Everything is Ethical

To me, in some way everything is ethical. That’s why laws exist. None of these methods we used in this class were “unethical” for me, just maybe more unconventional, or pushed me slightly out of my comfort zone. Observation and interviewing are the easiest for me, for sure. Humans are constantly observing, I love observing other people. “People watching” I would consider one of my actual hobbies when I’m out relaxing in public at a park, etc. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a curious or noisy individual, but there’s something pleasant about watching other people. Then I think about how people see me. It’s a very introspective experience. Interviewing is also very fun for me. I love asking people “deep” questions, examining their mannerisms, speech patterns, body language, common words they use, how they stutter, etc. I think it’s all very unique to each individual and that’s why it’s so interesting. No two people really speak and answer questions in the same way. For me, interviewing someone face to face while recording it so I can go back for exact wording is the most fruitful. You have multiple sources to look back on, your memory, the recording, the other person, and it’s the most rewarding.

Where it gets a little dicey for me is eavesdropping and being a physical presence. During interviewing someone or “people watching” I have no problem being a physical presence in that situation because I am supposed to be there, or it’s a public space and I’m allowed to be there. When I’m eavesdropping it feels wrong, but if people are talking loud enough I feel like it can’t be wrong because they know I’m there to some extend. I always catch myself subconsciously eavesdropping on peoples conversations next to me in cafes, classrooms, restaurants, and I’m not sure why I do it. Maybe I just think everything is interesting? Interrupting a specific scene of group of people because I was eavesdropping and inserting my physical presence in that group is what I am least comfortable with. Maybe if we are all at the same concert, gallery opening, student club event, friends house party, etc, I feel more because we have a shared experience. But going up to a random family at Target and joining their conversation as a social experiment premise is a little unethical to me, weird, and if I were them I would hate that.