"Field Notes: Listening and Writing Down" - What Unwritten Notes Tell Us
1. Read in one line
1.1. Basic information about the book
Title: "Field Notes: Listening and Writing Down"
Author: WORKSIGHT Editorial Department (co-authored by multiple people)
Publisher: Sayusha
Publication Year: 2023
1.2. One-line summary
This book explores the possibilities and difficulties of the practice of "listening to others' voices and recording the field" known as field notes, as described by researchers in anthropology, sociology, and other fields through their concrete experiences.
2. Read in three lines
2.1. Three-line summary
Anthropologists, sociologists, photographers, and others share the concrete process of creating field notes based on their actual fieldwork experiences.
It demonstrates the difficulties and ethical issues inherent in the acts of "listening to others' voices," "recording," and "conveying" through actual case studies.
It suggests that field notes are not merely records, but important tools that highlight the relationship between the self and others.
2.2. Key message
Field notes go beyond simple records and serve as a means to deeply understand the relationship between the self and others.
"Listening" and "writing" are not about pursuing objectivity, but rather involve subjective and ethical issues.
Records are always incomplete, and it is important to face that incompleteness.
2.3. Conventional wisdom at the time
There was a strong belief that field notes must be objective and scientifically accurate records.
There was a common assumption that researchers should behave as neutral and transparent entities in the field.
There was a premise that recorded information is what matters, and the recorder's subjectivity and emotions should be excluded.
2.4. Differences from conventional wisdom at the time
It argues that records are always subjective and that it is impossible to completely exclude the presence of the writer.
It demonstrated that listening to the voices of others is an act that involves an ethical relationship with the other party, going beyond simple information gathering.
It reinterpreted field notes not as a "perfect record," but as a "means of describing relationships."
2.5. Close figures and ideas (transcending time and space)
James Clifford (Cultural Anthropologist)
Tim Ingold (Anthropologist and Philosopher)
Paul Rabinow (Cultural Anthropologist)
Reason: These anthropologists emphasize "relationships with the field," highlighting that research and recording hold significance beyond mere information gathering.
2.6. Conflicting figures and ideas (transcending time and space)
Bronisław Malinowski (Early Cultural Anthropologist)
Auguste Comte (Founder of Sociology, Positivism)
Claude Lévi-Strauss (Structuralism)
Reason: These researchers and ideas prioritize objective and neutral observation and recording, while downplaying subjective and relational aspects.
2.7. Originality (Features)
By narrating the process of recording field notes through realistic episodes from the field, it demonstrates vivid practice rather than mere theory.
By involving not only anthropologists and sociologists but also photographers and various experts, it provides multifaceted perspectives on how to create and use notes.
It positions recording as an ethical act and deeply explores the difficulties and responsibilities involved in writing and listening.
2.8. Is it still relevant today?
Even in the modern era, the act of recording and conveying the voices of others has become even more important, and the ethical and methodological challenges presented in this book remain valid.
Precisely because we live in an age where the internet and social media make it easy to share the voices of others, it is necessary to consciously consider relationships and ethical issues.
Because it provides methodology and practical examples that are always useful for those involved in fieldwork and field recording, it remains significant in the modern day.
3. Reading Carefully
3.1. Summary: "Introduction: The Magic of Notes"
3.1.0. Title
"Introduction: The Magic of Notes"
3.1.1. Keywords
The Magic of Recording: Points out the special power that recording has to capture reality and people.
Subjectivity: Emphasizes the importance of the writer's subjectivity and senses.
Emergence: Shows that new meaning is born when individual elements of a record are combined.
3.1.2. Summary
The act of touching people and reality through notes goes beyond mere information gathering and possesses a magical power.
The individuality and presence of others can only be felt by actually picking up the notebook.
Notes are not just a collection of individual pieces of information; meaning emerges from their combination.
3.1.3. Details
Field notes are a medium that deeply connects the writer and the subject, and by reading those records, one can feel the presence of the subject, albeit indirectly. More important than the written characters or sketches themselves is the fact that they were recorded through the writer's senses and experiences. It is necessary to focus on the "emergent" effects created by the combination of records, going beyond individual entries. It questions how researchers should be aware of this unique magic that notes possess and how they should approach recording in the field.
