The Wheels on the Bus. . .

11/23/2020

The sample qualitative research for this week is a feature article on transit workers in New York during the pandemic.

Here are the three things I would like you to read for:

Try to pay attention to where we are getting background information on the main subject being interviewed for the piece. That information comes from the interview subject but it is not direct quotation. What kinds of information do we learn that rounds out our picture of this individual?
Where is direct quotation from the subject used and why is it used? Where is is not used and why?
What do "secondary sources" look like in this piece? How is it positioned in the actual article?
What is the larger world that this interview reflects on? How do come to know the wider view and what do we come to know about it?
What is the significance of the piece in it's entirety? Why tell this story?
What narrative elements shape the article? In other words, this is public scholarship not academic scholarship. So, related to the question above, why tell this story this way?

Once you've read and considered these questions, post between 250 and 300 words that address them.

Additionally, what do you learn about your own final project by thinking about the last two bullets: why tell. this story and why tell this story this way? Write through your answer for your own project in 100 to 200 words.

3 Comments

Derek Krysko

11/25/2020 08:09:22 am

We learn additional information about the subject through the description of others or a situation he was involved in, rather than directly about him. For example when we read that most of Manhattan’s workers were staying home but Layne was not, we learn that Layne is determined and brave because he cares deeply about the work he performs and the people he helps. Similarly, when we hear that many of Layne’s colleagues were terrified of getting sick, we learn that Layne is thinking about how he could lift their spirits. Instead of simply saying that Layne is kind and caring, we find that out through a more unique description, and the reader is able to generate that impression on their own simply by reading an action he performed. We also get some information about how long he has been doing the job and how long he has been a New Yorker, which again serves to highlight his dedication and overall toughness given the environment in which he works. A direct quote is used when the author is relaying Layne’s exact message to his colleagues, and a direct quote is necessary in this scenario because the exact words are more powerful than a paraphrase. The readers benefit more from hearing specifically what Layne said rather than the author saying something like “he gave an uplifting speech.” While we would get some understanding of what happened, the emotional impact would have been lost and using a direct quote protects that. A quote was not used to describe how long Layne has been working and how he knew the job was thankless, because a quote would not reveal any additional character information that the paraphrase did not. In the previous scenario, the quote showed us more about who Layne is, but simply stating the second piece of info like the author did accomplishes the task more efficiently, and there is less of a need to attach an emotion to this information. I am not completely sure, but I think a secondary source example is the story of the 1941 bus boycotts that provide some historical context, and explain why African Americans are able to work at the MTA in such large numbers. In the article itself, the story helps to contextualize the importance of Layne’s work, and it helps to demonstrate why doing his job well no matter the circumstances is so important to him. I think the larger world that this piece reflects on has to do with the concept of essential workers not getting the respect or appreciation they deserve. Layne mentions how he and his colleagues were only appreciated for a brief period of time, when there was national support for front line workers. However, that soon faded, and he again was ridiculed and disrespected, and I think this piece speaks to the hypocrisy of man in that way. When people needed the drivers, they were treated well and appreciated, but as soon as the drivers were no longer seen as essential, people were perfectly comfortable to treat them like garbage again. I think that is why this story is told; it acts as a plea to treat others with respect at all times, because everyone is going through tough times under the surface. Layne loves his job more than anyone, but to passengers he is just a tool or a pawn, not a real person. This piece wants us to understand that everyone has a past and a reason to be where they are, so mistreating someone you do not even know makes no sense. The story was told in a more narrative form because the significance lies within the story. We needed to know who Layne was and what he was all about in order to derive some message from his story. If the piece was academic, it may not have had the emotional impact needed to deliver the message most effectively.

In terms of my project, I think I gained a better understanding of how format and delivery method effect message reception. My piece was kind of stuck in between a public and academic piece, so it was not as effective as it could have been. I need to write the story more similarly to this piece about Layne, because the power of my study lies within the stories being told. The emotional and psychological impact is more readily understandable when I relay the information like a narrative rather than a professional interview. Though the goal of my study is to determine why people like video games, and is not a groundbreaking societal discovery, it still possesses purpose, and I believe that it can help to understand why people develop strong connections with video games. In the process of telling these stories, the interviewees discovered something about themselves through their connection to video games, and it is my job to share these discoveries in a context that relates to gaming as a whole.

