Social Setting Observation Report: Food Courts and Social Interaction

This report presents a social setting observation conducted in three Canadian food courts. The study examines social interactions, roles, and the influence of social structures, drawing upon sociological concepts. The report analyzes how individuals navigate these public spaces, considering factors like social status, impression management (Goffman's theory), and the performance of roles within the food court environment. It explores the dynamics between customers, staff, and the physical layout of the food courts, highlighting patterns of interaction, non-verbal communication, and the impact of social class as observed through clothing, speech, and activities. The conclusion emphasizes that social life, as observed in the food courts, reflects the broader societal systems of inequality and the performance of assigned roles within a structured environment.

Running head: SOCIAL SETTING OBSERVATION
SOCIAL SETTING OBSERVATION
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1SOCIAL SETTING OBSERVATION
Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................2
Discussion:.......................................................................................................................................2
1. Field work.............................................................................................................................2
2. Organizing and describing observation................................................................................3
3. Sociological Discussion........................................................................................................4
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................5

2SOCIAL SETTING OBSERVATION
Introduction:
The basic foundations that lead to the development of organization and group are society,
social structure and social interaction that occur within the framework of like-minded people. It
begins with the social structure where social class plays a primary role, social class represents the
measure of place occupied by a person within a society and then it gives a social status and
prestige. The report aims to discuss the impacts of social status, social roles, social institutions
and organization on social interaction in a social setting of the Canada.
Discussion:
1. Field work
A social setting is a social environment that involves social acts by people, the social
beings, that creates social phenomenon. It is term used by social scientists that refers to any area
of society where social interaction takes place resulting to certain social phenomenon (Goffman,
2017).
For this paper three food courts were visited. Three food courts visited were the village
by the garage, food exchange and assembly chef’s hall. All the three food courts are from
Canada. Food courts have a large open area with tables and chairs priding a space for people to
sit down and eat. They can choose any place they wish. The open space provided allows people
enjoy semi privacy to their dining. The noisy atmosphere, sitting close yet different from other
people makes the interaction semi close yet relatively private. Therefore, the food court is a place
that offers a social atmosphere while they feeling comfortable in their own space.

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There are several roles performed by several people in the setting who are assigned by the person
who is the head of in charge. All the three food courts serving the same purpose represents
almost the same situations and similar roles. Restaurants in the food courts display their menus
and advertisements all around the food courts. Customers walk through spaces and seeing the
displayed menus decide their choice of meals. The staff working in the space performs their job
such as cleaning tables, assisting people with direction, helping with the menus or even playing
some kind of entertainment for the customers (Endsley, 2017).
2. Organizing and describing observation
2. A Social Position
The social position can be defined as a position that influences social status of a person.
The positions that an individual holds decides his status and power in that social setting (Mills,
2018). In the food court, people come from different social positions and hold different social
positions. The workers of the food courts are assigned with different works which decide their
positions. Within the positions there is a division of work that are again assigned to different
staff and that determines their position. According to the marketing policies and the purpose of
the food court the customers are given the highest status in the food court however the real social
positions seem to get involved in it (Weber, 2015). A people ordering more expensive food are
perceived as people with higher social positions and hence treated accordingly. Due to the fact
the food exists within mall, the stores within the malls are often visible from the eating area.
There are big television screens that commonly shows the entertainment programs, brief news
channels or sports that has the capacity of pulling more people in that particular area.
2. B. The Interaction Pattern

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Customer purchases their food, exchange order information with the cashier and the
interaction is cut off when placing order is finished. There are unexpected interactions, exchange
of information such as a sprint employee and his customers, a working staff and customers,
customer leaving table and the customers getting in the same table and many more. Often
information exchanged is non-business as well such as politics, sports and movies. The
exchanges taking place are also not always verbal communication. Non-verbal communications
are most observed behavior in the food courts where one person stand behind other person for
ordering food or giving space for passing by. People sitting alone by themselves watch the
televisions, read magazines or books, use their mobile phones and in rare cases watch other
people. Single people do not have the intention of sparking any new conversation with unknown
people.
3. Sociological Discussion
After the observation of the above activities, the food courts, several factors were
highlighted in the public space. The role performance is the way a person behaves as per his
understanding of his role. In the similar way, a customer in the food court would know that he or
she is in the place to buy food (Fiske, 2018). His only function is to buy food, sit and enjoy his
food, pay the bill and leave. A customer in all the three food courts is found performing the same
role. A customer would not come and begin doing the job of a cashier. Similarly, a cook who is
to perform the function of cooking would do the same function every day until he is given any
other role. Each situation is a new scene where people as per their understanding take up the
roles (Goffman, 2017). The interaction between individuals is also guided by the same roles
(Cooley, 2017). Goffman’s theory of impression management states that people with their
conscious and unconscious process attempt to influence the perception of other people. In the

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food court, each person consciously tries to make the best coice of food within their budget and
the workers tries with their best behavior to attract customers in order to improve their customer
loyalty (Geiser, 2008).
The sad part was to find people performing the exact role they were assigned or they
were taught while they were socialized. The concept of waiter who would require serving the
customer is taught and therefore a waiter is found doing the same thing. It is therefore, that the
theory of Goffman that comes to show that the world is a stage. Every situation is a stage where
each one plays a role and the interaction is based on the concept of the same. Each person says
dialogues that one thinks is best suited as their role (Murray, Linden & Kendall, 2011). Each
person is sited in the place where they think it is meant for that particular character. The status
differences are shown in the way human perform social interactions. The observation in the three
setting showed that social class was identified in those setting with help of clothing, speech,
gestures, friends and activities. The way one person would interact and use the status
differentiation it makes the interaction a phenomenon to observe and understand the perspective
of people.
Conclusion:
Social interaction is based on various factors in society. However, seeing from Goffman’s
perspective, social life is analyzed in terms of drama on the stage. Every person is taught a
certain role directly or indirectly by social institutions. While performing these roles, a person
gets involved in social interactions and in doing the everyday interaction the systems of social
inequality is reflected. In the similar way, in the food courts of the Canada the same behavior is
observed. Each person is performing the role thinking the floors of the mall as the stage and they

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are assigned with characters. Each one wears different clothing and speaks in a way that is most
suitable as per their status and social positions.

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Geiser, S. (2008). Goffman: Rituals of Interaction. In Ed Ksenych and David Liu (Eds.), The
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Goffman, E. (2017). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other
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Goffman, E. (2017). Interaction ritual: Essays in face-to-face behavior. Routledge.
Mills, C. W. (2018). The power elite. In Inequality (pp. 71-86). Routledge.
Murray, J. L., Linden, R., & Kendall, D. E. (2011). Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials.
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Weber, M. (2015). Bureaucracy. In Working in America (pp. 29-34). Routledge.