Energia’s Ethnographic
Observations
While planning her trip to Sun City, Energia spent some time revisiting and reorganizing some sections of her research proposal. Notably, she would dedicate a large number of hours to polishing the introduction to make a good impression on the readers, for she thought to herself:
“The introduction is like a photo identification of the whole research proposal, the part that announces or reflects the entire body of the research proposal. It deserves to be clean and clear.”
In the introduction of her research proposal, she clearly stated the issues involving non-renewable and renewable energies, and she explained their significance by supporting her statements with statistical and scholarly evidence in an attempt to make a strong case. She also stated the purpose and delimitations of her study by specifying the locations of her study, the populations she would target, her sample sizes, and her random sampling techniques; she also described the participants in terms of their age, gender, profession, and other relevant characteristics.
Her introduction also announced her literature review briefly (like in a snapshot), by presenting a small number of existing theories on her topic, anent their methods and findings or conclusions, and the originality her study would add to the existing literature. At the end of the introduction, she framed her research questions as open-ended and closed-ended. She would supply her closed-ended questions with related hypotheses (showing clear independent and dependent variables.) She would define her variables by explaining how she would measure them (as nominal, ordinal, or interval-ratio) to meet the requirements of quantitative research. Her open-ended questions would fulfill the needs of qualitative research.
Energia took some time to consult with her mentor for more advice over the structure of her research questions, and for guidance about how to behave in the entire process of her research.
Mr. Chercheur would help her understand more clearly the difference between closed-ended questions and open-ended ones.
“Closed-ended questions,” he said, “present a specific and rigid range of concise answers or options a respondent must select from (for instance, the options of yes, no, or maybe). Meanwhile, open-ended questions allow the respondents to provide flexible, original, and detailed answers reflecting their experiences and feelings.”
He would also raise her awareness about potential ethical issues in the research process and outcome, and he would coach her diligently and accordingly.
“The research process and outcome,” he warned her patiently and firmly, “will empower you with knowledge as you get helpful information on your topic. It may also empower you with money, if you get a grant for your investigations, or when the outcome of the research results in lucrative or financial gains. Be mindful not to use the power or the privilege of your knowledge or the power of money against the participants in your research. Do not manipulate the people involved in the process.”
“What do you mean?” she asked warily. “Please clarify your point.”
“Use the power or privilege of knowledge and money to serve the people who participate in your research,” he replied punctually.
Energia tilted her head towards Chercheur to show she was much interested in the conversation.
“How do I serve those who take part in my research?” she asked him in a sober tone.
“By respecting them, by keeping their identities confidential if they request confidentiality, by showing integrity and reciprocity, and by being trustworthy and credible,” he answered promptly.
“Can you, please, explain further those concepts?” she asked pleadingly.
Chercheur paused for a few seconds before he said, “You respect the participants by framing your research questions politely, and by interacting with the human targets humbly, without being manipulative, judgmental, or arrogant in the processes of observations, interviews, or surveys. For confidentiality, you could use pseudonyms, if the respondents do not want the research to feature their names. Be transparent by making them aware of the purpose of your study and its potential risks for participants.”
He would continue by saying, “At every step of the research process, be mindful to ask yourself the following question: do I exercise my power in the perspective of a power for people, or as a power against people? For a power for people is a power with people, it empowers you and others. A power against people is a power over people, it tends to dominate, subjugate or alienate others.”
“How about the notion of reciprocity?” she interrupted. “Can you explain what that is all about?”
Chercheur smiled, nodded, and replied, “In the process of data collection, participants give you information relevant to your research. You need to give them something in return. What you give them in return could be money if you get a grant for rewarding them financially; but it does not have to be money. Some participants might ask you to reward them by publishing their names or pictures in the published outcome of the research. That is reciprocity.”
“How do I develop credibility and build trust in the process of my research?” she asked insistently.
Apparently thirsty, Chercheur stretched his right hand, reached out to the cup of beverage nearby and took a sip of water before saying, “When the participants trust you, they want to participate in the research and give you pertinent data. If they do not trust you, they do not want to take part in it, or they do not share accurate or relevant information. Disclosing your identity and that of the organization sponsoring or mentoring your research would boost your credibility and help build trust to some degree. In addition, you need to be approachable and show compassion.”
