Lets start by understanding that cultures are a melting pot of people’s beliefs, language, behaviors, values, material objects, and norms. Norms are written and non-written “expectations of behavior” that govern a certain location, place, or culture (26). These norms also vary from culture to culture meaning what is a norm in the U.S may not be a norm in India. For example, a norm in America would be tipping a waiter after a meal. Another would be acknowledging someone as you walk past him or her, typically done at work or in a public place. In all, norms are folkways, mores, taboos, and written laws that are an established standard of one’s behavior. For this assignment, I decided to observe a fitness center (gym) setting and break the “workout equipment is not a toy” norm. I conducted my observations at my local Anytime Fitness center that I actually frequent. Ironically, I missed my normal workout time that morning and decided to go later in the day. This worked out perfect for the observation because I arrived at around 5:00 pm, the busiest time for the establishment. The gym is relatively square with widows covering half of the room. The other half of the room has a wall of mirrors with the last wall having a hallway to bathrooms as well as the fitness trainer’s office. On one of the window walls it has a row of cardio equipment (that has attached TV’s on them) facing the outside. In the back corner near the cardio equipment is a stretching and body exercise area (kettle bells, mats, exercise balls, medicine balls, and stepping stands). In the center are weight machines that range from leg, arm, and abdominal equipment. The wall with the mirrors contains the free weights and other bench press and weight machines. Overall... ... middle of paper ... ... to do next while the others glanced occasionally at the show. I bounced around for the entire song before I stopped and then gave a bow. To conclude, breaking the norm inside the gym was mixed with positive and negative sanctions. I was given a displeasing gesture (negative; the look) and was rewarded with smiles and laughs (positive). I’m sure most of the members enjoyed it better than I did, simply because I was nervous, embarrassed, and almost busted my but a few times. I was rather pleased with the trainer’s reaction because he maintained control yet didn’t freak out towards my actions. I was over all satisfied with everyone’s reactions and glad that I’m not banned from the gym (I did tell my trainer after that it was a social experiment). Works Cited Henslin, J.M. (2012) Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. (10th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
The experiment to test the social norm of what clothes to wear in the gym consisted of five participants. The three confederates, Julie Curtis, Melissa Medici, and Payge Yerkes, were in the control group and wore gym shorts, t-shirts, and sneakers. The job of the control group was to watch the other gym patrons’ reactions to the experimenter’s attire. The experimental group consisted of Julie Crance, who wore a black top, black pants and brown heels; and Danielle Bonser, who wore a black dress and black wedges. Both experimenters wore their hair down, curled and wore a lot of makeup. Crance rode the bike, while Bonser worked on the elliptical for the duration of this experiment, which took place in the Kaplan gym at Mount Saint Mary College.
The gym is a place where a typical American college student goes to work out their bodies. Based on the fact that I personally could be considered a gym rat, a stereotypical name for someone who spends a lot of time in the work out area. This is partially by choice being on the swim team requires the strength training equipment that is available to our disposal in the gym. While I have been to the gym many times I haven’t really taken the time to take in the other people around me. Within this ethnographic exercise I will explore the college gym norms within Roger Williams University.
The culture of a community invariably determines the social structures and the formation of a society. Developed over time, culture is the collection of beliefs and values that a group of people maintain together. Culture is never constant, and thought to be continually renewed over years as new ideas and concepts become mainstream. It ranges from how people live, day to day topics for conversations, religion, and even entertainment. It is analogous to guidelines, or the rulebook of the said group of people. Society, on the other hand, emanates from the social structure of the community. It is the very institutions to which create a regulated and acceptable form of interaction between peoples. Indeed, culture and society are so perversely intertwined in a
Entertainment has been an established part of the American culture almost since its founding. The types of entertainment that most Americans enjoy in today's world are going to the movies, going out to eat, and exercising. Different forms of exercise vary from running and playing sports to weight lifting. Those who enjoy weight lifting can choose to do so in the privacy of their home, in a community center like the YMCA, or in a health club. At a health club one can expect to find a wide variety of people; however, some of these people add to the downside of working out at a local health club because they can be annoying and obnoxious. Three types of these annoying, obnoxious people found at the weight room of a local health club are the show-off, the know-it-all, and the wanderer; these types can be identified by their physical appearance, their social behavior, and their attitude.
It is often social norms and behaviors that are ingrained in a person. In comparison to explicit culture, tacit examples of the Narcirema culture includes how they communicate and the belief that the human body is ugly is the basis for most of their rituals and ceremonies. Most people in American culture don’t think too deeply about why they say “bless you” when someone sneezes or why it is considered polite to refer to an authority figure as Mrs. or Mr. Additionally, there are stark differences in tacit culture between people differing cultures that leads to culture shock. Culture shock is feelings of confusion and disorientation often resulting from cultural misunderstandings. For example, people in some parts of Japan consider physical touching inappropriate and may consider a U.S. citizen’s offering of a friendly handshake, instead of a bow, offensive. This simple interaction reveals their cultures differing views on personal space and what is considered friendly.
