Religion observation project

Categories of observation:

• Location and setting: Pay attention to the physical surroundings, environment, and neighborhood (residential or commercial); is it a busy part of town or secluded? Walk around the area to get a sense of place (you can supplement with Google Earth for a bird’s eye view).
  • The building is not on the side of the road but in the parking lot very close to the location, facing the entrance of the parking lot is the huge logo of Scientology and the golden cross, the church of Scientology of steves Greek building gives people a very modern and new feeling.
• Physical setting and artifacts (i.e., objects): What does the meeting place look like (inside and out)? Does this affect the mood or create a particular type of setting? How is the space set up? What are some of the “props” (i.e., tables, chairs, musical instruments, microphones, candles, coffee and snacks, etc.)? Are there any symbols that represent the group? Are there pamphlets or booklets? (Or is there literature online that you can use that tells you something about the religious group?)
• Demographics: You might note the ethnic affiliation, gender, race, economic class, and age of participants. For example, what is the ratio of males to females? Are the attendees older or younger or both? What are people wearing (e.g., expensive suits and dresses, work clothes, business casual, etc.)? These may indicate economic class. Look around the parking lot, what do you see? Parking lots may provide a view of the types of cars in the parking lot (e.g., mini-vans, high-end cars, etc.). (You can use Google Earth to supplement what you see on the day you arrive.) While you’re not expected to be precise here in terms of counting types of people, cars, etc., you can use these observations to learn something about the demographics of the group.
• Meeting style: What is the format or structure of the meeting? Is it informal or formal? Are there clearly those who lead the meeting or does everyone take part? Is the meeting broken up into different parts? For example, is there a worship (e.g., prayer, meditation, songs, chants, clapping, dancing, etc.) part of the service that precedes the sermon? Also, how are messages communicated: spoken word, lyrics, chanting, formal prayers, or individualized prayers, etc.? Make note of the activities and styles of interaction, worship, conversation, and/or teaching style. Are overhead projectors used to create guidelines for the religious service? Do the attendees seem engaged in the meeting or bored?

 

• Engagement of bodies: This is especially important if in a religious group that has some worship, prayer, or meditation portion of the service that can be observed. How are the bodies of practitioners engaged (e.g., singing, clapping, swaying or perfectly still, hands in the air or folded in one’s lap, etc.)? Are they sitting or standing? What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel while participating or observing this? What do you think participants are experiencing based on their body language or facial expressions?

 

• Narratives: You may also hear stories about the group in sermons. Or you may read about these stories on the organization’s website, on social media, or in their pamphlets. What are some of the stories people are telling one another about themselves or their religion? Do these relate to the organization or one’s identity with the religion? What do these narratives tell you about the history or mission of the group, and their identity? How do such stories situate people in a moral/ethical landscape?