Emanuel Newsome Borrero/1101-068 Ethnography

Comment [AB1]: Check header. Not MLA format.

When transitioning to college life, be it the new schedules for classes, dealing with homesickness, even troubles with adjustment to the new environment, Resident Advisors, or RAs, are there as a guide to the this new place. The purpose of this ethnographic study is to examine the differences between the communication styles of male and female RAs in their interaction with their residents. To fulfill my intention, in this essay I will discuss the purpose of an RAs position, the different tactics employed by the RAs to interact with their residents, how residents feel about talking to their RAs and what differences are seen between how male and females appear to residents. In discussing these topics, I hope to not only inform RAs on what methods are effective, but to engage other students in this information, thereby instilling in them an interest in becoming an RA. Resident Advisors are students who are hired by Housing and Residence Life to act as the overseers of the dorms, varying in size, number of residents, grade level of residence, and major or group affiliation. In each dorm, a certain number of RAs live on a floor , depending on the dorm size, and are responsible for what goes on on that floor. Usually, there is an RA on duty, meaning they are in charge for a period of time and they are the one whom residents go to for help with major problems, be the problem a room issue or a resident-to-resident issue. RAs are trained over the summer before their residents arrive for the school year. Their training consists of different programs to get them accustomed to certain situations that could occur during their time as an RA, including one-on-one counseling with residents, dealing with alcohol and other
That said, consider how you could have set the tone for you discussion more effectively, or to a greater extent, provided research that demonstrated why discussing gender issues in this field is a conversation worth engaging. Comment [AB4]: What site did you visit to conduct this study? Keep in mind that your intro never established which specific community you are studying. Providing context is very important in order to establish clarity for your reader. Comment [AB5]: Does this apply for all programs, or specifically, the program you observed? Although the context you are providing is good, consider if it would be more beneficial to provide context centered specifically on your site. Comment [AB2]: Great discussion points. I like that you incorporate views from multiple perspectives. Comment [AB3]: Your purpose statement is very strong. I have a really good sense of what you want to discuss, how you are going to address this point, and who this piece will benefit. Great work establishing a clear focus for the piece.

illegal substances, and fire safety. We are trained to deal with the stresses of being a student on your own for the fist time, as we are all going through the same ordeal, (Byrd.) After being trained adequately, the real test of their skills is the actual school year. RAs are still students, usually in their Sophomore year or higher. Balancing their own school work, keeping up with their residents and making programs to get them involved in campus activities and making them more comfortable in their home away from home, RAs are compassionate and strong-willed. The RAs provide information for the residents through posting pub, or publicity posters around the dorm. This pub provides information on the events going on on campus, as well as the programs the RAs are doing in the dorms. Another way of communication between RAs and residents is through one-on-ones. These are meetings with a single resident where they can talk about anything on their mind in confidentiality, ranging from problems with roommates/hall-mates to issues with being a student. One-on-ones are our way of getting in touch with residents on a more personal level to get them more comfortable coming to the RAs with problems or just small banter (Byrd.) In dorm events are another way of getting to know the residents, by getting them engaged in activities that expand their knowledge of campus and other useful information. When it comes to how the RAs handle the occurrences that go on in residence halls, one question came to mind: is there a difference between how male and female RAs deal with these situations? Most people would assume that in society females are more prone to deal with disputes with a more passionate tone, while males want to just figure out the problem and deal with it logically. Marlene L. Lathrop, author of the article Communication Styles: Understanding the Differences between Men and Women, says it is more that men try to achieve status, while women strive more for connectedness. Alexandra Zatarain, writer of the article
Comment [AB9]: What caused this question to emerge? Comment [AB7]: I think this passage provides a strong sense of the responsibilities these figures are accountable for. It also provides a sense of some of the contexts that they are placed in where literacy acts may have value. Comment [AB8]: Once again, are you discussing RAs on your site, or RAs in general? Comment [AB6]: Frame your quotes. If you do not frame your quotes, we do not know who is contributing to the conversation you are engaging.