3.2. Summary: "Skaters' Field Notes"
3.2.0. Title
"Skaters' Field Notes"
3.2.1. Keywords
Embodiment: Exploration of the relationship between the body and space through skating.
Non-verbal communication: Messages inherent in skating that cannot be verbalized.
Performative: The uniqueness and reproducibility of skating.
3.2.2. Summary
Skaters engage in physical and spatial expression through ordinary objects in urban spaces.
Skating possesses a critical perspective on cities and architecture without relying on language.
Because of its performative nature, it is difficult to record, yet cultural meaning resides within it.
3.2.3. Details
A skater's field notes record the act of giving new value to mundane, everyday urban elements (stairs, handrails, curbs) through physical movement. Skating challenges urban facilities designed for safety and normative functions, transforming them into sites of risk and uncertainty. Therefore, skating physically expresses the question of who has the right to the city. Furthermore, skaters are more interested in the physicality of surfaces than in architectural design, critiquing cities and architecture from a different perspective. In this way, skaters communicate non-verbal and critical messages through their physical dialogue with urban space.
3.3. Summary: "A Brief History of the 'Voices' of Skateboarding"
3.3.0. Title
"A Brief History of the 'Voices' of Skateboarding"
3.3.1. Keywords
Diversity: The various voices present in skateboarding culture.
Curation: The selection of information by magazines and media and its influence.
Decentralization: Focusing on the diverse voices that exist outside of magazines considered the 'canon'.
3.3.2. Summary
Skateboarding culture has had a biased image formed by specific media.
There is a history of the voices of diverse skaters being excluded due to that influence.
The author points out the importance of unearthing diverse and peripheral voices outside of the media.
3.3.3. Details
The history of skateboarding culture has been defined by specific magazines like 'Thrasher,' which have pushed a limited type of skater (primarily white, aggressive males) to the forefront. In reality, however, skaters are composed of people with diverse genders, races, and sexual orientations. The author recognizes the limitations of picking up diverse voices through magazines and argues that we should listen to the 'peripheral voices' that magazines and media have failed to cover. This is an essential perspective for recording the reality of skate culture more accurately.
3.4. Summary: "I Can't Write Notes"
3.4.0. Title
"I Can't Write Notes"
3.4.1. Keywords
Moments of being overwhelmed: Situations where the overwhelming experience of the field prevents recording.
Physical memory: Imprinting experiences through methods other than text.
Limits of recording: The difficulty of fully recording the complexity and emotions of reality.
3.4.2. Summary
The experience of being unable to take notes during fieldwork because one is overwhelmed by important moments is discussed.
The author emphasizes that such moments are recorded in the researcher's body and senses.
Assuming that not all experiences can be put into words, the author suggests a new way of perceiving records.
3.4.3. Details
During field research, especially at the climax of moving rituals or dramatic events, researchers may find it difficult to take notes. At such moments, the body and emotions are swallowed by the atmosphere of the scene, resulting in an experience that cannot be verbalized. The author does not view these moments of being unable to take notes negatively, but rather positively, as imprinting the experience onto the researcher's own body like a "tattoo." In other words, the author presents the perspective that recording experiences through methods other than language or text is also an important part of field notes.
3.5. Summary: "A Playbook for 'Listening' to People"
3.5.0. Title
"A Playbook for 'Listening' to People"
3.5.1. Keywords
Listening techniques: Methods for carefully receiving the speaker's intentions and expressions.
Discrepancies in words and actions: A perspective for understanding true intentions from the gap between words and behavior.
Systematized recording: Methods for organizing information using multiple notebooks.
3.5.2. Summary
The importance of listening to people's stories not as facts, but as expressions of their values and consciousness, is demonstrated.
The author recommends paying attention to the gap between words and actions, and exploring the hidden meanings within them.
Practical methods for systematically organizing chaotic information using multiple notebooks are proposed.
3.5.3. Details
When listening to others, the necessity of exploring the underlying values and hidden motives behind their words, rather than taking them at face value, is emphasized. The author presents concrete methods for systematically recording and organizing information by using different notebooks for notes, organization, and diaries. Furthermore, by introducing techniques to reach a deeper understanding through focusing on contradictions and discrepancies in the speaker's words and actions, effective listening methods are demonstrated.