“Would you advise any tangible way the research process could reflect all those ethical issues to give the participants some guarantee it will address them ethically?” she asked unrelentingly.
“Certainly!” he exclaimed, “I would advise the researcher to develop an informed consent form, and to hand a copy of it to each participant for reviewing and signing prior to collecting data. That form would explain clearly the purpose of the research, and how the study would handle all such ethical issues relating to respect, confidentiality, reciprocity, benefits for the participants, and potential known risks. Each participant and the researcher would sign the informed consent form prior to data collection to reflect their mutual agreement to participate in the research process. This form protects the participant and the researcher.”
“What if a participant changes their mind and decide not to participate in the process after signing the consent form?” she persisted with another follow-up question.
“Ideally, the informed consent will reassure the participants that they can withdraw anytime they decide to withdraw from the study,” He explained softly.
Apparently happy with her advisor’s explanations, Energia smiled and said, “Your advice is enlightening, but how do we enforce all those ethical rules in research?”
“That is a great question!” he replied excitedly. “There is an independent ethics committee called institutional review board (IRB). The IRB acts like a police station that enforces the ethical rules in research. The IRB reviews and checks research proposals to ensure they do not harm human subjects. The IRB would approve research proposals that are ethically sound or not harmful, and it would disapprove those with the potential to hurt human subjects. Most organizations would have in place an institutional review board. Prior to collecting data, researchers would submit their proposals to the IRB for review and approval.”
Energia would go further, by making her advisor clarify his stance on the levels of measurement of variables.
“I struggle with the levels of measurement of my variables,” she confessed, “any explanation would be helpful.”
“From my perspective, a variable could be measured as nominal, ordinal, or interval-ratio.”
“What are some criteria for each level?” she asked.
“The nominal level,” he answered, “fits any variable you can break into groups or categories with labels or name tags on. You could also call it a categorical variable, a discontinuous variable, or a grouping variable. Religion would be a nominal variable, because you could classify it as Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Indigenous Beliefs, Voodoo, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and more. Color is a nominal variable, because it could be black, blue, green, orange, purple, red, yellow, white, and more. Political party is also a nominal variable, because it could be democratic, republican, independent, and more. All such groups call for some random numerical coding; order does not matter on this level.”
“What about the ordinal level?” she asked.
“The ordinal level,” he replied, “encompasses any variable that you can arrange into ranks, in a specific and rigid order. You could also call it a ranking variable. The size of T-shirt would be an ordinal variable, because it could be small, medium, large, extra-large, and more. Social class is an ordinal variable, because it could be lower, middle, and upper. All such ranks require some rigid and logic numerical coding. You also could consider this level categorical, but a logic order matters here.”
“How about the interval-ratio level?” she persisted.
“The interval-ratio level,” he said, “includes any variable that comes in numerical values (with no requirement for coded values). You could also call it a numerical variable or a continuous variable. Examples on this level includes age, income, height, length, weight, temperature, miles per hour, and more.”
Following their expansive conversation, Energia spent a few days refining her research proposal with Chercheur’s assistance. Mindful of her advisor’s guidelines, she would develop a robust informed consent form to explain the purpose of her research and how she would address potential ethical issues with deontology. She would refine her research proposal to make it rigorous ethically, to Chercheur’s satisfaction. She would get a timely approval from the IRB of Chercheur’s academic institution.
Eventually, she also got the good news of the approval of the grant she had applied for to cover the expenses relating to the research project, which was a cause for celebration. She recorded an increase in her eagerness to embark on the journey of her research project. The news of the grant was uplifting, it boosted her motivation, and she was overjoyed.
Three weeks later, Mr. Chercheur moved on to introduce Energia to a friend, the gatekeeper of Sun City. His name was Ethnography.
As she approached the gatekeeper, Energia greeted him politely and introduced herself with the purpose of her visit.
“Welcome to Sun City!” he replied to her. “My name is Ethnography. I study the cultures of peoples, nations, groups, associations, or organizations, and I coach visitors and researchers on how to observe and manage cultural assets and differences. Mr. Chercheur, your mentor, often relies on my services.”
Mr. Ethnography spent some time coaching Energia on core cultural requirements of Sun City apropos of good manners and social decorum.
