Observing is something we simply cannot help but do everyday in our lives. We mainly take little notice of many of the minute occurrences that we see, but all things we see can certainly help us gain a greater understanding of the world in which we live. I set out to observe three different places hoping to gain knowledge of what teens subconsciously and sometimes consciously do. My first observation was in the lobby of the Wynnsong movie theater in Winston-Salem. The next would be at the front of the school; its members were all car riders. Finally, I conclude this observation in a recent Student Council meeting. As I drew myself back away from any attention in these places, I took specific notice of a few major characteristics of the behavior in which individuals acted. Those were as follows: clothing, clique/group, social inclinations, gender, adult accompaniment, and approximate age groups.
As previously stated, I entered the front lobby to observe teens in an environment where they casually wait and pass by. Upon first arrival there was only one teenager there. He was sitting in a single chair completely alone. As far as I could tell, there were no other people he was there with. He wore very plain clothes, nothing stylish. He sat looking very apathetic. He was overweight and showed signs of a low self-esteem by his posture and head motions (he stared at the floor constantly instead of making eye contact).
As there always is in spring, many chick flicks were playing. The first one let out and I took note of all the young girls who came out.
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All of the females who were not with any adults traveled in groups of at least three. The smaller groups (three to four people in capacity) were very likely to have members who looked very much alike. However, the larger groups were more diverse, yet they dressed much more alike. Those who were accompanied by adults had long skirts on (knee length) which are strikingly contrasted by groups with just teens (shorts far too short to be worn in public).
When any young male boys came out, they were only accompanied by one girl. The male would look rather sleepy and tired which contrasted with the upbeat mood of the female. The older and more mature looking females were much more social than the younger females.
My next visit would be where teens are most frequently, school; more specifically, the teens waiting outside in the car rider circle. Even though my subjects would be limited to teens that do not drive, it was certainly an informative location. Outside when teens are free to cluster together wherever they choose, it is nearly always cliques into which they cluster. Near the door, you find the highest concentration of males (freshman and sophomore).
This is one of the louder sections. The males do not necessarily tend to dress similar to each other. They all have their own different style. All of the males seem happy to be with their friends. Another group that takes up the largest are and is the least dense section is the gothic group. This group is entirely composed of females. Most of the females dress in attire that is mostly black. They talk quietly for the most part, but can become extremely loud and noisy at any whim. This group can be broken down further into a lesbian category. This is the subgroup that can break into loud, obnoxious noise.
I say obnoxious because when it happens, members of surrounding groups give them very uninviting looks. Going backwards, beyond the goths and the main male group, you reach what can be called the “average group”. This group is comprised of a few males and many females. They talk quietly, dress in average to stylish attire, and will sometimes venture outside of their group to socialize in other groups. This is the only group I noticed who had members to do this. On the very last part of the spectrum, we find a moderately sized group of females. These females dress very conservatively, are all freshmen, and keep quiet the most of all the groups. Had I been standing next to one of these females I still would not have been able to understand what one of them was saying because they speak in such a low and nearly inaudible tone. It is normal for this group to be picked up first by their rides, usually before members of most other groups.
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I reached my conclusion of this set of observations at a Student Council Meeting. At the meeting, all members (group is diverse; group is split in terms of gender) of a set grade level arrange themselves by grade although this has never been set forth as something we should/must do. It is as if everyone naturally goes through the exact same thinking process. This could prove to be a valid point because the majority of students in Student Council are on an Honors/AP class schedule. The Council convenes in a hierarchical system with the Executive Council on the front row, the Senior Council on the same row, the Junior Council members behind them, the Sophomore Council behind them, and then the Freshman Class in the back. The president of the Executive Council dresses in a rather odd fashion. He has his own sense of style to dress and conduct the meeting. He controls the entire direction of the meeting with the guidance of the two adult teacher supervisors.
Most of the other members in the Council as a whole, dress like your average students, yet each seem to have their own personal “spice” to make them unique. Besides the president there are a few other members who are very active in speaking. Two come mainly from the freshman class, none from the sophomore class, one or perhaps two from the junior class, and two from the senior class excluding the Executive Council President. Few ever speak when not spoken to; there is no audible chatter emanating from within the group. A couple of students take notes of key points that the president brings up. The President does not usually speak in a very confident tone when he brings up a topic. This could likely be corrected with the removal of the teacher supervisors. This meeting proves to be very productive and most students leave chatting about specific points made by different sides of opposing arguments.
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Ability grouping is a widely spread practice used among many educators today. Between-class grouping is by far one of the most commonly used types of ability grouping. "The goal of this grouping is for each class to be made up of students who are homogeneous in standardized intelligence or achievement test scores" (Snowman, Biehler). In this type of grouping, the schools separate their students ...
Many conclusions and generalizations can be made from each of these unique situations. In the lobby it can be inferred that although females travel in moderate to small sized groups, males travel in small to solitary sized groups. The older females also appear to dress much more provocatively. The older females also seem much more upbeat, louder in voice projection, and likely to be traveling in a large group contrastingly to younger females which are completely the opposite. Outside at the school entrance in the afternoon, definitive cliques are formed which usually have borders that are rarely to never breached. These groups are formed mainly on the following characteristics: age, gender, social class. There are many different social classes, though they are not necessarily levels; one group cannot always be compared on a hierarchy scale to another group. This is strikingly contrasted with my third observation group, the Student Council.
The Council should be compiled more like the nation’s Senate; however, the Student Council is compiled in a hierarchical system comparative to that of the Medieval Ages in Europe with the King or President at the head. Each level receives respect based on grade level. When any level attempts to reach beyond its own level, it can expect an abrupt reprimand. The one similarity that can tie all of these observations together is one simple factor: adult supervision. In the lobby whether or not an adult was present dictated the clothes the teen wore. Outside the school entrance the lack of adults allowed teens to gather in their social cliques and talk in a relaxed state. At the meeting for Student Council, the two adult supervisors kept some from stating their opinion and taking a progressive stance to get a new project done. Teens like to think they are independent yet they act too differently with the element of the adult removed for it to be true.
