Observation of Sociological Behavior

This observer of sociological behavior had the opportunity of viewing Goffman's norm of "civil inattention" first-hand over this past five-day period. I carefully kept a log of my people-watching with regard to the following: Date and time of the occurrence of a violation of the norm of civil inattention, my location, the context in which the behavior occurred, what was said/done, and my reaction/feeling.

The timing was perfect for social observation, because I was attempting to find a suitable tenant for the house I am renting. Because I am trying to get out of my lease without being taken to small claims court, and because I am an ethical person (most of the time), I told the owner of the house that I would have an open house this past week, during which time I would collect as many rental applications as possible. I would then forward the applications to the owner, and the selection of another tenant would be up to him. I could walk away from the situation--my bondage to the lease--with a clear conscience and the absence of an eventual small claims court appearance.

The first instance of a violation of the norm of civil inattention occurred when a lady burst into the house during my open hours on Monday, May 8, 1995. She had no shoes. She was disheveled. She was impolite. She defied me to recommend her to the owner. She didn't need to worry about that eventuality. Everyone else who came to the door politely knocked, but not this lady. Even though she bolte

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ing man and his wife, without kids, came by around 7:30. They appeared to be the ideal tenants--no kids, no dogs, no bad habits, etc. I was engaging them in small talk in the living room. I then suggested that they feel free to look around. They asked me some questions about the owner. I answered. They just seemed to stand there for an eternity, looking uneasy. I then again suggested that they feel free to look around. I came to the conclusion, as a result of thinking about this report, that they did not want to violate my personal space. They needed even more encouragement to make themselves at home. Some people open doors and cupboards, and yet others will not even stray through someone else's house without endless encouragement. In this sixth instance of Goffman's principle--people want to behave as mannerly as possible in front of others--the couple could hardly bring themselves to do what, in other circumstances, would be considered snooping. By Thursday, May 11, I felt I had enough applications to send to the owner. Allow me to back up for a moment. Before anyone of the above events transpired, I had sent the owner a letter stating that I would be breaking my lease by the end of May. I listed a number of reas

Category: Psychology - O