Sasha Rockwell

11/30/2020 06:38:29 am

We learn a lot about the kind of character and person Lanye is, and how he kept working during the pandemic and put up with a lot of nasty people. He’s a hard working person with a good heart, and also understands mistreatment, and sees how often bus drivers like himself face abuse from passengers. A lot of this is reported back as part of the story, it’s not in direct quotations or anything. There’s a significant moment where Lanye directly tells the reporter that bus drivers like to commiserate together and complain about abusive passengers, and that makes them feel a little better when they’re all undergoing the same stressful experience on the job. I think this is significant because it shows his strength, and also makes the piece more interesting. The quotes are very intentional and not just added in randomly. They’re purposeful and meaningful. Secondary research that could have been done is the pay for bus drivers. They go on to talk about how much bus drivers earn per hour $24.87, sometimes the pay rises to $35.53 an hour. So even though the job is taxing, it pays really well, and Lanye thinks so. This story relates to a larger world because other people were going through similar experiences to Lanye. A lot of people had to work during the pandemic when a lot of people were told to stay home, and they weren’t being called brave or helping, they were doing their jobs and it was sad. A lot of people also lost a lot of family members to Covid similar to Lanye whose father was admitted. I think the significance of the story is bravery and strength during abnormal circumstances. The pandemic has been a strange situation for everyone, and Lanye has had to adapt in many ways to keep his job, but he still loves what he does despite the abuse from passengers. I think that takes a lot of strength to keep doing what he loves during a pandemic, even if he’s putting himself at risk. I think the narrative elements were used in storytelling because the story was over a large span of time, and it tells different facets and experiences. I think telling this story specifically this way makes it more powerful and also allows Lanye’s quotes to be added in and used to convey a meaning or tone.

Regarding my final project, I think a lot of people don’t know about the world of dog shows, and assume that because it seems like a rich person sport, that everyone who enters it is snobby or rude, and I want to debunk that myth that even middle class handlers can participate in dog shows. And it’s not about gaining status for yourself, it’s for training your dog, and for the fun of it. People who enter dog shows still love their dogs and treat them like family pets, and they easily can take on a duel role. There are a lot of misconceptions about the people who enter them and what kind of relationship they have with their dog.

Amanda Guindon

12/2/2020 09:54:56 am

A lot of the information we learn about Layne comes from descriptions of the places he spent time in growing up, like his father’s grocery store, the apartment he grew up in, and even the public school he attended. The scene is described like we are walking through the streets of Harlem with Layne as he did with the interviewer, and he’s showing us all the different places that made him into the person he is today. Later in the descriptions, we learn a lot about Layne’s understanding of police brutality even from a young age as he recounts different moments like when a 10 year old boy was killed by an N.Y.P.D officer. We also learn that he had some run ins with the law, ending up in prison where he took advantage of the education program. It seems like there are direct quotes mixed in where paraphrasing wouldn’t do Layne justice, like when he’s talking about his parents and things that were said. While all the information in this piece came from the interview with Layne, there are only quotes that hold significance as to not take away from the power of the quote. It wouldn’t mean much if the interviewer only quoted Layne when he was talking about setting up a scene or things like that, it’s what can’t be summarized that stands alone in quotes.
The secondary sources are kind of woven in where further context is needed for the readers. For example, there is obvious secondary research where it talks about COVID-19 and the M.T.A. and C.D.C.’s response to the pandemic. This information is crucial to the understanding of Layne’s story, so it needed to be included in such a way that didn’t disrupt the flow of the story so far. To make a smooth transition between the secondary research and the answers from Layne’s interview, the secondary research is followed by Layne’s experiences, like how he got surgical masks from a friend and how he began sanitizing his space even though it was also being done through the M.T.A.
Layne’s story reflects the larger world view of essential workers in the pandemic, and how day to day lives have been affected and disrupted beyond what people might think. Layne is a perfect example of the typical person going to work to provide for themselves, and there is probably a large audience that can relate to the work he is doing, or even just his experiences as an essential worker. The significance of this piece is that it is hard to grasp the magnitude of this pandemic and how it has affected day to day life when we are living in it currently, and it can be hard to understand how different areas were impacted. Layne represents the common essential worker of New York, which many people from many different places can relate to even if we think our experiences have been different. It is important to read stories like these to be able to put faces to statistics (if that makes sense). The way this story is told makes it so relatable to a wide range of people, and it’s told so that we empathize with Layne and other essential workers like Layne.
In regards to my own project, the last two bullets and the entire piece about Layne provide insight on how to present information from an interview in a more conversational tone, which can be beneficial when trying to relate to the audience. I feel like I have a hard time breaking from the mold of academic tone and more formal writing, and sometimes writing more formally isn’t as conducive to relaying information to the audience. While some research and information should be portrayed in formal, academic style writing, the topic I am discussing relates to a broader audience and reflects the experiences of specific people, which could be better suited in a less formal writing style to relate to the people I am writing about.

The Wheels on the Bus. . .

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