The site I chose for our Activity was a restaurant on the patio for lunch. It was a beautiful day so there were many groups eating and the setting was perfect for spotting different patterns of behavior depending on the group at the table. The site was set up in a large semi-circle where tables where spread out a few feet between them. Waiters walked between tables to talk to their customers and inquire on the status of their meals or to take orders. Their movements were quiet and fluid, going in and out of the restaurant continually bringing food in, retrieving items from tables, bringing checks, while other employees quietly cleared tables that were finished. The entire area was fenced in with an iron fence and landscaping on the other side where there was a grassy hill leading down to a pond. On one end was a gate allowing customers to exit without going through the restaurant again. Patrons were originally seated from inside the restaurant.
Rules I observed were mostly of civilized quiet talk at tables, or sometimes no talk at all. When waiters approached tables they stood 2 feet away politely bending at the waist to inquire about the customer’s needs. Even the sound of a commercial lawn mower in the distance did not increase the volume of those around me. They didn’t appear to strain to talk, but were all at ease in their conversations. Everyone sat mostly across the table from one another, with the exception of two tables of women who sat next to each other, one usually sitting off to the side, appearing very relaxed at this distance. The rest of the tables I observed were of mixed sex, and in each one were sitting directly across from each other. It was clear to me that this environment was, even though outside, an extension of the behavior that was present in the restaurant itself. The same behavior, civilly sitting on chairs, quietly conversing, completely immersed in their world of conversation was the norm here.
Any sudden movements, loud voices, sitting on tables, would have been viewed as odd behavior and immediately noticed in this particular environment. If someone had come in for example, and placed a table and chair in another spot, lets say out the gate onto the side patio, people would have stared, and management may have intervened and stopped them. Or if on this particular day and time someone from inside the bar had come out to eat and they were heavily intoxicated they would have been escorted or sent home perhaps. Public displays of intoxication are not tolerated in an environment where there typically is none. Now, put a few hours on the day, and it’s now 10:00pm and the crowd may be louder, and intoxicated. Why would it be more acceptable for abnormal behavior to occur during evening hours when perhaps half the crowd is just enjoying a meal, while others are coming out to enjoy the evening meal, perhaps a bit louder? What changes are occurring in the evening to make it ok?
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This is interesting because many people seem to think that when the sun goes down, you are allowed to get rowdy and intoxicated. This is not always the case at some restaurants, and in your observation it sounds like this was not the case. I think the earlier crowds of people are there to enjoy an early meal with their families in hopes to get home at a decent hour to go to bed so they can wake up early for work again. The crowds that come in a little later than these families are not on a curfew and don't mind staying out a little later to enjoy some drinks and be a bit louder.
ReplyDeleteThe change in our behavior is definitely related to our social norms. In our society, it is not okay to drink heavily during the day, but it is okay to drink in the late evenings. This probably relates to work ethic. During the day, people are working, and you can't accomplish tasks (at least not well) if you are intoxicated. Therefore people don't drink until the evening. Also, people to come to the restaurant earlier in the day may bring children. People who come late in the evening do not bring children because it is normal in our society to put children to bed early. Our society does not think it is okay to be intoxicated in front of children; therefore, it is only acceptable to be intoxicated later in the evening when no children are around. And of course, drinking increases the amount of abnormal behavior in a place!
ReplyDeleteDepending on the restaurant, the acceptance or non-acceptance of certain behavior may be better tolerated or not. If the restaurant is more upscale, I think better behavior not worse would be expected, regardless of the time of day. If it is more of mid to lower scale restaurant, certain behaviors may be tolerated more. Another factor that comes into play is the type or purpose of establishment. If it’s primarily a restaurant, I think behavior would be similar as in the afternoon. If the establishment is a bar or has an active and accessible bar in it, then I think behavior may change between day and night. Partially because of the alcohol being consumed and partially because some of those types of places encourage outgoing and outlandish behavior. Happy hour, drink specials, contests, etc. all create a celebratory, fun, and outgoing social environment so that they can gain patronage and sell more. Throw in a dance floor and you have a full on party by the end of the night and sometimes, yes, anything goes in regards to behavior. Mind you, I still feel that people are responsible for their behavior and just because someone may create this environment of being more tolerant of behavior, it doesn’t excuse individual responsibility for irresponsible behavior.
ReplyDeleteYour question is good point! I think both morning time and evening time could be louder and it depends on the circumstances. For example, some people who have low blood pressure tend to be more quiet in the morning than evening time. However, Children are energetic in the morning than evening. In the evening, some restaurants become more quiet because there are no children. However, when people start drinking, situation changes 180°. Alcohole makes people's voice louder and they tend to be bad mannered. There is no written rules which says it ok because it is evening. But, we understand this change as a common sence in America.
ReplyDeleteI think that I could be that people are getting done with work and want to just relax and have a drink or two and not have to worry about the next day. I could be that people are coming to get out of there homes and they want to chat with others when they can or before they have to go back home. i think that it could be that the older people that came out for lunch are now leaving and the younger people are coming to have a good time.
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