Behavior Analysis of Churchgoers in the Catholic Church - Assignment Example

Phase 4 Individual Project: Ethnographic Field Study Ethnographic Field Study Setting The place selected to comply with the requirements of this ethnographic field study is a place of worship, particularly a Catholic church in the nearby locality. At the onset, one would expect that people would exhibit the most appropriate behavior: maintain solemnity and peace during the service, avoid talking to each other while the service is going on, observe proper decorum in terms of dress code, communication patterns, and response to the service. Based on one’s research, the proper church conduct includes the following behavior: “(1) recognize and appreciate that Mass is the re-presentation of Calvary. Mass is not a party! Socializing should be conducted outside the church building; (2) remember the maxim: "Silence is Golden in the House of the Lord". Note that this includes the time before and after Mass as well as all other times outside of Mass (most especially during Eucharistic Adoration and Confession); (3) arrive early and prepare properly for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; (4) focus on the priest (who is in the place of Christ) during Mass, not on your neighbor; (5) wear appropriate clothing to church. Clothing should be modest and should not be tight-fighting or clingy. Bathing suits, shorts, halter tops, and t-shirts are unsuitable attire, as are sleeveless dresses, low cut tops, skirts above the knees, tops exposing the stomach or back, clothes with advertising or logos, see-thru clothing, suggestive clothing, etc.; (6) turn off phones, pagers, alarms, etc. before entering the church; and (7) noisy or distracting children should be taken outside the church, taken to the crying room, or left with appropriate babysitters” (My Catholic Source, 2012, p. 1). However, in contemporary times, one expects that not all of this behavior would be followed and complied in strictest adherence due to an interplay of contemporary social factors. Observation 1: Who, What, When, and Where, and the Why of Behavior The first observation was undertaken on last two week’s Saturday at 6:00 p.m. One observed the following: ■How are they dressed? Contemporary church goers (men and women, as well as children) are wearing t-shirts and pants (or even walking shorts) and t-shirts contain advertisements or logos. A limited number of women are wearing dresses or skirts. Some even wear dresses that are tight-fitting and clinging to their bodies. ■Whom are they with? Some come as a family with parents bringing along children. Others are in pairs, as couples, or peers. Others come alone. ■Where do they sit? The older members of the congregation sit near the altar, but those teen-agers and children usually sit at the back of the church near the entrance. ■How do they react to others? The elder maintain solemnity and are quite throughout the service. They only talk in response to the prompts of the priest. On the other hand, one sees children talking to parents during the service and parents naturally responding. Those teen-agers who come in group or with peers are also seen talking and communicating with each other intermittently. ■How do they participate in the gathering? Generally, the group participates well by responding in areas which need the response of the group, and by singing psalms, and receiving Holy Communion. ■What are they doing? Most are listening to the priest, lectors and commentators and are responding and singing, as expected. Others are seen attending to the little kids, especially those that are noisy and anxious. ■When do they respond? The parishioners respond according to church missal and as shown in the visual prompts that are situated in front of the church to assist the crowd in the needed response. However, parents with small children address the needs of these children by talking to them, bringing them out, and one even answered a phone call received through the mobile phone. ■Why do you think they behave the way they do in this setting? The elders seem to retain and remember church decorum and proper behavior as indicated in the research. However, due to changes in contemporary societies (no one to leave the children with at home; the need to bring along cellphones and other gadgets; wearing clothes fit for today’s generation; and communicating and responding to peers in diverse settings) people attending church service do not observe the strict church conduct and behavior as stipulated in the older times. Observation 2: Who, What, When, and Where, and the Why of Behavior The second observation was undertaken on last week’s Saturday at 6:00 p.m. One observed the responses to basically all the questions remain the same, especially in the way people dress (wearing t-shirts and pants (or even walking shorts) and t-shirts contain advertisements or logos, tight-fitting and clinging to their bodies); whom are they with (family with parents bringing along children; couples, or peers; alone); where do they sit (elders sit near the altar, but those family with teen-agers and children usually sit at the back of the church near the entrance); how do they react to others (the elder maintain solemnity and quietness; children talking to parents and parents responding; teen-agers or peers seen talking and communicating with each other during the service); how do they participate in the gathering (response of the group aided by missal and visual aid, and by singing psalms, and receiving Holy Communion); what are they doing (listening to the priest, responding and singing, praying, talking to person seated beside; and attending to little kids); when do they respond (according to church missal, visual prompts, and as expected based on experience of regularly attending the services); why do you think they behave the way they do in this setting (conformity to past experiences and adjusting to contemporary times). Comparison of Results of Observation ■Identify any new conclusions and theories you may have developed about the behavior of people in the setting you chose. The behavior of the people in the setting that was selected was basically the same from the first observation and the second observation due to the similarities of people attending (who), the activities that they are doing (what); the expected responses based on previous experiences and communication cues (when) and the location they select to be seated (where). As indicated, they differences in behavior of the attendees (elder versus younger generation) in observing and complying to church behavior and decorum could be explained by the familiarity with the proper conduct during church services and the influence of social factors, such as technology, fashion, and communication patterns. ■How do they differ from your original hypotheses? One’s hypothesis is therefore validated in terms of the results supporting that not all of the proper church conduct and behavior would be followed and complied in strictest adherence due to an interplay of contemporary social and environmental factors. ■What did you learn in the process? In the process, one therefore learned that society is continuously evolving. Old rules and expected behavior are not retained due to failure to apprise current generation of these rules and the influence of external factors such as developments in technology, impact of media, new communication patterns, values, beliefs and preferences. Reference My Catholic Source. (2012). Proper Church Conduct. Retrieved July 30, 2012, from http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/proper_church_conduct.htm Read More