The observation occurred in the LNC lunchroom during the second lunch of the day. I observed two groups of people in the lunchroom. The first group I observed being a group of all males seated to the right of me. The second group being a group of all females seated in the middle of the cafeteria. The method of observation I used was naturalistic observation. The naturalistic observation experience during the LNC lunch period provided further meaning about or local, national, and global community. The group of males were all at least the age of fifteen. Suggested grade level would be at least sophomore year. Outfits consisted of mix matching gamer t-shirts and gym shorts, no real color coordination. Except the three boys who sat in the middle …show more content…
Peoples appearance had some help when determining were they place in the group status. The more attractive person was the so called leader of the group. While the others fell into their according spots possibly depending on how close they are to the leader. The verbal behavior that I observed reflects the one of a swim team. Swimming is an independent sport meaning you can limit your interaction from certain people just as the girls group did. From my observations I can conclude that people use their bodies and voices, not just what they they're talking about to communicate different emotions. When happier a person might engage in the conversation more than they would if they were sad. The individual behaviors I observed can indicate that the group members were pretty happy with being in their groups. Personal space from the girls group suggests that they might have closer relationships unlike the boys you stayed a mutual amount of space apart. Some characteristics of the people who stood out were the ones not engaging in the conversations, not as put together, and kept to them selves. Having an sociological imagination in the lunchroom better help be understand my actions and where I might fall in my group's social status. Naturalistic observation was a great way to collect data because the people did not know I was watching
On a tedious Thursday afternoon, the body of an extrusive racketeer named Fannin was found at Ernie’s Lunchroom by police officers. A testimony of the only witness, the proprietor and the only employee, Ernie has said “The murderer had leaned against the wall while firing at point-blank range”. There is also one imprint of the supposed homicidal murderer on one of the walls and the cash register had just been rung up at $8.75. The police believe that person C is the murderer from the hand position of the utensils/hand positions, the relation among persons B, D, and E, and the identification of the Y and X footprints. The victim of this heinous crime is also controversial and the media are portraying Fannin as a criminal due to his reputation of racketeering. Maybe Fannin did deserve what came to him but still the public ought to know the real culprit without no prejudices from the media.
I noticed merging from the group were leaders; males. According to (Banaji and Greenwald, 2013), “leader = male stereotype is generally valid,” (pg. 88). The males that were taller and more athletically built displayed confidence and direction for the group. I stood back and didn’t take the leadership role because I assumed people saw my mannerisms revealed the lack of confidence I had about myself. I eagerly listened to directions and cautiously abided by the ideas of others, so that I could have a positive impact on the group activities. However, I found that members of my group didn’t treat me any different. I felt a confidence building within me as I began to feel as an equal member of the
People are eating and communing like in many other restaurants, but within this restaurant I venture to assume that there are social norms in place that are not present within other institutions. Over the course of my ethnography, I plan to talk with customers and the staff of Panera Bread about the demographics they perceive dining at this eating establishment. Each individual I come in contact with will be asked a series of questions yet to be determined; these questions, however, will provide insight on each individual perception of their surroundings. Even though I will be speaking with both customers and staff, I will pay particular attention to the responses of Panera Bread staff because they are individuals that witness the majority of the social dynamics of this restaurant. Bronisław Malinowski utilized this concept of participant observation to observe the inhabitants of the Trobriand Islands, and similar to his ethnography, I would like to immerse myself in the Panera Bread culture for approximately 2 or 3 hours at a time to witness the differing interactions and social values present in this community. The information regarding the workings of this community will hopefully reveal the tangible differences between the Panera Bread location in Topsham in comparison to other Panera Bread locations. Even if the information I compile results
For my subgroup project, I decided to observe a group of teenage boys. Located at the intersection of Fullerton and central. The location seemed like any other McDonalds except the arrangement of the sits. They have a wide range of chairs and furniture located in the side of the entrance while the front part was wide. My subgroup was located in the side of the McDonalds near the restrooms. The methods I used were participant observation, informal interviewing, and formal interviewing. While I conducted my observations on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On October 8, 2013 from 3pm to 4:30pm, October 15 2013 from 3pm to 4:30pm, October 17 2013 from 3pm to 6pm and October 22 2013 from 3 to 6pm. My data collections used were participant observation, informal interviewing, formal interviewing, key consultants, and mapping.
Participant observation is a method of collecting information and data about a culture and is carried out by the researcher immersing themselves in the culture they observing. The researcher becomes known in the community, getting to know and understand the culture in a more intimate and detailed way than would be possible from any other approach. This is done by observing and participating in the community’s daily activities. The method is so effective because the researcher is able to directly approach the people in the community in a natural context as opposed to taking the participant out of their environment. The aim of participant observation is to gain an understanding the subject’s life from their perspective, with the purpose of collecting more detailed information about a community’s habits, opinions, relationships and issues.
