Ethnography

PART 1
Usually, I'm at the the local CSUN Chipotle on Reseda and Prairie
every Tuesday and Thursday after 313 class. It's always bursting
at the seems with business and hungry students, and I don't think
I've ever seen the line shorter than 20 people, so this is a
perfect opportunity to get some observations. As soon as I sat
down at a small silver table, I realized that my cover would be
blown because I was the only patron without a two pound burrito
or salad bowl in front of me, so I took my notebook and waited in
the 30 person line.
In front of me, stood two young male professionals, dressed in
casual suits with loosened ties, probably because it's their lunch
break. It's about 1 o'clock and the line is getting longer by the
second; now 35 people and out the side door. Behind me, is an art
student with a large black portfolio and hints of paint on her
jeans. I make eye contact with her, but she immediately looks toward
the food. The two men in front of me start talking about politics.
Both are Democrats and both hate Palin. One comment about Palin
and the familiar looks to recent Emmy award winning Tina Fey,
makes the shorter female customer in front of them look back in
disgust. She's next in line, and probably a republican. I'm third,
behind the bankers in front of me.
Behind the art student behind me is a young couple, about
24 years of age. They look sun burnt and happy to be stuffing
their face with a burrito the size of my arm. Behind them is a guy
with tattoos, staring at the art student behind me. Since I obviously
have a fascination with tattoos, I stare at his collection, hoping
he won't notice my curiosity. After all, people get tattoos to
express themselves, not to hide them. He has a dagger on his arm,
much like the one on my calf, wrapped in a torn ribbon that gives the
birth date and death of a loved one. Above that is a Celtic cross,
illuminated by the sun coming from his shoulder, which looks like
those old school suns you see on grandfather clocks and old medieval
paintings. As I looked beyond the tattooed guy, I got called in with
a "NEXT!" I ordered and payed close to $8.00 for my chicken burrito
with black beans and white rice.
As I looked around, I noticed it was going to be nearly impossible
to find a seat. The diner had become a mob of college students,
some sitting on the floor, and some standing up. I see a seat out
on the patio and sprint outside to grab it. I sit and continue my
notes by observing the few students waiting out in the 100 degree
sun, waiting to merely get inside the air conditioned establishment.
There are 3 males and 1 female, all around the age of 22. Two of
the males are in a conversation about photography, that soon leads
to a conversation about cinematography in film. I scoot a little
closer as this conversation interests me being a ctva film student.
They start talking about the new Cohen brother film, "Burn After
Reading". The shorter, lighter skinned male disagrees and says it's
a remake of "Fargo". He then stresses his disappointment because
of the expectation following last year's "No Country For Old Men".
They both start applauding that film, so I gear my ears to male
and female behind them.
They don't quite look like like the couple from inside the restaurant,
but it definitely looks like there are sparks amidst. They stand only
inches away from each other, but aren't touching. They glance
through the windows of the Chipotle in wonder. This either must be
their first time or they're nervous. I hoped that they were nervous,
or on a first date. It's nice to write about those type of encounters.
I finished my colossal burrito in a few more bites. The two
photo/ctva students go inside the doors. The two love birds make
small talk, as I put on my shades to hide my interest. They talk about
television, probably because the two students in front of them
seemed so enthusiastic, it would be a good conversation started. A
good technique for small talk. They both agree that House and Grey's
Anatomy are the best shows on television, Lost and Heroes are 2nd,
and for some reason, Survivor comes in at third. They laugh about
their choices in prime time T.V. and walk inside the diner. I look at
my watch, and it's almost 2. Time's up.
PART 2
My second part of the ethnography has changed a bit from my WebCT
version now that I can define ethnography as a system of signs and
descriptions to help understand this observation. The Chipotle
diner was indeed a great place for an observation, but it is also
harder to analyze and deconstruct the customers because they are
too similar to myself. Chipotle is a business that appeals to
students, probably because of the amazing food, but also because
they have a liquor license, margaritas and beer close to campus.
This Chipotle is also a social gathering of students who are there
to meet new people, and at the same time fill their bellys. Any
of them could have chosen the empty KFC next door, but the simple
fact that there are more peers in the Chipotle make this diner
more appealing to students like myself.I found it interesting
that when people are standing in line, a social norm is to
create small talk on a common ground such as media or politics
as was the case with the business men, the ctva students and the
love birds I observed. In this situation, language is used as
a diversion to the uncomfortable solitude in a line of 30 people,
like the art student and the tattooed guy, also observing people
much like I was, but unconsciously and without a pen and pad.
Perhaps the art student was looking at me because of my tattoos,
either in a form of curiosity or judgment, trying to define my
personality by how I appear. Barker states "the transformation
of the body through fashion and body decoration has become a
significant aspect of contemporary identity projects" and
through my observations, and my own experience with body
art, I can view the tattooed guy at the end of the line
and realize that although he is expressing himself much
differently than the fashionable art student, they are
both the same, but using "the cultured body" as a means
to describe themselves with words.
Overall, this observation hour gave me a chance to
recognize some of the ways college students use language as
a means to "achieve our purposes" as
Barker states. Though there were many different types of
people in the Chipotle, all of them seemed to be students,
based on correlating conversations, and expectations on how people
wait and react within a line of peers. Language is used not
in a social sense in this situation, but as a protective
device to alleviate the pain of that uncomfortable silence,
surrounded by hundreds of hungry college students.