Mars and Venus: Communication Styles of Men and Women, also agrees with this stigma, saying that men are used to using a direct and forceful manner of communicating and women use a quieter and sometimes more passive or tentative style. Kathleen Brady, author of Understand the Communication Styles of Women and Men to Increase Workplace Productivity, addresses the differences as being a part of cultural norms to fitting into either being masculine or feminine, despite these traits being displayed by both men and women (Brady.) In a community such as this with varying personalities, that of the residents and the RAs, one might suppose that how male and female RAs handle situations would parallel that of the general, societal consensus. Being interested in partaking in this experience in the future, I took it upon myself to find out if a difference did exist. To figure out if there was a difference in male and female RAs, I had to dive into their roles in the residence halls. I generated questions that would yield varying answers and used them in interviews with the RAs. I gathered information from 6 of the 10 RAs in Sanford Hall, 3 males and 3 females, and did rounds with 3 of the RAs when on duty, 2 males and 1 female. On the rounds, I observed how the RAs spoke to residents that we either passed or had their doors open. I found that as a whole, when together, the RAs tend to speak the same to the residents with a relaxed tone, using personal language to make them more comfortable when talking to them. Early in the round, the RAs had to report a smell of an illegal substance to the campus police. When the call was made, they walked around to the doors of the floor we were on and asked the residents if they smelled it as well and to be honest if they had it or knowledge of who did. I noticed a change in the way they spoke to the residents, changing their body language from relaxed to stern and prominent to evoke the seriousness of the matter. After the issue was solved, their tone and overall look shifted back to mellow.
Comment [AB15]: You are telling us about the discourse exchange rather than showing us by providing quotes. Comment [AB16]: What was the point of this passage? You need to draw conclusions about what you are describing in order for it to have value. Comment [AB12]: Consider that you have not provided context about UNCC. Information about the student body, among other points, would be helpful when considering how those students are managed. Keep in mind that we are a metropolitan university, and this impacts the type of student body that we have. Comment [AB13]: Is this RA male or female? In a study focused on gender, you would figure that this would be an important point. Comment [AB14]: What is the purpose of this language? What exactly are RAs talking about with residents? What are the implications if these statements are indeed true? How does that impact the way we view these communities and the way we understand their roles? Comment [AB10]: Great use of sources to establish the case for your purpose, but make sure you use intext citations consistently to cite your sources. Comment [AB11]: Good point. Now I see why your question is indeed a valid point to pursue, but another question arises.

When I interviewed the RAs, I initially thought after the first two I could make a solid conclusion. But after getting the other interviews, I saw that I would have to really grind into how they interact with residents. I asked the same questions to all whom I interviewed and recorded their responses. When I asked how often they talked to their residents, a basic question to start off, most everyone said everyday. Three RAs gave a bit more detail of how often. I do rounds on my floor and talk with residents who have their doors open, said Jamal Byrd, RA on the ninth floor. I try to talk with my residents twice a day, making a effort to do rounds when Im on my floor, said Chelsea Harris, RA on the tenth floor. I talk with my residents at least once a day, either in the morning or at night because of the busy schedule I have, said Lashaundra Shelley, RA on the fourth floor. When I asked them if they could see their residents as friends or just residents, the majority of the RAs pointed out there being a fine line between personal connections and the responsibility of their job (Burke.) Shelley said she could see them as being both, that she would try to stay in contact with a few, but some dont engage in conversation, making it difficult to establish a connection. Byrd said that a few could be friends, while others are just residents. When I asked how well they knew their residents, the RAs answers varied. Extremely well, said Byrd, I do one-on-ones with a lot of my residents to get to know them better. I know some of them, but for the ones I see I recognize them by their room number before I can remember their faces, said Tiarra Saunders, RA on the sixth floor. I know about 60-70 % of my residents majors and interests, said Kyle Burke, RA on the eleventh floor. I know my residents to an extent, said Jonathan Dublin, RA on the third floor, because I try to at least know some surface information about most, if not all, of my residents. I know all of residents faces, a majority of their names, but not so much with all of their interests,said Shelley, because of time restraints in my schedule. But I do know that my
Comment [AB18]: Are these one-on-ones for professional or person reasons? Comment [AB17]: The integration of these quotes is a bit odd, and the overall flow of this paragraph is a bit off because it seems like a list of questions and answers. Also, you need to cite the responses from your interviews.

