When Do You Feel the Most Californian?

I'm cutting and pasting an assignment from my Research class. Please note that this a mock-up and not a real research study.


Abstract
To survey and study results of the following question: “WHEN DO YOU FEEL THE MOST CALIFORNIAN?” within a focus group of 100 randomly selected Californian residents. 50 participants were interviewed through a telephone survey of chosen phone numbers outside the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and San Francisco. The remaining 50 were split into two groups of 25 participants equally divided between the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. Both groups were invited to in-person focus groups where their responses were solicited by a research team.The study sought to measure the social pulse of California at a time of social upheaval and political change. The relatively small initial focus group was chosen as a test run. If the results were successful and varied enough, the study is slated to be expanded to a wider group of 1000 or 2000 state residents. The study also sought to develop further personal/social awareness of what individual California residents hold to be key state values and qualities of life.

Keywords
California, geography, San Francisco, Los Angeles, individual, Golden State

Introduction
Californians are often sampled on their opinions of in-state quality of life, especially when an election year comes around. However, the question of going deeper into those characteristics is rarely examined. There are many surveys that take a geographic look at what the pros and cons of living in the state are, but they will often stop at that detail. This survey proposes to take a specific look at what Californians truly value about their lives. If there are common responses that arise in the study, such as “driving on the freeway”, “spending time at the beach”, or “cooking a fresh meal”, those will be incorporated into later studies.

Method
100 individuals participated in the initial study, compensated with a $25 gift certificate to Whole Foods Market. As a group, the individuals were 70% Caucasian, 5% African American, 10% Hispanic, 5% Asian American, 5% Native American, and 5% “other ethnicity.” All participants were residents in California, though not all had been born in the state. In the telephone survey section of the group, participants received a brief introduction to the study and were given the option to opt-out or participate. They were encouraged to keep their answers succinct within a maximum of two minutes response time. If the participant chose not to engage in the study, a different phone number was randomly selected by the facilitators. In the live segment of the study, participants were invited to a neutral setting and taken in for interviews one by one. Upon arriving at the interview site, participants were given a fact sheet of information about the study. This sheet also included some highlights from the phone study, which was completed prior to the second segment.

Data Results
As expected, data results were highly subjective, but proved worthy of further investigation and presentation to additional focus or governance groups. There was some correlation in answers from the metropolitan areas, with multiple responses of “driving a long distance” or “spending time at the coast.” However, the responses were distinct in inland and rural areas, offering little connection to their coastal neighbors. At least five participants within the inland groups expressed disdain for the idea of “feeling Californian” and remarked on their feelings of geographic-induced cultural distance.

Discussion
This study could be a launching pad for future, more specified, cultural research within the state of California. There is high potential for crossover with media or journalism, as it is a topic that could attract commercial interest or co-sponsorship. The range of responses could lead to a wider, national discussion about quality of life and what it means for individuals in 2011. The topic as a whole fits right in with the growing “Back to the Land” movement of which California is an epicenter, looking at locally grown food, organic products, sustainability, and further components of living. The research brought forth from this study could benefit the role of state government, seeking to understand connections between the wide geographic area of the state and the perceived cultural divides between North and South, and Coastal and Inland communities.