Observation Date and Time
Date: 10/22/2020
Time: 7 - 9 pm
Observation Location
Las Trojas Cantina in Fayetteville, TN
Observation Instructions:
Observe at least TWO or more people interacting, and write down your responses to the questions below. If you are not able to do your observation using approved social distancing guidelines, then you can do your observation through watching a show episode, or film. Make sure to include that information in the observation spots above. Try to avoid using your cellphone at all during the entirety of the observation. All responses should include not only a specific observation, but also a connection to the textbook in at least FOUR questions to show understanding of the core concepts. Make sure to specifically reference the textbook using APA style. This is best observed through seeing an open forum (like the Charger Union), however, use whatever environment is most comfortable and suitable for you.
1. What things did the table do/use to “mark their territory? How do you think they knew know how close or far away they should sit from one another?
For this field study, I observed others that were dining at the Las Trojas Cantina in Fayetteville, TN. For this particular question, I observed a table that was celebrating a birthday. It was obvious that the table was celebrating a birthday due to the presence of balloons, presents, and party hats. There was also the singing of “Happy Birthday!” and the smearing of whipped cream on a woman’s face that was an obvious tip-off that the group was celebrating a birthday. It appeared that this woman’s friends did not all know one another, and often saved seats near them for the guests that they did know. For example, one woman put her jacket in the seat to the left of her and her purse in the seat to the right of her. No one even attempted to sit in those seats because they appeared to have already been occupied. When her friends arrived, the woman moved her things for them to sit down. This example shows that the woman was marking the territory as hers, or as her friends, so that no one would try to encroach upon that territory. This type of territory would be considered public territory. According to the textbook, public territory “is open to anyone and is seldom under the constant control of any one person or group. It is, however subject to temporary ownership and is often protected with a much vigor a personal property.” (Richmond et al.,2012). Other examples of this group marking their public territory include a man’s hat hanging off the back of his chair, a woman’s jacket hanging off the back of her chair, and balloons tied to the birthday girl’s chair. Each of these examples used something to mark the territory, the chair, as theirs.
2. Did anybody “encroach” on anybody else’s territory? What was the reaction?
For this question I observed a different table at the restaurant. The new table I observed had a couple sitting together for a date night. The couple consisted of a young blonde woman in her mid-20s, wearing an orange dress and a young blonde man in his late 20s, wearing a blue polo and khakis. There was also a table beside the couple’s that held a group of attractive young men. The young men kept staring at the woman and watching the couple enjoy their date. When the man went to the bathroom, a few of the young men approached the young woman and sat down without an invitation. The young men kept trying to get her to join their table and leave her date behind. However, the woman was not enjoying their company and kept asking them to leave. Finally, her date came back from the bathroom. As he approached his table, his saw the young men bothering his date. He tried asking the young men to leave them alone, but they would not. Instead of fighting the young men, he called the waitress over and explained the situation to her. He asked if he and his date could be moved to another table away from the men in order to continue enjoying their date. The man withdrew from the encroachers. According to the textbook, “Withdrawal means that we compensate by moving away from the encroacher and letting her or him take over. In short, we flee without a fight. This is the classic flight response, a normal reaction to something frightening. Although most enrichment does not actually create fear, what we may fear is what will happen if we make a fuss (in other words, fight). ... If someone sits too close to us on a park bench we will likely move over or get up and walk away rather than ask the encroacher to move.” (Richmond et al.,2012).
