Essay On Family Observation

The first location observed was at Westgate in Glendale, Arizona at 3:30 in the afternoon. Many families were in attendance, but I chose to focus on a family of four: mother, father, son and daughter. The female child was around two and a half years old, and her little brother was about 12 months old. Both of the children were dressed in stereotypical gendered clothing. The little girl had on black tights, a leopard print sweat shirt, and boots, while the little boy was in jeans, a navy jacket, and sneakers. The children were playing on concrete steps, as their parents watched them from a few feet away. The little boy had a harder time navigating around the large steps as he was still in the process of learning to walk. At one point the little boy fell on his face—hard. The mother held him and comforted him stating, “You’re good, you’re okay.” However, …show more content…
When talking to girls he was more formal and polite, “Welcome to Dutch Bros. What can I get for you today?” When talking to boys he would address them as, “guys,” “gentlemen,” or “dudes.” What I personally found the most fascinating observation—including the other locations—was that all of the workers at the coffee shop, male and female, had adopted a feminine style of communication. Everyone working there was invested in “an interactive pattern in which different voices interweave to create conversations” (Wood, 128). Part of their job as baristas is to build a rapport with the customers. The workers use what Wood quotes Fisherman (1978) and Taylor (2002) as feminine “maintenance work” (129). To forge a connection with the customers all of the workers asked questions, “How are you today?” and “Have any big plans for the weekend?” these and more were all questions I heard the workers ask their customers. That rapport fosters a relationship with the customers that leave them feeling