In the coaching process, Energia clarified her intention to collect data on the usage and benefits of solar panels in Sun City. She asked Ethnography, “What technique would best fit or serve my data collection process? Which method would you advise me to use to collect some helpful information?”
After praising Energia for her relevant question, he said, “I am afraid we may not be able to speak in terms of the technique that best fits; it is difficult to measure or quantify what is best. We may speak in terms of what technique is the most appropriate for your research. In this case, one procedure comes to mind, participant observation would be the most appropriate method for your data collection here.”
“I do not understand what you mean,” she said immediately.
She asked him, “What do you mean by participant observation? How does it work?”
Mr. Ethnography would answer her twofold question by pondering his words. He said gently, “In my worldview, participant observation would make you spend a good amount of time collecting data on solar panels, while staying and mingling with the citizens of Sun City. As a participant observer, you will be working with the people of the city, you will be eating with them, and you will be dancing and playing with them. You will be collecting data as you observe citizens in their day-to-day life; this requires your complete immersion in their daily activities.”
“You may reframe participant observation merely,” he went on, “as a qualitative method for getting to know social reality, by actively watching and partaking in the observees’ activities and lifestyle.”
“How do I record the data in those conditions?” she spoke up.
“You can select to take formative notes if the citizens you observe consent,” he answered. “Formative notes are the ones you take during the process of your field observations, as they unfold. This implies that you have the targeted participants sign a consent form prior to your observations.”
“This could be a challenge,” replied Energia anxiously, “it could be difficult to focus on observing people and taking notes at the same time.”
Ethnography said, “It could be difficult, but not impossible. Research does not accept anything is impossible to find out. What you cannot figure out today, you will discover it tomorrow, or someone else will help discover it. Research unlocks doors that may look impossible to open, and it uncovers the world of possibilities hiding behind them, for the sake of scientific progress. You may transcend the challenge, if you select to make summative notes. Summative notes are the notes you make after your observations, at the end of the day, before bedtime.”
“There could be a challenge as well!” exclaimed Energia impetuously. “If I have to wait till the evening, I may forget some details of my observations by the end of the day.”
“You make a good point,” he said to her instinctively, “we may forget. The research process cannot be perfect; there is no perfect research. Every research has its limitations. I am afraid no researcher is able to anticipate, prevent, and solve the puzzle of all limitations in their research. As a researcher, you need to be mindful of the limitations of your research and do what you can to alert your readers on them. The mindfulness of the limitations of their research would make the researchers humble. As for you, try as hard as you can to remember the basics of your notes in this situation.”
“What alternatives do we have to taking notes?” she asked impulsively.
“You could select to tape-record or videotape your observations, if the people you observe consent to it,” he replied. “Every option requires the participants’ formal consent.”
“What option would you recommend?” she persisted.
“Every option has its advantages and disadvantages,” he answered ponderingly. “The decision to select an option depends on series of factors, including issues of the researcher’s personality, the informants’ preferential option, and the needs of the research. I must confess I have a bias here; I am more inclined to taking notes; it is cheap and handy to make notes. I think the notes would serve the goals of your research conveniently, in spite of the real challenges they could present at times.”
Following the coaching session, Mr. Ethnography walked with Energia to the City Hall where he introduced her to the Chief Executive Officer of Sun City, Mr. Sun, another gatekeeper and key informant.
Mr. Sun welcomed Energia warmly in his spacious office. They spent some time chatting on the goal of her visit in Sun City. He lauded her interest in Sun City. “We appreciate your interest in Sun City,” he said, “your visit honors our city greatly.”
As a telling symbol, he handed a key of the city to Energia to allow her to unlock every door and to have access to every household and office in Sun City for data collection.
He would entertain her on how he supplied his city with the sunlight throughout the year to meet the citizens’ needs in renewable energy. He would boast about the large solar power plants his city had put in place for electricity.
“Here, our energy source never dries up,” he said proudly, “we never run out of it, it is inexhaustible; it is also cheap.”
He went on happily to unveil to his guest the annual budget of Sun City on solar panels. He explained how the city relied on the solar panels nearly entirely for its operation at a relatively low cost. He provided clear details of their savings on renewable energy.
Her meeting with Mr. Sun provided Energia with a great deal of helpful information. She got the opportunity to hear about some benefits of the solar panels for Sun City. She would learn enthusiastically how the balanced budget of Sun City had a lot to do with their adoption of solar panels. She would understand how the strong economy of the city owed its success to the solar panels.
