The purpose of this exercise is to get you out into the real world to think about the social world in a new way and to have you switch your perspective from that of a participant to that of an observer. This will give you the opportunity to make the mundane interesting and become more aware of your sense of self in the social world.
This exercise requires that you go to a relatively busy public space where you have some degree of anonymity (for example, a mall, square, plaza, street corner, park, sidewalk, a waiting room, your front porch) and literally observe your surroundings for 10 minutes. That means just stand or sit there and be unoccupied. Do not wait for someone, take a break, sightsee, or otherwise engage in a normal activity. Also, do not daydream, fantasize, think about the past or the future; do not entertain yourself with plans or internal dialogues. Do not look at your phone, text message, talk on the phone, whistle, hum, fidget, look in your bag, play with your keys, take notes, listen to music, or do anything else that might distract you from just being there and observing your surroundings. Do, however, observe the reactions of others to you, and pay attention to your own thoughts and feelings during these 10 minutes. This assignment is worth 45 points towards your final grade.
Think about the following behaviors you might observe:
Eye contact: Do people avoid making eye contact with you?
Body language: Do people change their posture near you? Do they move away from you? Do they stop to see what you are doing?
Facial expressions: Do people give you a strange look? Do they appear to be confused by your behavior? Suspicious? Amused? Indifferent? What does their facial expression look like and what does it suggest?
Ignoring you: Do people seem to simply ignore you? What about their behavior suggests that they are ignoring you?
Then, answer the following questions in complete sentences (1-3 sentences per question)
Please provide at least one scholarly source to support your answers.
