Free Observation Of Social Behaviour Essay Example

Bar setting:

Goals:
In this observation, I aim at discovering the social behaviours between genders. I also want to reveal how different age groups behave when exposed to the same environment. The observation also seeks to discover the motivation between different persons for going to bars and clubs.

Research Question:

The main questions that I set out to get answers for are; why do individuals go to clubs alone with groups? What is the aim of the individual behaviour towards the other? What does the interaction between different individuals in a club say about the person?

Populations:

Within a club setting, almost people of all characters can be found there. Irrespective of the character of an individual, the clubs have a way of accommodating each and making them feel comfortable. There are the individuals who dance and talk to everyone. The hyperactive behaviour may be as a result of the alcohol or that it is just their nature. There are others who are introverts and prefer taking their drinks in solitude while enjoying the music. And there are others who just follow the crowds and do not show any unique character.

Introduction:

The scene am going to focus on is based on a club setting. The club has loud music playing. It is divided into several sections, there is the VIP section, there is a bar, there is a dance floor with tables seats spaced within the floor and finally there is a balcony where there are coaches. The lighting of the club is quite dim and the bulbs are coloured red, blue or purple. Hence reflecting coloured light. Social behaviour in this case will be deduced from the way individuals interact with others and not with themselves. By observing their interactions, one is able to deduce what an individual is thinking at the moment, what their objective in that setting is and what role they expect someone else to play.

Observational session:

There are a number of individuals who walked into the club alone. Most of them sat at the bar whereas the others took tables. The ones who sat at the bar ordered drinks, and were frequently glancing around them. Some could be seen eyeing particular individuals who were also having drinks alone. Their gesture shows that they are trying to get the other persons attention. The person sitting at the bar and glancing around and holding eye contact may be a single individual out to look for company. The company they sought may be just for the evening at the bar or one that they thought would eventually lead to something more between the two of them like an actual relationship.
The individuals sitting at the tables having drinks alone may be trying to unwind after a long day at work. They chose the tables because they are less noticeable hence do not attract much attention. Such persons did not go to the club to find the companion of others but to relax and enjoy the music. A lady who approaches a man sitting by a table alone may find him cold and disinterested as she is not what he came there for. The lone rangers who prefer their own company would have a drink or two and leave the club.
There is the other group of individuals who walked into the club as group. The group is made up of friends, acquaintances and even workmates. Such a group came to the club to have a good time with people they are familiar with. When involving themselves in activities like dancing, they dance among themselves. They can be seen cheering each other on and even taking turns to compete and see who out does the other. Such a group only seeks gratification from within themselves. The group provides a comfort zone and the members are able to freely express themselves without fear of judgement. Such groups are quite lively as each accepts the other as they are due to previous interaction.
Finally, there are those who walked in twos, as couples. Such individuals seek to have a relaxing time with their better half. For the ones who walked in, in this manner do not interact with others but keep their interaction just between the two of them. Conversation, drinking, dancing and talking for the whole period of time is just between the two of them. Such people have already made up their minds that they intend to spend time with the one person they walked in with. Their attention is normally fixed on each other and hardly do they show interest in other people in the club.
Out of all the above mentioned groups, there are some made up of younger adults and some of older and more mature adults. From observing them, the younger adults are more rowdy, noisy and easily let lose. The young adults express themselves freely if in a group. The young adults who are single are dressed up in a way that easily catches the eye and are seen to flaunt themselves once in a while. The young couples also show more public display of affection. They are seen to be at ease making out and getting cosy. The younger adults are still in the process of discovery hence are freer and less bothered with other people’s opinion. The consumption of alcohol also adds to this attitude making the areas with younger adults more prone to chaos.
The more mature adults however are more reserved compared to the young ones. A single lady or man sitting by the bar as much as they are hoping to catch another’s attention do not make it that obvious. They carry themselves in a way that shows they are having a good time and enjoying their own company. They can even try to turn down company in a bid to not look so desperately in need of company. The mature adult at the bar will insist on paying for their drinks and portray a sign of independence. Their behaviour may say that they are looking for serious company that will provide satisfaction either intellectually, emotional or physical.

