Interaction Order of Bathrooms

Research Project:

Taking a page from both Goffman and the “Interaction Order of Bathrooms” study, we are going to do some of our own research and observations of a phenomenon of your choosing. Think about observable “front stage” behavior or examples of types of interactions we have touched on this semester as you select what you would like to observe. See the examples below to get some ideas.

For this research project, you are tasked with conducting observational research in either two related locations (such as two different parts of the mall or a park) or the same location at two different times. This will provide you with ample opportunity to collect observational data and draw connections to the theoretical concepts we have explored this semester.

For example, perhaps you are going to observe waiting for the elevator in two different buildings on campus from 8am to 10am. You could watch for certain types of interaction, such as cuing behavior, graciousness and faux pas, grouping behavior (such as by gender or age), themes of public conversation, or button pushing requests.

Another example, you sit at the mall food court for one hour and then on a bench in another area near stores for another hour to observe the identity presented by employees and what this identity presentation includes (servitude, conformity, graciousness, emotion work, etc.).

You may be more general or specific, as you see relevant, but be sure you are staying focused and entering your selected space with a plan. You should also take diligent field notes (see below for details) and establish the parameters of both your space and what you are looking to observe.

Other examples for your study:

Bars and grouping patterns

Freshman dining hall habits (such as needing to not sit alone)

Parent grouping at the playground and public conversation

Cueing behavior at the bar

Faux pas and graciousness at a public event (Farmers Market, Pumpkin Patch, etc.)

Interactions in the public bathroom

Mall maintenance workers invisibility from customers

Other places you could do your observations (but you are not limited to these):

Dog park

Public plaza

Community events/festivals

Restaurant

Bars

Park

The mall

On campus

A concert

The lobby of a building

A few ground rules:

1) Select somewhere that is safe! Do not put yourself in a position that is in the obstructive, unsafe, or somewhere that is going to draw unwanted attention (this will affect your study in a negative way too). Please also be Covid safe.

2) Be respectful of others as you conduct your observation.

3) Do not observe minors/children. This would require IRB approval and we do not have enough time in the semester to complete that approval process. Observe adults only.

4) Do not include names or identifying details in your descriptions. For example, you may say “a female college student carrying a stack of textbooks” but you should not say “a blonde, female college student wearing a Santa Barbara sweatshirt and carrying a stack of Intro to Sociology books”. While the latter may give us a better visual, we run the risk of these details making the person we observe potentially identifiable by others who may read your work. This would be not only unethical but also potentially harmful to the person being observed (For example, if they had skipped class or work at the time you were observing them in that space? They could get in trouble.)

Field Notes: Due

Notes taken in the “field” should be systematic while you are conducting your observation. This is to say that you will look at the same interactions methodically, noting time and place for each. You should also note institutional norms, such as opening/closing times, a regular time at which we see a routine occur (such as class starting/finishing or dinnertime), or a holiday that impacts traffic in an area. It is better to have more details than you need than not enough.

Include what you see, hear, what you think, and the sources of such information. You should not talk to anyone or ask questions. You are strictly there to observe. Be sure to distinguish between things you see/hear (facts) and your interpretations based on previously gathered knowledge you may have. Keep focused on what you set out to observe.

You may use a pen and paper or your computer/tablet, whichever is the easiest for you but also the most unobtrusive. These should be printable/scannable to turn in on Blackboard.

Your Report: Due

Once you have conducted your observations, report should include the following below. You should use subheadings and a formal tone but also write to the naïve reader, who might not be familiar with the theories and concepts you reference.  Citation is a must! APA format. You may use any class or textbook resources but will likely need additional academic sources that are more specific.

Introduction:

Provide an overview of what you are observing and where. This should include a theoretical reference (Goffman, Mead, Cooley, etc.). Why is what you are observing of general interest? You may also include a map or visual reference if it is helpful in describing your location and reasoning.

Methods:

Briefly review the details of where you sat/stood, etc. and why you chose where/when/etc. to help you focus on what you chose to observe.

Result:

This should be where you share what you saw and the order in which you saw it.  You will need to focus here on what your thesis is and that which is reflected in your field notes (though less chaotic than those notes). Be sure to mention anything and everything that is needed or relevant to your discussion and conclusion sections.  This is NOT where you will interpret your findings. You are simply reporting them in this section.

This section should be “story” oriented, meaning you should bring your field notes to life. Report what is relevant for your discussion section by counting and assigning numbers to things (e.g. 75% of those observed did xyz, less than half of women observed were abc…). This will make your results less arbitrary and bring connections together.

You may use tables, charts, etc. as well as visual aids. You may create an infograph if that is helpful.

Discussion:

This is where you will do your analysis. You should reference your theoretical point as well as how your results reflect this. Cite your theoretical sources.

Conclusion:

Summarize what you have shared with the reader. This may feel redundant but this may be the part the reader invests in the most.