Notes from Observation 9/28/07

Here are some notes from my group's observation today at the smokers' tent outside cab:

- The structure of the smoke tent itself was small, but not enclosed, allowing movement about the structure.
- Many smokers chose not to smoke directly under the tent, but usually in front or off to the side of the tent.
- The bench in the tent comortably fit four, but if three people were sitting on it, they were not sitting right next to each other.  they evenly spaced themselves out.
-social introductions typically started with questions like "You gotta light?" "I'll give you a quarter for a smoke." or "Can I bum a square?"
- Tents seem like a method of social control, and become a new social structure, creating an environment for the smoking "outcasts" on campus to ruminate and talk about how it's stupid to make people smoke under a little tent.
- We were observing as the object, since we all smoke.  We paid attention to how we ourselves were perceived, as well as what we were seeing.
                        - as smokers, we were glanced at by passersby
                        - as observers, we were openly welcomed by the smokers to do small impromtu                            interviews.


Submitted by Emily on Sat, 09/29/2007 - 1:09pm. Emily's blog | login or register to post comments | printer friendly version