Results:

There are several angles of social behaviour that were noted from the above scenarios. Attraction was mainly observed among the individuals who were single and wanted to attract a new person’s attention. The individuals seeking to attract attention went out of their way to present themselves in a way that would be appealing to their targets. The ladies were all made up, sweet perfume and seductive clothes. The men were nicely dressed and strong masculine cologne. Some were seen to spin their glasses seductively and sipping onto their drinks slowly and purposely holding another’s eye contact. The tactics employed in such a case are flirty and are meant to make one feel attracted or drawn to the other.
The ladies who walked into the club as a group were more conserved as they kept it within themselves. Whereas the men who came in as a group could be seen to be eyeing ladies who were alone and even some attempted conversations with the ladies. The different behaviour by the men and women in groups show how gender plays a role even in the club scenario. Men who are natural hunters are more comfortable breaking from their groups and finding interest in ladies whereas, the ladies who are naturally the less aggressive gender would rather stay within the comfort of their groups.
There was a lot of conformity in the dance floor. That is, individuals felt the pressure to be accepted in the dance and in tune with the beats. Dance moves were synchronized and individuals who are strangers to each other were seen dancing to the same moves. The conformity was driven by the need to be part of what looks classy and appealing. In this mood, some were seen asking to be shown steps or how they are supposed to move certain parts of their bodies so as to be in synchrony with the rest. Those who asked for guidance showed informational conformity where they were ignorant to the dance moves and did not want to be left out.
Persuasion was best at play especially among the singles. Some of those who came in looking for new company were seen leaving the club with their new friends. However, before that, there was a lot of persuasion in order to build trust. In order for one to be persuaded, the one trying to get something must be in a position to also give something in return. The one persuading must also be able to communicate what he has to offer and communicate it in a way that appeals to their target. The men were seen being at their best behaviour and being very generous to the ladies in a bid to show them that they could take care of them. The ladies who bought the men’s act were seen leaving arm in arm with them.
There was an aspect of prejudice that could be picked from the dance floor. There were some men who were seen to be dancing with two or more women. The women were drunk and strangers to the man they were dancing with. The man would have other men on the side lines cheering him on as he is seen to have conquered by having more women dancing with him. The prejudicial [art comes in when the men take advantage of these women and have them engage in dances that are not dignified. Such dances portray the women as tools for men’s gratification.
Social actions go a long way to describe a person’s social behaviour disposition. The acts from individuals are aimed at achieving different aims. There are some who are able to pick up the hint from another’s behaviour and help the person reach their aim. Others despite putting their social act out in public do not get noticed hence do not achieve their aim. Failure to achieve the aim however does not negate that the person has a sense of social interaction. Therefore, for there to be social interaction, an individual’s social behaviour should be appealing to another so as to draw the together.
The club setting is a conducive setting to find out an individual’s actual personality and social traits. The alcohol consumption by most club attendees makes them loosen up and to some extent be themselves. Meaning that they will say what they have always wanted to say but never got the courage to. They will also be at ease to express their needs and desires even to strangers. The club setting also provides an avenue for individuals to release stress and forget their problems though temporarily. All this is due to the effect of alcohol. However the more preserved persons would have light drinks and enjoy the music. The consumption of soft drinks can be said to be a self preservation method that prevents them from losing control. Such individuals are in a better position to regulate their behaviour and are less likely to be prejudiced. They are also less likely to follow the crowd or succumb to group pressure. When persuaded to make or take up an offer, they are in a better position to make rational judgement. The ladies taking soft drinks and dancing in the clubs were hardly seen walking out with a stranger or compromising their dignity on the dance floor. It is therefore safe to say that what an individual takes in the club setting has a role to play in their social behaviour.

References:

Rummel, R. J. (2011). The Conflict helix. Chicago.
Saylor Foundation. (2010). Analyzing Psychology. New York: Saylor publishers.