Mr. Sun and his staff gave Energia a tour of the City Hall. She noticed some sparkly panels covering the roof of the building.
“Why do you have those gleaming plates on top of the roof of the building? What are they for?” she asked teasingly.
“They are our solar panels!” exclaimed Mr. Sun. “The energy they absorb from the sunshine grants power and light to the City Hall. Our office relies on them for efficiency in heating and cooling. We cannot run the City Hall without those panels you see on the rooftop.”
Energia could not believe it. She marveled how the sunlight could supply energy so powerfully and so efficiently to that huge building of the City Hall. She would mindfully observe and witness basic facts translating how the City Hall depended utterly on the solar panels for its needs in energy and for a smooth operation daily.
“Wow! They are not joking!” she said to herself in the end. “This is not fake news, it is real; the facts are visible, tangible, and significant here.”
The good impression boosted Energia’s desire to move on for further observations on the benefits of the solar panels. She would descend on to the streets of Sun City to observe the citizens in the places of their daily activities and interactions, for data collection.
The mayor of Sun City would recommend the members of the Sunny family as key informants for Energia’s data collection. In consultation with Energia, he made arrangements with the family to accommodate her during her sojourn in their city.
Initially, Energia had thought of booking a hotel room for her stay in Sun City. But she welcomed the mayor’s generous suggestion gladly. Yet, she would quickly reach out to the gatekeeper to understand what the mayor implied by key informants and why she needed them.
“What does Mr. Sun mean by key informants, and what are they for?” she asked Mr. Ethnography shrewdly.
“Key informants,” he answered, “are participants or insiders who represent treasured sources of information for your data collection process; they are familiar with the research site and very knowledgeable of the specific information you need for your research. They are valuable assets in ethnography, as they guide the researcher on the field and make participant observation smooth and rewarding. You can trust the key informants the mayor recommends, because they certainly have a good knowledge of Sun City.”
After she had left the City Hall, Energia’s host family welcomed her warmly into their home. It was a family of four. Mr. and Mrs. Sunny had two daughters. Their names were Sunbird and Sunflower. They lived in a modest house with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The couple occupied the master bedroom, a large bedroom overlooking a beautiful garden of red roses. Their children stayed in the second bedroom, a medium bedroom facing a peaceful garden of yellow and white roses. The third bedroom was the guestroom, a small bedroom adjacent to an attractive garden of pink roses.
When she walked into the guestroom, Energia noticed only one lamp. This observation shocked her tremendously; she felt that one lamp was not enough for good visibility in a room. In the kingdom of Energium, where she came from, every room had at least three lamps inside, by design. Her parents lived in a big house with five bedrooms, and every room had a minimum of three lamps in.
She would make a similar observation when Sunbird and Sunflower showed her their bedroom, while taking her around the house. She noticed exactly the same thing in the two girls’ bedroom, solely a lamp.
She did not understand why there was just one lamp in each bedroom. However, she lacked the courage to ask the sisters about the rationale behind that design.
When came the time for dinner with her host family, there was merely one lamp in the dining room, next to the dining table. Another lamp was in the kitchen. She also perceived only a lamp in the adjacent living room.
After dinner, they all congregated to the family room to spend some time together before bedtime. Energia observed simply one lamp in the family room. In their circle time, Mr. and Mrs. Sunny wondered if Energia had any question for them.
For a split second, Energia thought of seizing that opportunity to ask them why they had only one lamp in each bedroom. At that very moment, she remembered Mr. Chercheur’s ethnographic tips on the social decorum, and she withheld her question and controlled her feelings.
Following a brief moment of silence, she smiled and answered, “No, I have no question at this time. Thank you for checking!”
“Are you sure you have no question or comment?” Mrs. Sunny insisted kindly. “Do not be shy! Feel at home.”
“I feel blessed to be with your family,” Energia answered with a spirited voice, full of emotions. “I am grateful. My first impression is positive. Based upon my first observations, I can tell you are a healthy and happy family. I appreciate your hospitality. Thank you again for welcoming me so kindly!”
