Example Of Observation Essay

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Introduction

The behavior of a group of people that I observed was at a college welcome party for freshmen in college. Social stratification is most overtly expressed by clothes, body language and behavior of individuals, and this was evident from the crowd I observed. The students were all new to college, and the atmosphere was quite jubilant and ecstatic. As the night fell, students began emerging in throngs, some in groups and some alone. There were those who were dressed in a way that one would deem inappropriate for a simple welcome party whereas there were others who were still shy and apparently looked out of place for the party. A clear difference was visible to me while I observed these young people, that they had “demarcated their boundaries as the ‘cool’ and ‘uncool’ people and that was how they socialized amongst themselves and made friends.” (Thomas, 2015).

Main Body

The richer students were evident of their class; their dress, speech, attitude, and mannerisms made it clear that they thought themselves superior to the others and were making a place for themselves as the reigning students for the upcoming years in college.
The shy and less confident ones lurked in the shadows; some stood alone or by the food tables, helping themselves to punch and cupcakes.
There was an unspoken, unwritten dress code that was evident amongst some of the students especially the girls which questioned their ethical and moral upbringing and whether girls their age need be dressed in that manner. Nevertheless, the college never imposed any restrictions either.
The apparent social stratification amongst these students was quite obvious once the college began to fill up. The richer, more affluent people had a haughty air about them which their behavior showed out loud. The girls, especially, all dressed up for the party, walked with arrogance and their dress showed that they were trying too hard to come out of the shell they had been in and wished to experience the senior life before hand. (Thomas, 2015).
On the other hand, there were some girls who were new to this college party atmosphere and their style of dress and shyness was making it obvious. Some stood in the corner in the hall, quietly observing their surrounding, while others were seen sitting alone at tables watching other girls and boys mingle and talk while they were probably only thinking of mustering up enough courage to go up to and talk to someone.
This was also true of the boys where the jocks and sporty, funny ones found their way about easily. Some had their groups already since they were popular because they played sports or had good looks. “[They] were the center of attention for the party as they were prone to being the loudest and most involved people in the entire lot present amongst the others.” (Thomas, 2015). The other thing I observed was the prevalent mentality of these young people which lingered consciously in the atmosphere of the crowd was the way these young people dressed up. The boys did not take much effort in that except for doing their hair or wearing clothes that matched the occasion. For the girls, it was different. This, I observed, was largely present amongst the richer girls who focused on wearing the shortest of dresses which exposed the maximum of skin. And these girls were present in groups together, and all looked alike as if they were following an unwritten theme that the other, less cool girls had no idea about. The girls who seemed to come from the classes lower than them were in longer dresses; some even came in plain jeans since they probably didn’t know what to wear on an occasion like this. (Livesy, 2015).
These young people also imitated the ways of the affluent or the habits that appealed to these youngsters the most such as drinking the punch as if it were fine. I overheard certain girls refusing to eat the cupcakes because they were a truckload of calories. At their ages even, weight and calories were a big issue. However, what I could not help noticing was the way these girls were behaving towards the ones who were seemingly not as perfect as them. There were rude remarks made by the girls who were either fatter than them and were wearing a tight outfit or those who came dressed up too simply. Those girls could not even refrain from ridiculing some boys who were unaware of how to dress up for the party. (Thomas, 2015).

Summary and Conclusion

The varying trends of social class depiction and factors highlighting them are evident at gatherings such as college parties. For the short while, I observed the party, the social demarcation between the students was clearly visible to me. Society is divided on the sole basis of money and look and clothing, irrespective of the intellect and mental power the less privileged could possess. Sadly, the power of ridicule also lies in the hands of the rich since they are chosen as the fittest to do it.

References

Cliff Notes. (2014). Sciences/ Sociology. Social and Global Stratification. Retrieved from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/sociology/social-and-global-stratification/types-of-social-classes-of-people
Livesy, Chris. (2015).Weber. Social Inequality. Retrieved from
http://www.sociology.org.uk/siweber.pdf
Sociology Guide. (2015). Social Stratification. Retrieved from
http://www.sociologyguide.com/questions/social-stratification.php
Sociology. (2002). Class, Status, and Party. Retrieved from
http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/318n2202.htm
Thomas, Veena. (2015). A Study In social Behavior. Retrieved from
http://tech.mit.edu/V120/N41/col41veena.41c.html