Ethnography

Edward Beebe

November 3, 2006

Communication 300

Dr. Woods

ETHNOGRAPHIC/INTERPRETI VE RESEARCH ABSTRACT

Article:

Girardelli, D. (2003)."Everyone's italian!" the image of italy that we eat in the "fazoli's" resturant. Conference Papers- international Communication Association . 1-26.

1. Purpose:

Girardelli observes the Italian culture that has entered into the United States. He examines how the American perception of Italian culture is believed to be represented as authentic Italian. Through "verbal and non-verbal processes and values associated with Italian food in the U.S. I have also explored their relationship with the American perception of Italian culture" (Girardelli p.2). The place studied the most is the restaurant Fazoli's and how they intend to bring out the Italian in the American culture. p.2

2. Participants/Artifacts: who/what was observed?

Supermarkets and restaurant chains were observed through communication scholars. They take an extensive look at the atmosphere that Fazoli's creates and the advertising within and outside the buildings, as well as interviewing Ph. D. and masters students on how they feel about Fazoli's Italianicity after recently dining at one of Fazoli's restaurants. p.5-24

3. Methodology: how were observations done and recorded?

By observing in and around the Fazoli's restaurant, the graduate students examine everyway possible that they related Fazoli's environment into an Italian culture. First the building itself was looked at. "My respondents agree on the choice of the colors and the plumb tomato in the logo. They are the first and most obvious strategies to communicate the Ð''Italianicity' of Ð''Fazoli's'" (Girardelli p.13). The advertisement on the windows that had words like Pizza and Spaghetti, which is the most famous types of Italian Food. Inside on their menus and picture advertisements Fazoli's used specific vocabulary that is used to represent an Italian feel. A quote on the wall that reads, "Fazoli's everyone's Italian. The sound of Italian music is softly played over the speakers to set the Italian mood. They also hang pictures of families at an Italian wedding, which represents both Italianicity as well as a Family environment. A commercial for Fazoli's on T.V. which has people from different ethnicities are screaming "Figaro, Figaro" or "Mama Mia".

4. Conclusions of the study:

Ð'* Consumers