Assignment task:
In any public scene, all of us will notice different things, and find different observations important or unimportant. In your peer responses, help one another identify sociodemographic characteristics, social norms, or sociological concepts that the classmate may not have noticed. Consider helping one another notice common themes in the types of public places you choose and your observations of people in those scenes.
Observation:
During lunchtime on Fort Riley Army Base, the exchange food court serves as a bustling hub of activity, filled with soldiers from various battalions. The building emanates high energy, with numerous groups engaged in lively discussions about their day, making plans for the remainder of the week, and sharing camaraderie. This food court is a microcosm of the larger military community, comprised of individuals from diverse backgrounds and identities, including varying ages, races, genders, and socioeconomic statuses. Specifically, the individuals present within the food court range in age from 17 to 60 years old and represent a mixture of cultural backgrounds and ethnicities.
Norms
As I observed the social dynamics at the food court during lunchtime on the military base, I noticed that most social norms displayed were military-related. For example, people removed their headgear upon entering a building and demonstrated proper customs and courtesies when interacting with those of higher rank or title. However, I also witnessed some norm-breaking incidents, such as someone cutting the line at the soft drink station and another person leaving their trash on the table instead of properly disposing of it. When it came to gender norms, I noticed that a group of males were all trying to talk over each other to control the conversation while a group of females all walked to the restroom together. Overall, it was interesting to observe the different social behaviors and norms.
Concepts
While observing social behavior in the food court, I noted that the observed social norms were consistent with the social concepts and theories I had learned. While analyzing the individuals in the food court, their comfort and ease of interaction were apparent, particularly among friends. Remembering what I learned in week two, I wondered how the dialogue shared among friends compares to that with parents or leadership. I concluded that each individual was practicing role management. One concept that I witnessed was dramaturgy, developed by Erving Goffman.
Reflection
This experience was uncomfortable at first. I felt like a stalker, watching groups of people interact while I sat alone in the distance. As compared to people watching in the past, it was the reason that differed. Before knowing what I know now, I watched people for safety reasons, analyzing groups to see who might be the aggressor and finding the nearest exit. However, during this exercise, I felt more like a sociologist, actually conducting a study and consciously looking for similarities between the interactions of individuals and my studies. In addition, a sociologist could bring a unique perspective to understanding everyday human life in the food court on the military base. Sociologists could examine social dynamics, including how social norms and expectations shape behavior. In addition, they could explore how identity categories such as age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status intersect to shape individual experiences within this social context. By drawing on social concepts and theories, such as dramaturgy, sociologists could offer insights into how individuals manage their expressions and mannerisms to create certain impressions of themselves for others. Through these sociological perspectives, we gain an understanding of the social world and how individuals navigate it.