Last night I traveled with Sue Ellen, Shuang, and Heather to a home in Perrysburg Heights. The team was sent to complete some fieldwork collecting information from the residents in this area. On a previous trip, I had driven through the area and then spent some time walking around Levis Commons. This time I had the chance to hear from local residents about how the changes in the community were affecting them. In addition to the homeowners, both of their daughters were present. One of the themes that ran through the conversation dealt with the sense of community that the residents had, and how few people moved away. Even if they did move away, they often came back.
On the way back to BG, Heather, Shuang, and I discussed the conversation that took place and used a feminist lens to unpack what we had heard. One of the first observations was how the husband had dominated the conversation and the wife deferred to him quite often (although not always). Other comments were made in reference to the daughters, who when younger, were not allowed to stray far away from home, because "they were girls." The reaction to Shuang was quite strong as well. The notion that this person from China could actually be in their home seemed to completely surprise them, and the wife asked about Shuang's note taking which was in Chinese. To me, it seemed as though the husband was a little surprised that she was not writing in English - almost as if she should have been writing in English because she was in America. Heather didn't agree with me completely on this point, but that is how I took the comments. Indeed, her Otherness seemed to mystify the couple quite a bit.
Those were a few of the items we talked about, and I am sure that other revelations will be forthcoming once the tape is reviewed. All in all, it was an interesting experience and this family made us quite welcome in their home.
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