Fashioning the Body: Versions of the Citizen, the Self, and the Subject

Introductory Field Work: Bathrooms

Women’s Bathroom:

Metal squares and handle on door, as well as the height of the door itself, suggest that this room is intended for people of a specific height, probably 4 to 6.5 feet. People who do not fall into this range may require assistance entering this room.

Judging from the activity in this room, this is a place for conversation and small talk, as well as a place for privacy. Once you go behind the rectangular boards where a bowl-like structure sits, only your feet are visible from the other side. This way, you can get a sense of anonymity and privacy.

The sounds that can be heard from nearby the enclosed board areas are odd; you can hear the shuffling of clothes and the pouring of liquid followed by a whirring noise.

The room as a whole seems cluttered with objects. There are metal boxes in the boarded areas, rolls of white squares of different sizes, white pedestals that spit out clear liquid, and accessible boxes of some gel-like substance that foams when applied to the hands.

A large rectangle posted by the entrance demands the attention of the people that filter through this room. The people look to this rectangle and inspect themselves upon entering and before exiting.

There are items of purchase available as well on the wall opposite the mirror; it looks as though you can buy a tubular item or a padded item.

There is also some sort of collapsible board that folds open and has straps and engravings.

Men’s Bathroom:

After spending so much time in the restroom with the bowl-like structures and items for purchase, my group members and I ventured into another, similar room. The door had the same metal square and handle that suggested it was accessible for people of a specific height of about 4 to 6.5 feet. Although there was not much time left to observe, some of the things in this room had definitely not been in the previous room. For instance, there was only one bowl-like structure. What dominated the room were two shallow white things protruding from the wall. One was positioned lower than the other, and they were separated by a rather narrow slat.

There were no items for purchase in this room, but there were two reflective squares and one of those collapsible boards with the straps and engravings, as well as boxes and rolls of white squares, one small next to the bowl-like structure and several large rolls of white squares by the entrance and the white pedestals that spit out clear liquid.

No one visited this room while my group members and I were present.