analyzing organizational artifacts

In Chapter 15 Cheney et al. discuss collecting and analyzing organizational communication data. The authors identify four primary ways to gather data: artifacts, surveys, interviews, and observations. Chapkis and Webb's research reported in Dying to Get High relies primarily on artifacts, interviews and observations.

The authors devote two chapters to artifacts. One chapter provides extensive details on the methods the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana used to process the medical marijuana. In "Mother's Milk and the Muffin Man" readers learn about alternatives to smoking marijuana, such as ingesting it in soy milk and chocolate muffins. While some members are able to tolerate smoking marijuana, many cannot but still need the medical benefits of the plant. More importantly, the chapter describes the tremendous amount of work several members of the collective go through to transform the marijuana into appropriate delivery systems. The members use every part of the plant, developing tinctures, mari-caps, and a liniment. The production of these artifacts reflects the complex nature of the plant and the issues associated with it.

The chapter "Love Grows Here" provides the most insight into the organization's culture and its essence. In this chapter, the authors describe WAMM's garden, situated in Santa Cruz county with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. The space is defined as a healing garden in which "relationships are formed between garden volunteers and the plants under their care" (p. 161). Members form strong bonds as they work in the garden. Growing marijuana well is labor intensive and requires a cooperative effort among members--a cooperation that isn't always achieved. The garden provides a symbolic representation of the organization. When the DEA raided the garden in 2002, the event devastated the garden as well as the organization. Including a chapter that focuses on the garden provides key insights into how members felt during and after the raid.

This afternoon I'm leading the first discussion of the book. I'll report on that tomorrow.

~ Professor Cyborg