residents vary in their majors. I have some Biology majors and some Engineering and a few undecided. I asked how they interact with their residents, be it through programs or conversation. When I talk to a resident, my speak is pretty formal just because that is how I speak normally, said Dublin. When I do programs with the residents, I try to have an educational purpose of the program with a social backing to get them more comfortable talking with me, said Saunders. When I talk to residents, I initially have a mix of both professional and personal tone, said Byrd, but as relationships progress, my vernacular becomes more personal. I moved into more ponderous questions next to break down what each RA thinks of their job. I asked what separated a good RA from an ineffective RA, to which each had to think about for their responses. A good RA interacts with their residents and knows when to ask for help from the others, said Dublin. RAs who are good at their jobs are actively thinking of ways to make their residents time here worthwhile, said Harris. They are willing to acknowledge when their attempts are not working and more so willing to make meaningful connections, (Harris.) An ineffective RA is too preoccupied with other things and fails to engage with their residents, said Burke. An ineffective RA is one who is only in it for the free housing and who doesnt make connections with their residents, said Shelley, which makes it harder for residents to feel comfortable talking with you. I think ineffective RAs forget the purpose of their job and get caught in everything else, said Saunders. Lastly, I asked them what the purpose of being an RA is. The RAs took a more influential, parental tone when answering. The purpose of an RA is to be the bridge connecting the residents with campus, someone to look up to and trust and learn from, said Byrd. Being an RA means being what ever a resident needs you to be for them, said Harris. The purpose of an RA is to share wisdom, experiences and knowledge with residents, said Burke. RAs are meant to mold residents into something
Comment [AB19]: Your paragraphs are not only large, but packed with a LOT of data. You need to create paragraph breaks to make this conversation more manageable. Also, as stated before, the manner in which you are presenting you interviews is very difficult to engage with. Reconsider how you are incorporating the responses to your questions in this essay.

positive, and to aid in the transition from dependency to somewhat independent status, said Saunders. The RAs job is to help residents get better acclimated with college life and to provide a safe environment for them, said Dublin. I think an RAs main purpose is to serve as a connector of the residents to campus resources and as a personal resource for them. To be that friend is knowledgable about everything that is college life, said Shelley. In analyzing the information received from the RAs, I found myself a bit puzzled. Looking through their responses, for the most part, the RAs are well-rounded in what it takes to do their job. Diane D. Everett and Zachary V. Loftus, co-authors of the article Resident Assistants as Rule Enforcers Versus Friends: An Explanatory Study of Role Conflict, conducted a study on RAs and their role in conflict resolutions and thought otherwise. In their research, they found that the RAs in the study felt that they knew that policy enforcement was a central part of their jobs, but they felt unprepared for their role in the disciplinary process and for confronting residents about rule infractions, (Everett 75.) By the responses given by the RAs, there is a difference in their training from school to school. Everett and Loftus did agree, however, that RAs play an increasingly complex, diverse, and expanded role in campus life, (Everett 73.) Based on my findings, I can find that there is a slight difference in how the RAs interact with residents, but with many similarities as well. There is a prominent likeness is what the RAs want for the residents, that being for them to see them [RAs] as aids in getting used to college life. A noticeable difference include how they responded to my questions. The female RAs tried to give a more descriptive answer for what they do for and with the residents, while the male RAs responses were short and to the point. That extension in the answers given shows that females are more in tune with the compassionate side of their job. Chelsea Harris justifies this notion, stating that she sees every resident as her resident, so she greets all whom she meets
Comment [AB21]: Rather than using interview data alone for this study, this essay would have been much more effective had you observed RAs in actually acts and analyzed their response to those circumstances. Comment [AB20]: You have a lot of data, but you need to make sure that your voice is heard in this piece too. Presenting the data without commenting on it makes it hard to tell how we should be viewing it or what you want us to think about this information.