After they had left the family room, everybody withdrew quietly in their bedroom. The first night, Energia found it awkward to see and get around with only a lamp. However, by the third night, she felt better. By the end of her stay, she would get used to the dull lamplight; she no longer had any problem seeing around with just a lamp in her room. She would understand that she did not need more than a lamp in her bedroom for enough visibility to read and find her way around.
The lesson was clear as Energia thought of it mindfully: “One lamp is sufficient to see and get around in a room. More than a lamp in a bedroom would reflect greed and result in a waste of energy.”
This was a turning point in her life. That meaningful experience and the lesson she learned from it would transform constructively Energia’s habits forever upon her return back to Energium.
The next morning, after her first night in the Sunnys’ house, Energia did not enjoy a long shower; the water turned cold in the midst of her shower. She would find out that the Sunnys had a small water heater. Their water heater was powered by the solar panels, and they often ran out of hot water. Mrs. Sunny would also inform her that Sun City purposely designed most of its houses with small water tanks and water heaters to prevent its residents from wasting hot water.
Energia could not find in the bathroom any power outlet on the wall to plug in her electric toothbrush and her electric shaving machine. She went to Sunbird and Sunflower for help. The two sisters explained, “Sun City designs the bathrooms of our homes without any electrical outlet on the walls. Our city does not allow electric toothbrushes and electric shaving machines. The residents of Sun City use manual toothbrushes and manual shaving tools.”
Sunflower expressly supplied Energia with several packages of manual toothbrushes and a set of manual shaving devices for her stay.
“What about an electric ironing-machine?” Energia asked them. “Do you have any device I could use to press my clothes, like an electric flatiron or a steam iron?”
“Sorry, we do not have any,” they told her. “We do not need an ironing machine; we do not iron our clothes here before wearing them.”
“How do you remove wrinkles or creases from fabrics or clothing?”
“We make our clothes smooth by rubbing them with our hands!” Sunflower said smiling.
Sunbird would provide a live demonstration of what her sister meant. She spread her skirt on her bed, and rubbed the palms of her hands on it gently, as Energia watched. After spending a few minutes pressing the garment, she asked Energia, “What do you think of the outcome?
“Actually, this is a good idea,” she exclaimed, “the result is not bad; your skirt looks nice.”
Energia would follow suit. She managed to press her dress with her hands gently and patiently. It took her longer than she had thought. Even though the end result was not as smooth as she would like it to be, the look did not disappoint her.
That morning, she decided to follow Mrs. Sunny to work. Energia’s intention was to observe the dynamics of her host mother’s workplace. Mrs. Sunny was a nurse, and she worked in a small local health clinic.
As they prepared to leave for the workplace, Mrs. Sunny approached Energia and asked her, “Do know how to ride a bicycle?”
Energia smiled and answered, “Yes, of course, I do.”
“That is great!” she exclaimed.
She walked to the backyard and came back with a bicycle for her guest.
Mrs. Sunny grabbed her own bicycle, and Energia followed her, riding behind.
The host mother and her guest were the last two to leave the house on that morning.
Mr. Sunny and her daughters left about one hour earlier. He worked far from home. He was a headmaster. The family had only one car, and it was an electric car. He first had to drop her daughters at their school, before heading to his workplace. He and his daughter usually would leave earlier in the morning for work and for school. Sunbird was a nursing student. Sunflower was in medical school.
As she was riding patiently behind Mrs. Sunny, Energia observed many residents riding bicycles alongside the road. Mrs. Sunny would make her understand that most residents of Sun City owned a bicycle.
“Be aware!” she said. “Hundreds of our residents prefer go to work with bicycles, unless their workplace is too far from home. Some residents select to go on foot if the workplace is within easy walking distance.”
Energia observed only a few cars on the road; they all were electric automobiles. Most of the cars in Sun City were electric rechargeable vehicles. Energia did not observe any motorcycle. Mrs. Sunny would explain to her later.
“There are no motorbikes in our city,” she said, “they are not allowed here.”
“This city,” she continued elatedly, “runs only a few city buses for public transportation. Those buses are all electric. Sun City also operates five electric trains around-the-clock. The majority of our residents prefer to use the means of public transportation, because it is free for all the residents of this city. Residents rate our public transportation system highly, because it is very efficient and helpful. My daughters often rely on the public transportation to go to school, whenever their father is unable to drop them.”
