Today, I found it a bit easier to speak to people and randomly ask them to take a survey. I am trying to maintain a decent variety of folks, but I'm concerned that I will either need to get a representative sample of non-immigrants, or just throw their data out altogether when doing the analysis.
In my decent variety of folks, I encountered many that proceeded to have extended conversations with me prompted solely by my fairly non-intrusive, simple survey. As a result, I taught some guys how to say "You're pretty" in English, I placed my faith in a stranger that he would send me the survey when he finishes it (it'll be a miracle reaffirming the potential of the human spirit if I do get it in the mail), I learned all about how Jimmy Carter and someone else ruined the life of a woman by deposing the Shah in Iran in the 1970s, and I discussed in length the notion of "new colonization [nouvelle colonisation]."
I learned a lot and realized that my survey may have some value to it, even though I may have missed some obvious questions. At the very least, it provokes some interesting and valuable commentary from the population I'm trying to study. For example, I should have asked if people send things other than money to their country of origin (as was pointed out to me today by a respondent who reminded me that often its objects that contribute directly to the development of countries, and not just money).
Overall, it was a great day, and I can't wait to do more (even if it's draining and intimidating).
Also, I finished Absalom, Absalom! More Faulkner please! New favorite quotation:
"'Now I want you to tell me just one thing more. Why do you hate the South?' 'I don't hate it,' Quentin said, quickly, at once, immediately; 'I don't hate it,' he said. I dont hate it he thought, panting in the cold air, the iron New England dark: I dont. I dont! I dont hate it! I dont hate it!"
sounds like your survey is going much, much better! that's neat that you had some long conversations with people, too. what were the obvious questions that you didn't put on there (other than the other-than-money question)? you should maybe ask people that in person and make a note on their survey or something so you get that extra data. exciting! also, i like that new quotation.
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