Ethnographic Research Paper

Introduction
The Pinelands boundary has a capacity of about 40,000 people and 20 million live within 60 miles of the New Jersey. This state has gone through revolutionary changes since European Colonization. New Jersey people have an Italian heritage and are one of the multicultural countries. Each corner of the New Jersey seems to have its charm due to large numbers of African Americans, Quakers, Germans, and Irish. Jersey Indigenous Norman Language, British and French influences have shaped the culture of the state. The minority of the population speak the Norman language in Jersey. The discussed state provides the platform for competition in speaking English, French, Drama, music. Although research has been on cultural aspects of Jersey people, there are limited resources and data information regarding religion, language and art of the Jersey people.

Research methodology
This research uses qualitative analysis to present information on a cultural aspect of the Jersey state. The study will use interviews, observation, and participant observation. The researcher will gather information by participating and observing the way people conduct themselves in religion, performing arts, and style of communication. For the religion part, participation and observation will be taken in Parish halls and other venues where many concerts and cultural events take place. Religion in New Jersey is a diverse and a free social place in America. 50 % of the adult population think religion is fundamental in Jersey, 29% believe that religion is somewhat important while 11% claim religion to be not relevant. The best to study about Jersey music and dance culture is through participation and observation. Majority of the songs and tunes originate from France and Jerriais. Majority of the Jerriais songs were composed in 20th centuries, mostly being folk songs. The “La Chanson de Pierson” is a Jersey folk song believed to be provenance with no Variants. There are a few indigenous and traditional dances in New Jersey since a majority of the groups come from diverse societies. However, there are still some traditional dances like the Accordion which are instrumentals. The influence of Nonconformist Christianity has changed and divert the cultural beliefs of the people. It has degraded the value of the traditional views and shifts the society to the English-speaking community (Kinsella, 2017).

The Jersey young community has a lot of musical talents. They use Punk, metal, and indie as a dominant genre. Each summer, the young talented generation attend the main events for the musical band and participate in the battle (Reynolds, 2013). Participating in this festivals help the researcher to understand the musical culture in the diverse society. A researcher may also decide to attend one of the summer festivals in July in front of Val De La Mare to observe the event and the organization involved in such activities. Jersey also holds some of the prominent Neolithic Carvings including wall-paintings of the fisherman’s Chapel. Some other subsequent works of public art that would be visited include Jersey girl (2010), George V Statue (1939), and Westaway Monument.

Some of the research questions and interviews for this study are stated below:

• How do you define culture?
• How does the community value religion?
• music and dance essential in your society?
• What is the most important traditional event in your society?
• Do you actively participate in the religious activities?
• How important is religion in your society?
• Which language is commonly used in the New Jersey community?

Theories of culture
The theories of culture express culture as an adaptive system. It states that culture is socially transmitted behavior patterns that help the human to relate to their ecological setting. The patterns include religious beliefs, language, and practices. The culture as an adaptive system changes in the direction of stability within the ecosystem (Bennett, 547). However, the environmental, demographic, technological and systematic changes affect the cultural system. The language, religion, and art are elements of culture that are passed on in the culture of New Jersey. However, colonization and immigration affect the culture in New Jersey. The British colonized the region and brought the English language, while the immigrant from France, Italy, and Spain introduced their dialects. Additionally, change in demographic influenced the change in religion. The advancement of technology also affects the arts of New Jersey.

Aspects of New Jersey Culture
The study uncovers diverse aspects of New Jersey culture, such as language, religion, and arts. Firstly, the Norman language was commonly spoken in the 19th century, but it is used by minority population in the contemporary society. There are also other languages such as Spanish, Italian, and French that are used. However, the English language has dominated the country, and the French dialect remained official for some laws, contracts, and other legal documents (Bennett, 547). Many places in New Jersey are named in French and English. Secondly, the region practiced art carvings; for example, Neolithic carvings are the earliest work. The New Jersey is also prominent with the performing arts in music, drama, and speech. The liberation jersey musical festival is a platform used to promote the theater skills in the contemporary society. Thirdly, the Roman Catholic and Judaism are the dominating religions in New Jersey. Moreover, the Protestant denominations, such as Methodist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal are also practiced. New Jersey is also associated with similar cultural stereotypes to their neighbors in New York.

The anthropologist researched cultural aspects of different countries, communities, and states. Their study explains about beliefs, customs, and practices of the societies (Bennett, 548). The cultural aspects of the New York City are similar to the study of the culture of New Jersey. The New York City accommodated immigrants from all over the globe who brought their traditions to the land. The settlers originated in Italy, Dutch, Slovakia, Spain, and Ireland. They influenced the cultural aspects of the city, such as language, religion, and arts. Firstly, the Roman Catholic and Protestant denomination are the dominant religions in the New York City, while Jewish and Muslim have minority affiliates. Secondly, English is the official language used in the city, but people speak other primary acquired dialects. Spanish is the second prevalent language, though Mandarin Chinese are also growing. Finally, the New York City has different art cultures, such as music, dance, theatre, and visual art. The city serves as the center of the different topics and genres of the American music. The advent of electric light facilitated the theatre production, while the ancient dance laid a foundation for the modern styles.

Conclusion
The state of New Jersey experienced revolutionary change influenced by the immigrants from French, Italy, and Dutch. The study uses qualitative analysis to express the cultural aspects of the New Jersey state. The findings indicate that 50% of the population in jersey believes in religion. The Roman Catholic and Protestant denomination are the dominating religions in the city. The region uses English as the official language, though French is reserved for legal purposes, such as laws and contracts. They also practice music, drama and carving arts in their culture. The change in demographics, technology and system influences the cultural variations in the contemporary society of New Jersey.

References
Kinsella, B. (2017). ‘Neither here nor there’: an examination of language curriculum and ideology in a New Jersey public school. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 31(1), 21-38. doi:10.1080/07908318.2017.1332073
Reynolds, S. (2013). Energy flash: A journey through rave music and dance culture. Faber & Faber.
Bennett, Tony. “Cultural studies and the culture concept.” Cultural studies 29.4 (2015): 546-568.