Social Observation Paper

When we fail to comply with certain standards, which are put in place by society we are often shunned from those who choose to comply with these values. After observing different social settings as well as the expected behavior in those settings I choose to focus my attention on ordering etiquette in fast food restaurants. In each of the fast food restaurants I observed in both the Hub and along downtown East College Avenue I noticed three elements of expected behavior. The first was to place an order to your cashier in first person. The second, consumers were expected to pay for their purchases. The third involved the cashier giving the consumer a receipt. In some settings the cashier would call out your name and in other settings the cashier would yell your order number, leading to you receiving your food. Conversely, what happens when one of these expected behaviors in this setting is challenged? Thus I decided to order my food in third person. Once I violated this expected standard, I observed the behaviors of others, observed my internal thoughts on being associated with a deviant role and reflected on how this conduct shaped my understanding of social structure. When approaching each cashier instead of using phrases like “I would like” or “Can I have” I would replace these phrases with “Bianca would like” or “Can Bianca have”. As I spoke in third person I begin to observe the actions from onlookers as well as the cashiers. Some cashiers where not surprised at my deviant behavior at all in fact, they assumed I was taking an order for another person, maybe a peer for example. I came to this conclusion when a cashier handed me the food I ordered with a smile and told myself and Bianca to have a great day. Other cashiers thought I was being a smart aleck and mouthed off or whispered vulgar things under their breath. Simple spectators gave me confused facial expressions, some even pointed at me and laughed. I felt embarrassed and often times silly. While I was comfortable performing this deviant act due to my dry sense of humor it was harder in this sense do to the fact that no one thought I was being sarcastic. No one got the punch line; the …show more content…
Equally, your social position is a controlling factor in social structure. Social structure focuses on social patterns that essentially help us interact with one another in society. This is affected by any social position or status that we as individuals hold in society. These positions can change at different stages in our life. In some cases individuals may experience status inconsistency. As a result of this status change the behaviors of people around you change. This happened to me. My current social position is a college undergrad student, however my prior social status was completely overshadowed by my new social status as a “deviant”. For example in some social settings I experienced high regard for my social status and conversely in others I experienced low regard when I took on the role of a “deviant”. Those who accepted my values were happy to engage in social interaction with me, whereas those who did not wish to engage expected me to compromise my personal values for the values of the ideal majority. I know understand that at any given time social structure directs, dictates and shapes various interactions that people have with each