(Harris.) The male RAs are more into getting to know their residents, connecting with them through their programs and having one-on-ones with them to learn more about them. Kyle Burke gets to know his residents by sharing what he is involved in, like Campus Outreach, the fraternity he is in and the National Guard. Both male and female RAs display the characteristics above, but each puts a little more effort into a different aspect. As an RA, one is expected to impact the residents time at the school positively. Looking at what was collected, that is surely certain. Providing guidelines to live by as a student, getting advice from someone who has gone through the same experience and is still going through it, and getting perspective from both guys and girls on what is important sounds like a more than adequate exploit for a college student. Knowing what to expect when moving into a dorm does help quite a bit for the transition from home life to school life, but when in comes to the experience of actually being there, the RAs are the best resource for help.
Comment [AB22]: I like that you tried to conclude your discussion, but consider how you could have built more value for the conversation that you just engaged. What conclusions did you make about the culture based on your research? What can the reader do with this information? Based on the work that you have done, what can other researchers do to expand this discussion? Consider how addressing these points could have created more impact in your conclusion. Comment [AB23]: EJ, I really enjoyed reading your literacy ethnography. I think that you chose a really fascinating discourse community to focus on, and your research raised some thought provoking questions about the gendering of language, and the connection between language and authority. Within your essay, I think that you did a good job of explaining what an RA is and providing context about their unique social position, the various rhetorical contexts that they must respond to, and some of ways that they use language and rhetoric to respond to the situations they face. That said, the piece did pose some challenges to me as a reader. When reading the piece, one of the main challenges I had was engaging with the sources you were sharing. While you integrated a lot of quotes from interviews and sources, at times, you failed to frame your quote or introduce the speaker. In addition to this, in many instances you incorporated quotes but did not explain their significance or expand upon what they were adding to your narrative. Without explaining your sources or commenting on what they mean, your reader has limited means for understanding what those quotes mean, and to a greater extent, your narrative will lack the most important element your voice. Your narrative did an admirable job of engaging your topic, and as a whole, I think that this improvement is a vast improvement over your defense essay. Keep up the good work! -Mr. B

Emanuel Newsome Borrero/1101-068 Work Cited Brady, Kathleen. Understand the Communication Styles of Women and Men to Increase Workplace Productivity. Career Management and Promotions. Knoji.com. 3 Oct. 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. Burke, Kyle. Personal Interview. 12 Nov. 2012 Byrd, Jamal. Personal Interview. 5 Nov. 2012 Dublin, Jonathan. Personal Interview. 12 Nov. 2012 Everett, Diane D., and Zachary V. Loftus. "Resident Assistants As Rule Enforcers Versus Friends: An Exploratory Study Of Role Conflict." Journal Of College & University Student Housing 37.2 (2010): 72-89. Education Research Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2012. Harris, Chelsea. Personal Interview. 14 Nov. 2012 Lathrop, Marlene L. Communication Styles: Understanding the Differences between Men and Women. Marlene Lathrop. np. 2003. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. Saunders, Tiarra. Personal Interview. 14 Nov. 2012 Shelley, Lashaundra. Personal Interview. 14 Nov. 2012 Zatarain, Alexandra. Mars and Venus: Communication Styles of Men and Women. Creative Solutions Services. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2012
Comment [AB24]: Entries should not have bullet points.