Upon reaching Mrs. Sunny’s workplace, Energia was surprised to notice just two computers on the premises of the health clinic. The computers were for administrative purposes only. They would go from hand to hand, for data entry and data processing. Mrs. Sunny and her coworkers took turns to use them. Energia observed mindfully, as Mrs. Sunny patiently waited for her turn to type and print a patient record for her supervisor.
Unable to make sense of the organizational dynamics here, she whispered in Mrs. Sunny’s ear inquisitively, “Why do you have to wait so long, wasting your time around? I suppose this organization is rich, and I do not understand why they would not afford more computers to make your life easy and save time.”
“I am not wasting my time, make no mistake about it!” she answered softly. “When I get any information from or on a patient, I write it down with my pen on a piece of paper, and I move on to another case. When the computer becomes available, I record everything on it. It is a lifestyle, our choice. In this clinic, our perception of the time and our approach to our tasks may be different from yours. We do not rush as we care for our patients; filled with compassion for them, we dedicate sufficient time to each patient. We exemplify a philosophy of healthcare that values every patient is worthwhile or time worthy.”
Full of admiration, Energia observed Mrs. Sunny spend a whole hour taking care of one patient. “How many patients do you see per day, if I may ask?” she said cautiously.
“In this clinic,” Mrs. Sunny replied, “the quantity does not matter; what matters is the quality. We do not perceive patient care through quantitative lenses, but in terms of a qualitative and compassionate dedication. Great patient care requires sufficient time for a kindhearted attention to each patient and a considerate handling of their health issues.”
A few moments before five o’clock in the evening, Mrs. Sunny whispered in Energia’s ear, “The clinic will close in a few minutes, let us start getting ready for our trip back home.”
At five o’clock, the two grabbed their respective bicycle and began their ride back home.
On their way home, Energia asked Mrs. Sunny, “Do you work only day shifts?”
“Yes,” she answered, “I work just during the hours of daylight. In Sun City, the sunrise and the sunset regulate our work schedule. The majority of our residents are up and at work at dawn; we go to bed and sleep at dusk. Most businesses would open around seven o’clock in the morning and close around five o’clock in the evening, except for law enforcement, security and safety agencies, the public transportation, hospitals, pharmacies, and other major medical structures.”
That answer impressed Energia astonishingly; she was speechless.
Upon arriving home, the guest wanted to wash her dirty laundry.
She asked Mrs. Sunny, “Where is the laundry room, please?”
The host mother took her to a large room with carefully crafted wooden sinks, but with no washer or dryer.
“I cannot see any washer or dryer here. Where are they?” Energia wondered.
“I am sorry, we do not have any of that here, my dear!” Mrs. Sunny replied considerately. “We wash our clothes with our hands, and count on the kindness of the sunshine to dry them outside, in direct sunlight and in the open air.”
This answer did not satisfy Energia, she just could not make sense out of it. However, she would not ask any further question, mindful of Mr. Chercheur’s research tips. She would understand the absence of an electric washer and dryer simply as another choice in the Sunnys’ lifestyle.
The host mother would patiently initiate the guest on how to use her hands to wash clothes. In Energium, Energia had the good reputation of being a fast learner. Yet, learning how to wash her garments with hands was not easy. It would take some time before she could become comfortable. She would get it well eventually. In the end, she was very happy to be able to wash her clothes with hands. There was a time she opened her heart to Mrs. Sunny: “Washing my dresses with hands is actually fun!” she admitted. “It provides a good opportunity for meditation and relaxation.”
The next day, she decided to follow Sunbird and Sunflower to their school to continue her observations on the solar panels. The two sisters would seize that opportunity to introduce their guest to the public transportation of Sun City. They made Energia ride on a very comfy electric train to their school. She enjoyed the experience very much to the point that she confided to the two sisters at the end of the ride, “It was quite relaxing. I did not have to worry about any traffic.”
Upon arriving in school, the two sisters gave her a tour. They took her to the school cafeteria, library, bookstore, and gymnasium. She observed large solar panels covering the roofs of all the buildings in the school.
In the cafeteria, Energia witnessed students eating with paper plates and wooden forks. She would reveal to the sisters: “This is my first time to see wooden forks. I have never seen them before. I have never imagined or heard of wooden forks before.”
