1: Participant Observation - Assignment Example

Participant Observation 1a). Describe the time, place, and social atmosphere of your elevator building/site The activity was carried out in public elevators within the greater Las Vegas area. 6 rides were taken in an office building, 3 during the morning hours and 3 in the evening. 5 rides were taken in a shopping mall, 3 in mid-morning hours and 2 in the evening. The social atmosphere was variable between the different sites. Passengers in the elevator at the office building conversed more than in the shopping mall.

Male and female passengers in all the sites appeared randomly and therefore there never occurred a male or female only ride. 1b). How many total rides did you take? How crowded were the elevator cars? I took a total of 11 rides. In the office building, the elevators were crowded while moving up during the morning hours as people squeezed in to avoid being left out. In one of the morning rides, the elevator was so overcrowded such that a security officer intervened and asked five people to move out and wait for the next ride.

However, the elevators had fewer people moving down from morning up to four o’clock in the evening when again overcrowding began as people left their places of work.There were few people in the rides taken while the lifts moved up in the evening. In the shopping mall, the elevator cars were not crowded in the mid-morning hours. However, they were moderately crowded during evening hours. 1c). Is there a single overall mood, or is it variable? The mood was variable between the different rides.

During the morning hours in the office building, many people seemed to know each other. There was cheerfulness, significant exchange of greetings and smiles even though a few of the passengers did not seem to know anyone and kept to themselves. In the evening hours, the mood was different with many passengers exhibiting exhaustion and anxiety. However, in almost all the evening rides, there never lacked two or three passengers engaged in loud conversations that seemed disgusting to the rest based on the look of disinterest on their faces.

In the shopping mall, the mood was relatively calm. Many passengers looked thoughtful and focused on the way ahead. Some were speaking on their cell phones in controlled voices while others were focused on the children accompanying them. There was no evidence of acquaintances in the shopping mall. It is only on two occasions that overexcited students filled the elevator cars as they went for shopping sprees. 2a). What knowledge does one need to have in order to ride an elevator in a culturally appropriate way in Las Vegas?

It is important to understand cultural diversity and the manner in which it becomes manifest in public places. This can help an individual to know what to expect to avoid culture shock. Moreover, understanding culture shock is important for an individual to cope with new culture in the elevator environment. It can be difficult to cope especially when many people seem to know each other while few do not know anyone in a small enclosure, making them feel like strangers in the room (Hall and Hall, 2008).

When some passengers engaged in cheerful informal conversations, the individuals who were not familiar with anyone else kept silent and somehow looked intimidated and nervous. 2b). Did you witness any non-normative (i.e., deviant) elevator behaviour? If yes, describe. Yes. In one of the evening rides, one of the passengers entered the elevator with a package of French fries and was eating unperturbed while many of the passengers looked disgusted by the strong aroma that filled the elevator cubicle. 3a). What struck you the most about the activity?

There was a notable difference between the people who have been using the elevators often and those who were probably visiting the administration block for the first time. The regular users expressed a culture of cheerfulness and greetings when they met inside the elevator. There used to be notable anxiety in the faces of few passengers who were not engaged in the conversations. It was important to note how people behave in new environments when kept together with others that they are not familiar with.

My inference is that the passengers who were cheerful and greeting each other would behave in a similar manner as the anxious passengers if individually placed in a different environment with people they have never met before. 3b). How did it make you feel before during and after? Before taking the ride, I was anxious wondering what kind of behaviour I might encounter. I felt uncomfortable having to meet many new people around me fearing that I would make a mistake or offend other people.

During the ride, I was composed and full of expectations for the new experience. I wanted to learn as much as possible through observation. After the activity, I felt relieved that despite the cultural differences, each individual is able to accomplish his/her mission and hence there is no need to worry about interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds in the elevator or any other public place. Work CitedHall, Edward T. and Hall Mildred R. Understanding Cultural Differences. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, Inc., 2008. Print.