Unfortunately, many lack tact and dive into things head first without providing a foundation for the reader to stand upon. The excitement to begin imparting all they have learned is endearing but ultimately, it is poor strategy. In order to understand anything regarding naturalistic observation and its research value, one must first understand the practice itself; both humans and animals can be subjected to naturalistic observation. The logistical issues tend to be availability of participants, ensuring that their privacy is respected, and whether the observations will be performed where the observer can be seen. Both approaches are used in animal and human naturalistic observation research. Being hidden, researchers are confident that those observed are not acting differently because they are being observed. This method effectively reduces or removes any chance of reactivity and this is goal, ensuring validity by allowing the subject to act in its most authentic nature without the interference of an outside force. Though this is ideal, there are times when observers cannot hide, and in those instances they must collect data over a long enough period to deduce whether or not their presence is affecting the actions of their research subjects. Privacy concerns greatly limit the use of naturalistic observation to places that are generally accessible to the public in the context of human observation but not chimpanzee, so the subject greatly effects the methodology.
My analysis is on the film The Goonies. While I view the movie and determine the various norms, behaviors, roles and interaction between group members, as well as individuals the examination within the realm of film can present many of the same components. Thus, our group selected this movie to analyze based on its formation of a cohesive problem-solving group full of unforgettable characters. The Goonies portray many different theories and aspects of small group communication.
Topics explored with this group included; conversational skills, internet safety, bullying, conflict resolution, social media, and personal appearance. Accordingly, I was able to gain insight on how to plan activities tailored to the needs of the group as well as obtain tips on conducting groups effectively. Additionally, I was able to get a sense of the group dynamics, attain knowledge on the stages of a group through observing all the individuals belonging to the group, their uniqueness and how their personality impacted the group itself. Individuals were able to join the group at different stages hence; the forming stage was repeated each time a new member was recruited. This also provided me with the opportunity of gaining first-hand experience of the interaction on the basic dynamics on group stages of forming, norming, storming and
The people whom I surveyed were Alisa Bruzonsky and Steve Bruzonsky. Alisa talked about all of the study groups she participated in while she attended Arizona State University. Steve talked about social groups; he has a sound club he goes to once a month. There weren’t any similarities between these two groups, but the differences were in social groups they get together for fun and to talk about their interests. While, in study groups, they participate because they’re either forced to or they have to in order to pass their classes. In Alisa’s study group, each person collaborated in enforcing the groups’ norms. For instance, if a few people slack of, usually, one or two people of that group has to pick up their slack of finishing the assignment.
In conclusion, something happens to individuals when they collect in a group, they act differently to the way they would on their own, regardless of whether the group has gathered to solve problems, make decisions or have fun, and regardless of whether the members know each other. (Psychology in perspective, third edition, Tavris and Wade, 2001)
For the location of my naturalistic observational study I chose a public park with a splash pad which I frequently visit with my daughter. Since this site is quite popular with locals at any given time of the day there are at least over a dozen people present. As the park is designed for the entertainment of children the age group of the people varies. There are young children accompanied by their parents and grandparents as well as teenagers in groups. Therefore the above discussed park proved to be the greatest preference for me to observe the behavior of people in a natural setting.
By using observation method, a wide variety of behavior can be recorded. Picking through the garbage on the side of the road can reveal behaviors of fast-food customers, or sitting for only one hour in the university canteen can understand the gender differences in choosing (diet) meal, or even watching the customer’s behavior from deciding which yogurt to be taken off its store shelves in the supermarket can also answer the question: Are the customers be attracted by its appearance or flavor or price or brand or nutrition? The aim of this observation assignment is to evaluate and explain the different types of interactions between individual and groups present, as well as the environment in which these interactions take place. The field observation was conducted at the Vietnamese fast-food restaurant named “We love Banhmi” in Budapest, and the role adopted, was that of observer as a non-participant. Group structures as well as overall activity, patterns of behavior, and the duration and timing of such behaviors and interactions were observed and recorded. Sociological concepts pertaining to age, gender, and appearance were also noted and applied.
According to Toseland (1984), “Social order and stability are prerequisites for the formation and maintenance of a cohesive group” (p.78). The group culture of respect and support as well as the established roles assisted in creating the cohesive group. However, certain personality differences and dynamics can negatively impact the group culture. For example, one of the older girls demonstrated dominance over the youngest girl of the group. The younger girl was submissive and shy. During one observation, the girls processed a disagreement over a joined project. The eldest girl would not allow the younger girl to help as she felt her lack of skill would mess up the project. The younger girl’s feelings were hurt and the eldest girl was steadfast in her position. Personality differences are inevitable and likely to be seen in all group settings. The dynamics and personality differences between individuals impact the overall group
Several experiments and researches have been conducted that have focused on how people behave in groups. The findings have revealed that groups affect peoples’ attitudes, behavior and perceptions. Groups are essential for personal life, as well as in work life.
For my observation experience I went to Southern High School in Harwood, MD. Southern High School has a special education department for the students with disabilities. The teacher that I met with for this classroom observation was Ms. West. In the classroom there were at least four assistant teachers that helped Ms. West throughout the school day. The assistant teachers helped Ms. West co- teach the class and were there to help the students if they needed extra help. The school also has a couple of student aides that come in to help the teachers and the students in the classroom. There were at least twelve students in the classroom. The students in the class had many different exceptionalities such as learning disabilities, Down syndrome,