的反思意识;等等。这类散文的出现,给90年代散文创作带来了活力。     

1998年狮子座流星暴的一些预测

1998年狮子座流星暴是本年度最重要的天象之一。而广东省处于观测的最有利位置,为了不错过这次十分难得的机会,本文叙述了狮子座流量暴的本质及其观测工作的意义,求出了该流星暴母体的部分轨道根数;对1998年狮子座流星暴作了一些预测;对观测方法提出了一些建议,本次预测虽用的是天文专业的方法,但为了使更多的观测员理解,本文尽可能使用最基础的知识。     

Intersubjectivity: Towards a Dialogical Analysis

Intersubjectivity refers to the variety of possible relations between perspectives. It is indispensable for understanding human social behaviour. While theoretical work on intersubjectivity is relatively sophisticated, methodological approaches to studying intersubjectivity lag behind. Most methodologies assume that individuals are the unit of analysis. In order to research intersubjectivity, however, methodologies are needed that take relationships as the unit of analysis. The first aim of this article is to review existing methodologies for studying intersubjectivity. Four methodological approaches are reviewed: comparative self-report, observing behaviour, analysing talk and ethnographic engagement. The second aim of the article is to introduce and contribute to the development of a dialogical method of analysis. The dialogical approach enables the study of intersubjectivity at different levels, as both implicit and explicit, and both within and between individuals and groups. The article concludes with suggestions for using the proposed method for researching intersubjectivity both within individuals and between individuals and groups.     

写作中的观察艺术

写作离不开材料,而直接材料的获得要靠观察。观察是写作的前提与基础。明确观察的含义及方法对于写作者来说有着十分重要的意义。本文从艺术的角度解释了观察的含义,并对写作中的观察的个性特征进行了深入细致地探讨。     

Global economy of signs and selves: A view of work regimes in call centers in the Philippines

Reflecting on the global nature of third-party offshore call center and its implications on the agent, this piece is an account of the researcher's own experience, observations, and interactions as a call center worker. Using the theoretical frame Global economy of signs and selves, weaving ideas from Scott Lash and John Urry, Pierre Bourdieu and Erving Goffman, the study looks at some dimensions and conditions of global service work experienced by Filipino agents. With the relocation of accounts offshore, call centers in the Philippines have given rise to a growing section of society required by the imperatives of their work to “defy” time and space, synchronizing their cycles and routines according to the rhythms and cycles of a distant social dimension and the imperatives of globalized production. Although relocation has allowed firms to reduce costs and make use of cheaper labor, the distance traversed by this new call center platform comes with some hidden costs, borne by workers, who may themselves take these other forms of work they deliver for granted. Highlighting under-emphasized, undervalued and misrecognized aspects of call center work, the study attempts to link the global, the local and the personal, while emphasizing the social and symbolic work involved in call center production.     

《尚书·尧典》四仲中星观测年代考

利用岁差原理进行推算,是解决《尧典》四仲中星观测年代问题的有效途径。然而,中外学者由此推算的结果却差别很大。究其原因,在于人们对当时的观测条件认识不一。根据重新讨论和认定的观测条件,可以推得《尧典》四仲中星的观测年代在殷末周初。