TU Restaurants Serving Different People Daily Discussion Responses

Provide at least two secondary responses to your classmates for the discussion by answering the following questions. 

• Have you experienced any of the observed social norms in your own life? Please explain.
• What did you find most interesting or striking about the observed social norms you reviewed?
• Based on the social norms you reviewed, do you believe that social change is warranted? Why or why not?

Thierry: 

1. During your observation, take descriptive and reflective notes of your encounters, observations, and experiences and upload them within the table, which contains an example.

2. Based on this exercise, what organization in your community did you choose, and discuss why you made this selection?
Based on this exercise, I chose to go to the mall where you can get food from a variety of places and a variety of options. I chose to do this exercise at the local mall because it provides a diverse and dynamic environment in which social norms and behaviors are easily observed. I made this selection because the mall and restaurants attract people of all ages and backgrounds, including families, kids, couples, and individuals and ethnicities. This diversity provides a good opportunity to look at how different social groups interact and behave in public.

3. Explain whether you observed the social norms of individuals and/or groups and discuss why you made this decision.
During my visit, I observed individual as well as group social norms. This decision was made because it allowed me to get an in-depth understanding of how social norms function in diverse scenarios inside the mall environment.

4. Explain some of the social norms you observed and discuss what you found most interesting and why.
Many social norms that were both expected and new and interesting were discovered during my observation at the local mall. People holding doors open for others was a common social norm I observed, especially at entrances and exits. This behavior showed kindness and respect for other shoppers in the mall. What interested me the most was the consistency of this norm across different individuals. This was observed by the majority of people, regardless of age or gender, showing that it is a generally accepted and expected behavior in public places. Also, a lot of people, especially those dining alone, had been absorbed in their phones. The amount of people who were focused on their digital worlds, typically to the point of not seeing their immediate surroundings, surprised me. It raised concerns about how technology affects social interactions and human experiences.

5. Based on the social norms you observed, were they what you would expect to see? Do you believe your implicit bias had any influence on how you perceive your observed social norms? Discuss why or why not?
The social norms I observed in the local mall were mostly in line with what I would expect to see in a public, diverse setting. Many communities recognize and follow these principles, such as holding doors, forming organized lineups, and respecting personal space. They reflect behaviors linked with respect, care for others, and maintaining public order. As a result, the observed social norms were in line with my overall predictions for a mall setting.

Amanda:

 For this activity, I chose to observe the restaurant I work at while I was off. I was actually really excited to do this because I tell my coworkers all the time how I wish others could just see what servers go through while dealing with different kinds of customers. From a server perspective, people can be just so mean and it is just so uncalled for in a restaurant especially. I am also from Detroit and serve when I am home and the difference between customers is pretty crazy. At home you get the fair share of unusually unpleasant people but it really doesn’t compare to the Tiffin crowd. I have never been treated like I am just a servant as much as this happens here. One of the biggest norms I noticed while observing was simple kindness and mannerism. Simply saying please, thank you, or a smile. Most people were pleasant and thanked the server while others just stared or disregarded the server. Another thing I noticed is if the server had people in the front but was preoccupied she would let them know she’d be with them in just a moment. Some people understood and were patient while others would seat themselves or look annoyed. I think a lot of people from here especially don’t have regard for servers or people in the service industry. Not only do some people treat employees badly but other patrons too. Simple disregard for others in a public place. For example, having a movie going on full volume in an echoing dining room, keeping screaming children inside and letting them run around, and as childish as cutting the line to pay the bill. Because I have been a server for so long, I do think I have some sort of implicit bias to give the benefit of the doubt to the server that most would not give (National Institute of Health, 2022). With that being said, if the server is indeed in the wrong, I would address that as well. Just like when one of the hosts came up and just said “follow me” with no hi, hello, or any formal greeting. Overall, I really enjoyed doing this activity and being able to share my thoughts and observations.