3. Look at the common area itself. Is it set up for maximum density or comfort of guests? What makes you think that?
According to the textbook, “Density refers to the number of people in space. High density, therefore, is a large number of people in a given area. Because there is less personal space available for each individual, high-density conditions often create much involuntary enrichment. Density should not be confused with crowding. Crowding is a person’s perception of spatial restrictions, High density does not always cause people to feel crowded. Living and working in high-density conditions, these people have learned to cope with constant invasion and spatial restriction. Density may or may not lead to crowding. This perception may depend more on what we find acceptable in our day-to-day encounters with others than how dense the physical conditions actually are.” (Richmond et al.,2012). After observing the inside of Las Trojas Cantina, I think that the area is set up more for maximum density than the comfort of guests. That being said, the area is also set up for the comfort of guests, but no as much as it is set up for maximum density. The area has comfortable and spaced seating, paintings, fancy lights, music, and multiple televisions set up. All of these ensure that the guests are comfortable and relaxed at the restaurant. However, the way the restaurant is arranged and set up allows for maximum density and efficiency. The table are spaced apart, but not too far apart. This means that you have space to sit and eat without bumping elbows, but you can still see the faces of everyone seated at the tables around you. The walls are lined with booths and in between the booths are large tables for big parties. Then, as you travel further back you see the bar. There are stools for you to sit at the bar and high tables near the bar for big groups as well. It is more crowded in the back by the bar than in the front by the register. That being said, when I was doing my observation the restaurant, like usual, was packed full. The restaurant was so busy that they could not wash dishes fast enough and they ran out of clean cups. There were more than a few customers who had to drink from a styrofoam cup rather the normal glass cup they usually receive.
4. Did the environment have a perceptual characteristic of formality, warmth, privacy, familiarity? What made you think that? What shapes were the table and what influence did they have on your perception? Is it a socio Petal or socio fugal set up? Why?
I think that the environment at Las Trojas Cantina had a perceptual characteristic of warmth. According to the textbook, “Environments can also create perceptions of warmth or coldness. ... The degree to which we feel comfortable and relaxes and want to linger in those physical surroundings. Warm environments tend to encourage interaction among individuals. Through color, lighting, and textures in rooms, one can was interaction and keep people from taking their leave.” (Richmond et al.,2012). The restaurant mainly consists of tans, browns, and reds which are usually very warm colors. The restaurant also has several colorful light fixtures over their light bulbs and multiple paintings. The restaurant is also full of people talking, laughing, and eating. There is music playing the whole time that the restaurant is open. All of these things give the restaurant a warm vibe that you can loose yourself in. The restaurant makes people feel welcome and usually most of the customers stay for at least an hour or two before leaving. All of the tables were in the shape of a rectangle. According to the textbook, “The rectangular table is often found in corporate and business settings. The impact of this type of table resembles that of the square table. That is, there are four separate sides that suggest a lack of unity to the interactions. However, two of the sides are short, and the other two usually are twice as long or longer. One of the short sides is generally perceived as the head of the table, especially in instances where the other short side is left vacant. At the rectangular table, the center of power is at the head and gradually diminishes as the position gets farther and farther away. The person at the head usually controls the interaction at the table and normally is looked to for leadership by the group. (Richmond et al.,2012). The tables shape really did not have much of an influence on my perception except that I noticed that rectangular tables usually allow more room. I did not notice that one side was supposed to be the center of power, but I do notice that with rectangular tables my parents are always on one side and my sister and I are always on the other side. I also think that the restaurant had a Sociopetal setup. The tables are spread apart, but you can still see the faces of everyone around you. You have you own space, but can still talk to the people at other tables with yelling across the room if you wish. Therefore, you are not totally secluded and can still interact with others around you fairly easily.
5. As you observed WITHOUT your cell phone as an “awkward” button how did you feel about its role in communication and communication exchange?
As I observed without my cell phone as an “awkward” button, I was a little uncomfortable. Usually, if I’m waiting on someone at a restaurant, I always play on my phone until they arrive. I try to appear busy so no one will speak to me. This time, however, I did not have my phone. I feel that like me, people often use their phones to avoid communicating with others unless it is the person they planned to communicate with. I also think that people use their cellphones as a buffer or a conversation starter when the communication goes silent for a bit. I feel that cellphones are both good and bad for communication. It is good for communicating with others that are not around, but it is bad for communicating with those that are around.
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