Washington Park on Sunday, April

¶ … Washington Park on Sunday, April 3rd in the afternoon from 2:00-3:00. I know this park only from driving past it, but have never spent time there. When I first arrived I wasn't sure where to sit to conduct my observations. The park is big and includes athletic fields, tennis courts, walking paths, a pond, a playground and several open fields. I decided to sit on a bench where I had a good view of several of these areas. The park is very popular and is located in the center of the city. Homes around the park are generally large and look expensive.

The majority of people who came past me on the bench were pushing a baby stroller, walking a dog, or riding a bike. There were also some people running, and most of those people had an I-pod attached to their body and earphones in their ears. Several small groups of women pushing strollers walked past, and many of them were in animated conversation. There were also a lot of kids of all ages, usually traveling in groups, sometimes laughing. I didn't see anyone I knew.

Most of the people I saw were white and appeared reasonably healthy. I didn't see anybody in a wheelchair or with any other obvious disability, except for one woman with her arm in a sling. The park was quite crowded on the day I was there. It was sunny and warm for an early spring day and since it was a weekend day, everyone seemed to be in the park.

There were three other benches within sight of where I stationed myself. Two of those benches remained empty the entire time I sat there, but one bench had a man and a woman sitting there, arguing. They arrived shortly after I did and were still there when I left. They were arguing intensely, and the woman looked like she might cry.

I could also see sports fields from where I sat. On one field, a guy was throwing a ball for his dog who ran and fetched the ball and brought it back each time. They stayed for about 30 minutes. On another field, a group of people were doing situps and pushups. They looked like they were part of an organized exercise group, although it was difficult to see from where I was sitting. On the other field was a soccer game. It looked like adult men playing the game, and maybe they were part of a league. Several other people were on the sidelines watching the game, cheering when someone scored a goal.

All of the tennis courts were full when I was in the park. There are 4 courts near my bench, and I think there are other courts on the other side of the park as well. All four courts were in use during my observation time, although the people using those courts rotated. I couldn't quite see who was playing.

I also noticed some wildlife in the park. Although this is a city park in an urban setting, ducks were everywhere. Geese flew into one of the athletic fields, landed, and stayed there for the rest of the time I was watching. Squirrels and chipmunks ran around the trees and dogs that weren't well leashed chased them.

Reflection

My experience with fieldwork was probably limited by the time of day and time of year I chose to visit. Since it was a warm, sunny weekend day I saw the way the park looks in those conditions. If I had visited during the week or on a rainy day, I probably would have had a very different impression of the park.

For the most part, the park was so crowded that I felt my presence was anonymous. Nobody really noticed me, except maybe the couple that was arguing on the next bench. That is an ethical issue, because it is probably none of my business to listen to their conversation and I imagine they might have been aware that I was sitting so close and taking notes. Maybe my presence influenced their argument or caused them to cut it short.