GREETING ASSIGNMENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES: as listed on the syllabus for units, "Performance and Performativity" and "Language as Social Action."

Length: 2-3 standard pages (double-spaced, 12-point font)

Find a busy place on campus where people are coming and going and watch people greet each other. Write detailed notes on everything you notice about how people greet each other. Pay attention to the words they use, to their expressions, and their body language. Observe and take notes until you find a greeting sequence that you find interesting. Your task here is to provide a description of a specific greeting encounter detailed enough for the reader to be able to imagine what passed on.

Write a short paper based on your observations and notes. Make sure to address all of the "grading points" below. Use the grading points as section titles to organize your paper. Carefully edit your paper for clarity, grammar, style, and typographic errors.

IMPORTANT:

1. This project requires you to do your own empirical observation of how people behave and talk to each other. The observation needs to be done specifically for the project. What you may remember from some previous experiences is not acceptable for this project.

2. This is an individual project. Do not collaborate. You are welcome to consult the Writing Center, though.

Work that violates the guidelines of academic integrity will result in a fail for the project, may have more serious consequences depending on the seriousness of the violation, and will be reported to the NAU SBS Dean of Students.

1. Write down where (place), when (date and time), and for how long you conducted your observation.

2. Describe persons involved in the greeting encounter in terms of what you can guess about their age, gender, appearance, etc.

3. Write down the words of the greeting. What did people say to each other? Do not use recording equipment.

4. Describe people's facial expressions, such as raised eye-brows, a smile, the direction of the gaze.

5. Describe body language, such as hand-waive, hug, slap on the back, etc.

6. Describe the tone of greetings, such as happy, surprised, distant, etc. How can you tell?

7. Did the greeting set up the stage for another interaction, such as conversation? Describe what happened after the greeting took place.

8. What can you guess about the relationship between people who greet each other based on the kind of greeting? Are they friends? Distant acquaintances? Coworkers? Something else? How can you tell?