A gym as defined by the Oxford Dictionary states that it is a “membership organization that provides a range of facilities designed to improve and maintain physical fitness and health.” Within our society, the culture of a gym or health club is comprised of those who wish to maintain their physical health, as well as form a bond for like-minded people to support one another with their health goals within a shared environment. I have chosen to observe and understand the culture that embodies the Westford Regency Health Club, a local Massachusetts gym with higher than average membership pric es and a higher end reputation in comparison to the average franchised gym, such as Planet Fitness. I chose this particular gym for the sole fact that it is labeled as a “health club,” rather than a gym, which brings about the notion that it is somehow superior in regards to its facilities and membership privileges. For my research, I used an inductive method including participant-observation, as well as field notes gathered from my visits as a new member.
customs and moral ideas differ from country to country and from age to age, but
57, 2016). Social norms can vary from walking on the right side of the sidewalk, not standing to close to people when talking, eating with your mouth closed, etc (Society and Culture). In addition, laws are formal norms present in our society and this culture and are “recognized and enforced by governing institutions” (Macionis, Jansson, Benoit, & Burkowicz, p. 58, 2016). They are considered to be the most defined type of norms present in Canadian society that everyone must obey and surely influences society’s behaviours and beliefs. Many other countries that follow a different religion or understand appropriateness differently will have their own distinct cultural norms and laws (Society and
Automated doors slide open revealing a multitude of fitness machinery and flooding the air with the sound of weights clinking and the synchronized rhythmic stomping of twenty pairs of Nikes hitting the floor simultaneously in the step aerobics class; it’s time to get physical. On any given day, at any time, in gyms all across America the same scene is played out, (Guy). A handful of muscle bound jocks, serious about competitive weight lifting, can be seen spotting each other in the free weights area. Mirrors in the bathrooms, dressing rooms, and on the fitness center floor are consumed by pimped out prima donnas and jewelry adorned divas alike; preoccupied with primping and flexing their way to personal greatness/fitness. Normal, average, everyday people just trying to fit an hour or so workout into their busy schedule; they want to get in, get pumped, and go on with their day - these are the best types of gym dwellers.
I went to X-treme Athletics Gym, which is a CrossFit gym. I’ve only known what CrossFit was for about a couple years and I had only seen it in videos or in pictures. I had never seen it in person or have done it myself, so going to X-treme Athletics was a new experience for me. I have been to different gyms that have a variety of workout machines, weights, and usual things that you would normally see at the SJSU gym. But at X-treme Athletics it is a whole different layout then I have seen at other gyms, what you see when going in are free weights, barbells, assaults bikes, rowers, and Gymnastic rings, but most of the gym is open space to workout.
Belief is the idea that an individual can consider to be true around him or the exterior world. I always considered beliefs to be controversial, not because you believe in a certain religion for example, means that it is true. Everyone has different beliefs; it varies depending on where you are from, the religion that you follow, etc. Values refer to what individuals from a particular culture believe that is right, good, fair, just, valuable, beautiful, appropriate, kind or the opposite of these. Within a culture, values are taught through generations. They are enduring and remain important during long periods of time. Norms can be defined as changing behaviors. They consist in good manners and greeting behaviors. Norms vary within cultures too. The best example that I can give is the greetings between an American and a Latino. Latinos have the tendency to kiss on the cheeks when greeting someone. On the other hand, Americans are more of a handshake type and a hug when it comes to acquaintances, friends or family. Social practices refer to the different behaviors pa...
There are many stereotypes about the gym and what occurs while people workout. I chose to observe some norms of our gym here at South Dakota School of Mines. I thought it would be interesting to see how gym behavior here stacked up to what might be considered “normal” in other gyms. I thought it might be considerably different due to the gym belonging to a STEM school and many students here being somewhat socially awkward. In an attempt to be inconspicuous, I made sure to wear average gym attire (black shorts and a grey t-shirt) and was using a stationary bike the entire time. I hid my note sheet by having my differential equations homework on the first page of my notepad and my observations on the second. Whenever anyone was close I would
...mates told me that my shirt was on wrong at all different times. My response to each one was dang i didn 't even know i 'll fix it, thank you. I kept my shirt that and to my surprise about two out of every five person at school who saw me today me that my shirt was on wrong. This isn 't a mores norm more so of a folkway. The proper way to wear you 're shirt is the way it was made to our society. I embarrassed myself throughout the process if violation my norm.
The gym where I train and workout, the Dubuque Martial Arts Group, is a place where I know who I am. It is a place I can go to escape my problems for a while and release some stress. It's not the actual physical building, but rather the events that have occurred there over the years. It's where I have formed some of my closest friendships. It is the place I have invested years of hard work for many of my accomplishments. To some it may seem odd that a place associated with sweat, blood and physical pain mean so much to someone. However, in my eyes it's almost like a second home.
and humanities that refers to a set of social and behavioral norms that, within a specific culture,