Sociology -- Observational Case Study Term Paper

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Customers entered the establishment carrying shoulder bags and computer notebook bags and proceeded directly to the counter to make purchases. The vast majority of customers arrived alone and most of them left the establishment shortly after receiving their purchases. The customers who opted to take seats did not make any eye contact with other customers and proceeded to use their cell phones or notebook computers (apparently) to send text messages and emails. Some of them took out folders or paperwork from their bags and appeared to check through them. The observer also noted that all of the customers who occupied seats checked their watches fairly frequently; in many cases, they first glanced up at the clock on the wall before checking their own watches immediately afterwards.

On the basis of these observations, the observer concluded that the vast majority of the Starbucks Customers frequenting the establishment on the occasion of this observation were on their way to work or to school. Consequently, they had little interest in or time to concern themselves with other customers. None of the subjects observed on this occasion stayed seated for more than 15 minutes. Two subjects opened up news papers but appeared only to glance at headlines and scan a few pages rather than actually reading them. No customers brought a book to read and not a single customer took any time to look at any of the items displayed for sale in the customer seating area.

Observation Number 2: Saturday, February 11, 2012 from 2:30 -- 3:30 PM

The observer arrived at the observation site at 2:25 PM and again made a purchase to enable her to sit in the customer seating area. She took up the same position at the same small perimeter table used for the first observation and again situated herself in front of an open book in a manner that allowed her to pretend to read while actually observing other customers closely and without drawing unwanted attention to herself.

The observer immediately noted a marked change in the pace of things compared with the previous observation.

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More than half the tables were already occupied when she arrived and four subjects were apparently taking their time reading books and newspapers and they appeared to have been seated for more than a few minutes from the way that their belongings were arranged. The observer also noted that whereas none of the customers seemed to notice one another in the first observation, this time, it seemed that all of the customers did, at one point or another (and sometimes, multiple times), specifically did take note of other customers by looking at them briefly and discretely, always breaking eye contact if the other person looked up at the same time. In combination, this was an "aha" moment that suggested to the observer that on Monday mornings, most Starbucks customers are only interested in getting their morning coffee or breakfast on the way to work or school. Conversely, most customers on Saturday afternoon come in to relax.

Whereas only individuals entered the establishment on Monday morning, that was not the case on Saturday afternoon. The observer counted nine different groups of two or more customers arriving together and sitting at the same table. Perhaps the most interesting occurrence from a sociological perspective was when a group of four entered the seating area and noticed that the only table large enough for their group was occupied by one person sitting alone in the middle chair of the six-chair table. As they approached the table, they stood for a moment without speaking but they were all looking at the person sitting down. When he noticed them, he first ignored them, but they continued standing there. He looked up again and asked if they wanted to sit together. Two of them answered at the same time and indicated that they would appreciate it if he moved over to allow them to sit together. While all of the interactions between the group and the lone individual seemed polite, the observer noted obvious signs of annoyance that….....

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