“Eating with wooden forks and spoons,” they replied, “represents the norm in our school. Everybody eats with wooden forks and spoons here, per the requirements of Sun City. Our city does not allow plastic and metal forks and spoons in the school environment.”
“What about the home environment?” she said. “I have noticed you have metal forks and spoons at home; we have been eating with metal forks in your house.”
“Good observation!” they exclaimed. “The city allows families to use metal forks and spoons at home, but not plastic forks or spoons. At home, we have the option to use the wooden forks and spoons or the metal ones. Prior to your arrival, our family was using the wooden ones. But on the day when you arrived, our mother stored them and took out the metal forks and spoons to welcome you; she understood you were not used to wooden forks and spoons.”
“How kind of her!” Energia shouted with emotions.
When the time came for lunch, the two sisters took her back to the school cafeteria for a treat. She seized that opportunity to try a wooden fork and spoon. It turned out to be a wonderful experience. While they were eating, Energia told the two sisters, “In fact, my wooden fork and spoon are very convenient, easy to use; I wish I had this option in my hometown.”
“Do not worry,” Sunflower replied, “at the end of your stay, we will pack you a big bag of wooden forks and spoons; we will let you go with sufficient supplies, at least for a year. Hopefully, this will give you enough time to figure out where to acquire them in your hometown.”
“If not,” Sunbird said, “you are always welcome to order them from Sun City. We will be happy to help ship them over to you. Do not hesitate, feel free to contact us anytime for help.”
“I really appreciate your kindness and offer to help!” replied Energia, with a smiley face to express her gratitude.
She would observe a poor luminosity in the cafeteria, in the library, in the bookstore, and in the gymnasium. She made the same observations in the sisters’ classrooms. She would not hesitate to complain about it to Sunbird and Sunflower.
The two sisters said, “We do not think the luminosity is low in the buildings of our school. We have enough light to see around. It does not have to be extra bright before we can find our way. Sun City designs its schools with the minimum required amount of light to avoid waste. Our school is powered entirely by the solar panels.”
“I am afraid the lack in luminosity might contribute to students ending up blind or with vision problems!” she replied humorously.
But the sisters did not take her answer as a joke.
“Sun City has the lowest rate of blindness in the nation.” Sunflower said. “Only a very small number of students wear glasses and contact lenses in our school. Be mindful that an excessive exposure to brightness may also contribute to blindness or poor vision.”
“I am sorry,” Energia apologized, “bear with me; I promise I will get it; I just need some more time to process and adjust.”
“We understand you need some time,” Sunbird said, “take your time; there is no rush. It can be difficult for an outsider to understand our practices and the daily life in Sun City.”
At the end of the day, Energia was happy to get back on the train with the two sisters. On their ride home, she spent some time observing the general mood on the locomotive. It was a cheerful mood. The passengers felt relaxed, they laughed, and they shared funny stories. It was simply awesome.
She could hardly believe her eyes. It was not like anything she had witnessed in the kingdom of Energium. The observation made her wordless.
The two sisters easily noticed her silence. “Are you fine?” they asked her.
“Yes, I am!” she replied with a smile. “I am just full of admiration for the residents of Sun City; your people are truly happy. In my hometown, at the end of the workday, everybody feels stressed out; most people are grumpy after work; you rarely observe any smile or laugh around you. Meanwhile, here in Sun City, everybody seems to be joyful at the end of the workday; I have the evidence on this ride.”
“Every society is different.” Sunbird quickly acknowledged.
“I believe people are the products of their cultures.” Sunflower added respectfully.
Energia agreed with the sisters and said, “I think your people are the products of a stress-free culture of renewable energies, and my people are the products of a stressful culture of non-renewable energies.”
“Honestly speaking, our culture is not stress-free.” Sunflower quickly objected. “The culture of renewable energies comes with its own stresses. We simply find constructive ways to address those stresses by being moderate in making choices that are good for us and by making sacrifices in some cases.”
Sunbird added, “A happy life requires conscientious choices and sacrifices.”
In the wake of that meaningful experience, Energia decided to spend the rest of her time in Sun City riding on the trains. She would travel by train fifty times just to observe the commuters’ mood. On each of her ride, she observed happy travelers. They all sang, told funny stories, and giggled, while going to work and while heading back home from work. The passengers’ enthusiasm would contaminate Energia eventually. She would join them in singing, laughing, and telling stories to entertain the crowd onboard. The more she got on the trains, the happier she became herself.
