Cultural Artifact - Blue Crab

The Maryland Blue Crab comes from the Chesapeake Bay. The ethnographic study looks into the culture surrounding this seafood along with other local foods. Since the blue crab has been fished to excess because of local demand, prices have risen in recent decades. In the mid 20th century local bars from Baltimore to Philadelphia would give crabs away for free because the supply was so large. Adding a price to this local meal would cause customers to go to a different bar where they would be free. Alcoholic drinks were enough to drive the business of the time. Today local restaurants and bars cannot afford to give away crabs because they aren't as easy to come by. Despite the gradual increase in price, consumers have increased their home-cooking because they can steam the crabs themselves. The emergence of companies like Old Bay spice have seen increase in business because this food has spread to other outside markets domestically.

Maya Angelou reflection

Maya Angelou was an inspiration personally because of what she has contributed to society. Mentioned as being a modern renaissance woman she has filled numerous roles in multiple languages to providing hope and encouragement worldwide. Her consistent theme of “be a rainbow” gave encouragement for students to fulfill their dreams and be innovative. A lot of times, we as individuals have to take it upon ourselves to push ourselves to achieve greatness. Being a rainbow in the sky would contrast all the adversity around one’s self and help you move forward with your goals. Maya Angelou gave hope throughout her career because she believed within herself. She was able to stay true to who she was inside to help civil rights and human rights. I was very moved by her speech. It seemed like it was organized, but yet it was very conversational. I thought the style was very unique and pointed to her innovations as a speaker and role model.

Culture Immediate To Me

The individualism witnesses at Bongo Java in my previous in class exercise led me to the culture found here in Nashville. I saw many independent people pass through Bongo over the course of an hour. While sitting down and taking notes, people were sitting alone by themselves either reading or eating a meal. There was a particular person that walked in that looked upset and mad. It was an extreme difference compared to the rest of the crowd because everyone else was by themselves as well. The only difference was that everyone had a particular smile that was generally shown throughout. Since I am from the Northeast, the general facial expression is neutral. Here at Bongo, the default facial expression was a smile, even for the independent individuals that were sitting and eating coffee. What if any of them were going through a difficult time in life, financially for example? Why was everyone just generally smiling? I think that just enjoying the weather and a great day was part of it. The atmosphere of the coffee deck always has this type of vibe, happiness and gentleness. Compared to a bar during the playoffs of a football game, the general feeling there would be aggressive, loud, and edgy. Here at Bongo, the individual was happy because of simple things: a book, magazine, light meal, great unique coffee, and great weather along with the wonderful Nashville culture. Nashville culture here when compared to others in the Northeast is more gentle and relaxed. It was very intriguing to think through the differences between what I have experienced and what Bongo's atmosphere is. What a great environment and business structure.

In Class Observation

I was able to sit at Bongo Java over the course of an hour while getting coffee by myself. Since I have been there many times, I understood that the foot traffic was going to be high because of the time of day. I was surprised by the amount of people that were sitting alone. Usually, I thought that mostly everybody was there with a friend but on this occasion, it wasn't the case. I was intrigued by the variety of people and personalities. Nashville is a melting pot of cultures because there are people here from seemingly every state. At the same time, personality preferences such as Country, Rock, Indie, and Classic was witnessed. In a nutshell, people were there from ages 18 to 80. People were more independent than I thought. It was nice to see interaction between people that were not there together. Conversations were started from random comments between people. Someone for instance commented on another person's shoes, which turned into a 20 minute conversation about fashion and music. I was able to sit back and witness multiple friendships being formed. The only thing that was "disturbing" was if someone looked unsure or uneasy. I saw one particular person that just looked unhappy and upset. They stuck out like a sore thumb, but were given really no preference or notice from anyone. Whenever a pretty girl would walk by, it was funny to see three different tables of individual men nonchalantly glancing up and sometimes even smiling. Overall, it was an interesting experience to people watch from an ethnographic perspective. I had to really watch what was going on and listen in on conversations.

In class observation exercise

I was able to sit at Bongo Java over the course of an hour while getting coffee by myself. Since I have been there many times, I understood that the foot traffic was going to be high because of the time of day. I was surprised by the amount of people that were sitting alone. Usually, I thought that mostly everybody was there with a friend but on this occasion, it wasn't the case. I was intrigued by the variety of people and personalities. Nashville is a melting pot of cultures because there are people here from seemingly every state. At the same time, personality preferences such as Country, Rock, Indie, and Classic was witnessed. In a nutshell, people were there from ages 18 to 80. People were more independent than I thought. It was nice to see interaction between people that were not there together. Conversations were started from random comments between people. Someone for instance commented on another person's shoes, which turned into a 20 minute conversation about fashion and music. I was able to sit back and witness multiple friendships being formed. The only thing that was "disturbing" was if someone looked unsure or uneasy. I saw one particular person that just looked unhappy and upset. They stuck out like a sore thumb, but were given really no preference or notice from anyone. Whenever a pretty girl would walk by, it was funny to see three different tables of individual men nonchalantly glancing up and sometimes even smiling. Overall, it was an interesting experience to people watch from an ethnographic perspective. I had to really watch what was going on and listen in on conversations.

Project Idea

In Maryland, there is a unique connection to the Chesapeake Bay. This culture finds it roots in basic elements such as salt water and Maryland blue crabs. These two basic elements have led businesses such as Old Bay and UTZ potato chips to incorporate the bay's basic elements into plausible products. Particularly, these companies' secret salt recipes stem from the seafood offered by local waters. Since the Chesapeake Bay includes outlets in Maryland's bordering states, other surrounding communities have latched on to this taste preference even outside of the state. Baltimore, Maryland is known for basic things: crab cakes, football, and Old Bay. What remains to be found is which of the latter is the crux of this region's culture? Since crabbing is not difficult, I will be able to get one-on-one interviews with local fisherman through family and friends. Also, connections to local crab houses as well as companies such as UTZ and Old Bay will help me gain a better understanding of the ethnographic picture of the Maryland region.