Reading Response Numero Tres.

In Chapter 10, Ballenger describes many “features of the form” of an ethnography. One point he makes is that ethnographies “focus on groups of people who identify themselves as a group. In both stores the authors’ study subjects identify themselves with a certain group of people. In Katz’ essay, Jesse and Eric identify themselves with the Geek club, and geeks in general. In Anderson’s essay, she describes the women who associate themselves with Mary Kay Cosmetics. Another point Ballenger makes in Chapter 10 is that “ethnography depends on close observation over time”. In both essays the authors observe their subjects over time, instead of making a rash observation. In Katz’ essay, he takes the reader through the many stages of the boys’ evolvement into geeks. He describes how family issues, anger, and depression shape the boys into the geeky creatures they have become. He also relates “the Cave” in which they live in with their childhoods and backgrounds. In Anderson’s essay, she describes her first run in with Mary Kay Cosmetics, and ventures to describe her countless interactions with Mary Kay over many years.
Some effective ways that Katz describes the culture of the geeky boys is he describes the location in which they were brought up, and their current location. He describes the boys’ high school in Idaho, and describes Jesse’s interaction (or lack of) with high school, and its impact on his growth as a person. In one case, Katz actually quotes Jesse’s mother when she says “ He wasn’t popular. He didn’t have a lot of friends.” He also describes how fitting in at these high schools was hard, particularly for Jesse. His aloofness towards sports made him an outcast with the jock dominant schools he attended. He describes the boys’ current residence, “the Cave.” The Cave was a bland, two bedroom apartment that was nothing fancy, but for the boys it was a home from their computers, their escape from reality. Katz also does an effective job describing the culture of the geeky boys by describing their backgrounds and childhood events that made them the way they are. Jesse lived with his divorced mom and two sisters in various Montana towns. His lack of a father figure made him predominately uninterested in sports and made it hard for him to feel he had any real roots. Eric’s lack of communication skills are to blame on his mangled relationship with his father. Because of this lack of interaction with his father Eric is bitter and unsocial. Katz writes “they’d spent virtually all their 19 years on the periphery of various things-families,teams,churches…” Jesse and Eric both were outsiders and finally found a sense of belonging when they officially classified themselves as geeks.
Anderson effectively describes the culture of the Mary Kay women by describing certain aspects of the Mary Kay woman: the pink Cadillac, the red jackets, the buttons. There are certain things that trademark a Mary Kay saleswoman, which Anderson addresses. She describes the significance of the pink Cadillac in a Mary Kay world, this car is the symbol of utmost dignity, it means that the person driving this car is a Mary Kay powerhouse.
There are many things the authors of both essays did that will help influence the gathering of evidence for essay. Although in Anderson’s essay, she had an underlying bias tone against Mary Kay women, she took the time to explore the many aspects of being a Mary Kay consultant. She described the “street view” of a Mary Kay consultant but also went further and actually attended a Mary Kay conference. In Katz’ essay he looks at the boys’ lives with a total outsider’s point of view which is something important in observing different cultures and subcultures. He didn’t judge the boys and their actions and lack of interaction with society. He simply described their way of life and explored the events that influenced them to live this life.