Research Methods I

Develop a codebook for visual markers of social class in urban neighborhoods. Develop a few rules for identifying the content in images that would allow you to sort neighborhoods into three categories: poor, middle class, wealthy. Begin by defining each of the three categories — i.e., what is a poor neighborhood, a middle class neighborhood, a wealthy neighborhood. Then write at least one rule to assign content to that category. Ideally, you'll have three or four rules for each category.

Next, working as a team, code the first ten photographs from one of the BrooklynSoc albums using the rules you constructed. Each photo will be placed in one category. Calculate the proportion of photographs in the album in each of the class categories.

To develop the codebook, use images from Coney Island Avenue.

Post your codebook and your aggregate results as a comment to this page.