The family : an ethnographical and historical outline with descriptive notes, planned as a text-book for the use of college lecturers and of directors of home-reading clubs / by Elsie Crews Parsons.

  • Parsons, Elsie Worthington Clews, 1874-1941.
Date:
1906
    IO The Family case, conditions of observation may require an unjusti¬ fiable amount of the student's time, or the difficulties of classification may be excessive. After using the following method of field work for six years, I submit it here, in considerable detail, because it seems to meet the aforesaid requirements, and because in general it fits in with the lecture outlines. The student is to pay weekly visits to two or more families with whom she^ has been previously unac¬ quainted. This visiting may be arranged for through the local Charity Organisation Society, or through any relief society that makes use of the volunteer " friendly visitor" in its work, or in any other way that suggests itself. Whatever method is employed, the visiting must be systematic, and there must be some reason other than that of getting information in sight. It is preferable for the visiting to start on a business rather than a charitable footing. The social relations of those visited are, in the former case, more normal, and their attitude to the visitor is more frank and friendly. Insurance or rent collecting might, under special circumstances, serve this purpose. But, wher¬ ever the penny provident saving system is established, weekly visits in the character of penny provident col¬ lector from the penny provident station of the given neighbourhood, preferably a station in a social settle¬ ment, is, for women students at least, undoubtedly the best arrangement. It will be well to limit the families to those living in a particular neighbourhood, presum- ' This particular style of visiting has been followed only by women students; but it would probably be practicable for men students with certain changes of detail. The visits would have to be paid at times when the men of the fami¬ lies were at home.
    Introduction II ably that of the " station." Families living in the same house, or near-by houses, may be in charge of the same collector. This arrangement economises the time of the student, it seems more natural to the depositors, and it gives the student opportunities^ to learn of the relations of neighbours to neighbours. A note-book is to be provided for each family, and the facts observed at each visit are to be promptly and carefully recorded by the student. No attempt at classification is to be made in keeping the note-books The student should be told to record whatever she considers a social fact or a fact which bears in some way or other upon the social life of the family. A mass of heterogeneous material will doubtless result. After the first two or three visits, the instructor is to start the student at work on the tabular classification of such facts as are called for by the series of schedules given on pages 16-19. The instructor may put a model schedule on the blackboard or prepare one for each student. In the latter case, the student should, herself, prepare the schedules needed for the second or third family. The average student is curiously unskilful in preparing tabular forms. The material used should be a rather stiff cardboard, which may or may not be red-ruled in advance. In the latter case, the ruling should be hori¬ zontal only, allowing for varying proportions for the subdivisions. The recording should never be crowded ; more space may be obtained by adding together, by means of glued paper, two or more blanks for one sub¬ ject. The records of each family should be kept separate in a large manila-paper envelope labelled with the name of the family. It will be well to give the
    12 The Family schedules out one at a time as the corresponding topics are discussed in the lecture-room. It is good practice for the students to put tentative schedules on the blackboard before receiving the model schedule from the instructor. Naturally, there is nothing final about the proposed scheme of classification. In fact the student should be encouraged to change or add to the classification, these changes to be accepted, however, by all the students. The student should be required to give a source of authority for every statement. Each person from whom information is received should be numbered, and the same number should refer to the same person throughout the set of schedules. Towards the end of the observation period, the student shouldalso indicate, in connection with each statement where the record is incomplete, the reason or reasons for the lack of information. Recurrent reasons, such as ignorance or unwillingness to talk on the part of the person questioned, may be indicated in a way similar to the method of giving sources of authority, using letters instead of numbers. Special reasons for lack of in¬ formation may be given on the back of the respective schedules. This plan tends to make the investigation of the student more thorough, as well as helping the instructor to point out quickly to her her shortcom¬ ings. Moreover, in cases where, owing to peculiar reticence, or suspicion, or indifference, it is unusually difficult for the visitor to secure the desired informa¬ tion, she is less apt to become discouraged when she can make plain the particular disadvantages under which she is working. A proper use of the note-book and schedules, i,e.^
    Introduction 13 discrimination in observing facts having a direct bearing upon the particular family study, truly sig¬ nificant facts, and accuracy and completeness of statement in recording, requires, in most cases, a special training of the individual student and a thorough oversight of her work. This can only be accomplished through weekly consultations with the instructor. The following entries made during an actual course of instruction are characteristic of the work of the average untrained student and illustrate the kind of correction called for. Student's Record Record Corrected according to Instructor's Suggestions Johnny. In hospital 2 years ago. Nursed baby. Goes to Sunday School. Does n't know the exact address. Johnny*; John Joseph [patron saint] Brown.' Two weeks in March," 1898.* Suckled by mother " about two years." * Fed "whenever he cried."® (These facts recorded in note-book, but not given on schedules.) No other food.' Cp. date of birth of Thomas Brown (showing that mother was pregnant during latter part of lacta¬ tion period). Sunday School " round the corner" * (All Saints Church S. S., 128 East 39).' " Off and on for three years " ' (1897-). Sunday, 10.30 a. m.,3, 4,1900, at home', " Don't want to go to S. S. to-day." ' Hours of S. S. 9.30-10.45.® "I like to have him go to get him out of the way." » ■ Personal observation. * Eliza Stewart Brown (Mother). ^John Joseph Brown. • Person answering does not remember exactly.
    ч The Family Discrimination, accuracy, etc., and thoroughness are not all that is required of the student if she is to become a skilled social observer. She must show a consider¬ able amount of sympathy and tact as well. If she is not already possessed of these traits, of course she will find it a hard task to acquire them for any special occasion. But even here the instructor can be of help in leading the student to note the resemblances as well as the differences between herself and those visited, and in suggesting subjects for friendly conver¬ sation. It may happen that the student is ordinarily a so-called responsive person, but that in her visit¬ ing she feels constrained by the idea that she is an unwarrantable and deceptive intruder upon family privacy. She feels hypocritical in asking questions or in directing conversation along the lines suggested by the schedule classifications. I think this doubt may be cleared away if she is made to see clearly the many ways in which, in addition to the teaching of thrift, if she is a penny provident collector, she may be of service to the family she is visiting. She may encourage the children to be regular in school at¬ tendance, or she may find a place in a neighbouring kindergarten for a younger child. She may persuade some member of the family to join a club in the church or settlement or become a member of the circulating library. In times of illness she may refer the family to the best dispensary or hospital, or she may secure the service of a district nurse for them. She may see to it that neglected eyes or throat or teeth are attended to. She may make suggestions in regard to ventilation, to exercise, or even to the more healthful dressing or feeding of the child-