3.6. Summary: "Recipes Brought to Life"
3.6.0. Title
"Recipes Brought to Life"
3.6.1. Keywords
Transmission: Intergenerational transfer of regional culinary culture and knowledge.
Scale: The cultural significance of recipes for 20 people.
Community: Human relationships and community formation through cooking.
3.6.2. Summary
A chapter that concretely records how traditional cuisine in the Tsugaru region of Aomori has actually been passed down within the local community.
The lifestyles and relationships of local people, symbolized by the large quantities of traditional dishes, are depicted.
It shows that recipes function not just as cooking procedures, but as the memory and culture of the community itself.
3.6.3. Details
An older, smaller recipe book that serves as the background for "Tsugaru Traditional Cuisine," which records the cooking of the Tsugaru region, is introduced. The recipes recorded there are on a large scale for 20 people, indicating the history of farm women cooking in large quantities for regional events. This chapter depicts how such cooking was not merely about meals, but a means of community formation and cultural transmission, prompting reflection on the forms of community and communication that are being lost in contrast to today's society, where nuclear families are increasing.
3.7. Summary: "Field Recordings and Fox Spirits"
3.7.0. Title
"Field Recording and the Fox Spirit"
3.7.1. Keywords
Field recording: The act of recording environmental sounds in the outdoors.
Auditory culture: Rediscovering the perception of the world through "listening."
Non-human entities: The meanings and narratives humans assign to the sounds of animals and nature.
3.7.2. Summary
Examines the cultural and ethical aspects of recording environmental sounds through field recording.
Based on the author's own experiences, a new relationship between humans and nature is discussed, presenting a reinterpretation of the world through hearing.
While touching upon the colonialist aspects of recording, it delves into the possibilities and problems of the act of recording sound.
3.7.3. Details
In field recording, the author points out the colonialist aspects hidden in the act of treating sound as "material." Triggered by an encounter with a fox in the UK during lockdown, the author felt a deep connection with nature separated from human activity, expressing this through the metaphor of a "fox spirit." Moving beyond human-centric visual culture, the attempt to re-perceive the world by "listening" to sound is demonstrated, and ethical and philosophical questions regarding the act of environmental sound recording are developed.
3.8. Summary "Each Field Note"
3.8.0. Title
"Each Field Note"
3.8.1. Keywords
Diversity: The variety of styles and recording methods used by each researcher in their notebooks.
Personal records: Daily events and emotions left in field notes.
Process of discovery: The process by which trivial records in the field later take on significant meaning.
3.8.2. Summary
Through field notes actually used by various researchers, this section introduces their diversity and specific recording methods.
It is shown that trivial daily events can later become important clues in research.
It explains that the significance of field notes is often not apparent at the time of recording, but lies in the process where meaning emerges later on.
3.8.3. Details
This chapter introduces field notes actually used by multiple researchers, illustrating that each takes records in their own unique style. By recording daily logs, emotional shifts, and even trivial conversations, it is shown how these later bring important research themes to the surface. It is discussed that field notes are not merely records, but mirrors reflecting the researcher's own sensibilities and interests, as well as essential tools that lead to unknown discoveries.
3.9. Summary: "With an Unknown Other Called ChatGPT"
3.9.0. Title
"With an Unknown Other Called ChatGPT"
3.9.1. Keywords
Co-evolution with technology: The process by which humans transform into new beings through dialogue with AI.
Interaction: AI and humans influencing each other and emerging as new actors.
Evolution of notes: The possibility of using ChatGPT as a "second brain" to evolve recording and thinking.
3.9.2. Summary
This section examines the process by which AI technologies like ChatGPT are changing human intellectual activities and recording methods.
It is suggested that new forms of existence are emerging through the interaction between humans and AI.
It is proposed that by viewing AI technology as a "new kind of note," the possibilities of human perception and thought can be expanded.
3.9.3. Details
This chapter discusses how the relationship between AI technology and humans has entered a new stage, using ChatGPT as an example. The author points out that humans are not merely using technology, but are entering into a synergistic relationship with AI, and explores the possibilities of this new symbiotic existence. Furthermore, it is shown that by utilizing ChatGPT as a "second brain," it is possible to expand human perception and thought processes, creating new leaps in thinking.