The experience impacted her profoundly to the point that she once disclosed to her host mother, “I have observed and experienced on the trains that happiness is contagious.”
“We owe that in part to our solar traditions.” Mrs. Sunny replied to her. “Allowing the sunrise and the sunset to regulate your life eventually benefits your happiness.”
A week later, Energia drew near Sunbird and asked if there was a treadmill in the house. She was dressed up and ready for jogging. The host sister’s response would disappoint her.
“In Sun City,” Sunbird said graciously, “we do not use treadmills. But we run outdoors, in the open air; we have beautiful parks, carefully designed for jogging, nature bath, or forest bathing.”
“Would you mind taking me to the nearest park for jogging?” Energia asked courteously.
Sunbird gladly accepted, got ready, and went to the nearest park with her guest.
The wonderful scene Energia contemplated in park mesmerized her. She saw some residents jogging; others were enjoying forest bathing. A small number of residents were meditating.
“It seems everybody is fit here!” she said to her host sister.
“That is a huge compliment to our city,” Sunbird replied with excitement. “I appreciate it; most of our residents find time to exercise daily.”
As they both kept on jogging, the host sister went faster than her guest.
“You are as strong as a horse!” Energia said to her.
“No!” Sunbird replied, while giggling. “I do not want to be as strong as a horse; I am not a horse, obviously.”
Energia first laughed, then she said, “That is an idiomatic way of saying you are physically fit.”
But the host sister insisted, “I want to be as strong as a human being, I am a human being not a horse.”
“I am deeply sorry,” Energia apologized, “I did not mean to offend you.”
“In Sun City,” Sunbird said, “we tend to avoid certain metaphors and hyperboles that stress the human nature, by comparing the human beings to others animals. We want to value the humankind and recognize its strengths, but also its limitations. Evidently, a human being cannot be as strong as a horse.”
“I fully respect your view, it makes sense!” Energia said humbly. “Maybe, some comparisons actually alienate the human beings and push them beyond their natural potentials.”
“That is fair enough,” Sunbird agreed. “Thank you for understanding what I mean!”
Toward the end of her time in Sun City, Energia’s host family took her to a mega concert in town. It was on a Saturday at two o’clock in the afternoon. She observed the scarcity of light in the concert hall. On the main stage, there was just enough light for the audience to identify the singers’ faces. There was no extraordinary display of fancy or colorful lights, like what you would see in the Kingdom of Energium under the same circumstances. Yet, the concert went very well to the satisfaction of the public. Energia really enjoyed it. She would use that venue to show her host family her dancing skills. Energia was a great dancer. Her dancing moves impressed Mr. and Mrs. Sunny; they earned her a standing ovation from Sunbird and Sunflower.
After thirty days, Energia’s adventures in Sun City came to an end. She had conducted a total of seventy observations across Sun City. Thirty-five of her observations had lasted only one hour each, five observations had covered only two hours each, and thirty participant-observations were for eight hours each. The locations of observations were very diverse and multiform; they included the City Hall, the Sunnys’ house, different organizations (including medical centers and schools), the streets, the public transportation, the marketplaces, and a concert hall.
Initially, Chercheur had advised Energia to spend up to three months in Sun City for reliability and validity in data collection. He had said to Energia, “Ideally, ethnography would require a few months of prolonged and in-depth participant-observations. The technique of participant-observation requires that you immerse yourself in a culture and become like an insider. You would spend up to three or six months to understand the cultural patterns with a hands-on experience on the site for representative data and for reliable and valid outcome.”
But after spending a month in Sun City, Energia wrapped it up; she made up her mind that she had completed enough observations and obtained sufficient data to move on to the next step in the process of her research.
Following her successful experience in Sun City with Mr. Ethnography’s golden advice, Energia deeply understood the importance of having a research advisor in every research process. She resolved she would often seek some guidance from her advisor at every stage of her research for success. From that moment, she would settle and travel with Mr. Chercheur, and she resorted to his expertise and services at every step of the process of her research.
From Sun City, she headed to the second major stop in her process of data collection, another city called Wind City, to continue her research on renewable energy. She embarked on that journey with her research advisor, Mr. Chercheur.