Ethnography Results, Week 4

Paola Garza

February 22^th, 2011 (Tuesday)

5:00 – 7:00

·         Reading: 1

·         Computers: 12 (5 M 7 P)

·         Headphones on: 5

·         Studying (with studying materials w/wo computers): 4

·         Visiting: 3 groups

·         Alone  (I could see from where I was sitting, including me): 9

·         Two or more  (I could see from where I was sitting): 7 groups

·         People that came in and left while I was here: 1

·         People that were before I came in and left while I was here:  7

·         At the coffee shop with no signs of consuming any products: 8

·         Spotted using their phone at least one: 5

·         Guys: 10

·         Girls: 15

·         Entering through the back door: 13

5:00pm – 12

5:30pm – 16

6:00pm – 9

6:30pm – 14

7:00pm –15

My Location:

When I first got there, there was a lot of people. I tried finding a seat in the two spaces I haven't yet experienced, but since they are smaller (much smaller) there were no open sits. I sat in the Big Living Room space. I suppose it is a good location in order to compare and contrast with my experience last week, since it was the same space, same time, same day in the week.

The Employees:

Each time I have gone, I haven't been able to recognize the employees that I have seen before. The guy who took my order seemed really nice. This was the first time they asked me if I wanted my java shake to go or to stay there. I just said for there, but I did not expect to get a glass, I thought I would get a plastic cup like the previous weeks. After one hour or so one of the employees was going to drop dirty cups and plates to the back, and he picked up my glass on his way (he asked if I was finished it before taking it).

The Customers:

Regulars: There was one guy sitting alone, with headphones on, and some writing materials on the table… I think he was there last week when I came in (same day, same time).

Visiting: When I first got there, there were three couples of girls just taking. Two of them were sitting at the sofas and one at the bar. Since last week I was able to notice that students or patrons in general who are not there to study are more likely to sit in a couch than in a table and carry on with the conversations. However, I have not yet observed the opposite correlation (having visiting patrons sit in tables, at least in this room). There are students who are there to study and do sit in the couches, but not as many. By around 6:30pm all of the people who were just visiting had left, only one of the groups was still there, a guy had joined the girls, so maybe new conversation came up and that's the reason they stayed longer!


Study Time: From 5:00pm to around 5:30pm, majority of the people were just visiting, but a bit after 5:30 it started to get quiet, and more individual students started to show up and occupy the tables with their computers and study materials. This could be observed by the amount of computers, and technology overall, present in the room. When I got there, there were only about two or three computers, from people that seemed to be studying already. During the time I was there, it majority of people who got after me were alone, with computer, headphones and study materials (occupying tables).

Visiting, Studying, Neither or Both: Majority of the people who were getting there seemed to know the purpose of their visit, however I did observe this one girl who sat at one of the sofas and seemed to be doing nothing. After a while she went and got some food. She finished, then doing nothing, then studying with only flashcards in her hands. It gave me the impression that she was waiting for someone but she was there for around an hour.

Study Groups: Just like last week, the vast majority of students present in this room were either alone or in couples. However, there was one group of three students who were there before I got there, and still there when I left. They seemed to be pretty quiet, each one of them with their computers and study materials out. Not much conversation between them.

Guys v. Girls: For most of the time I was there, majority of the patrons were girls, two or three guys at a time. Towards the end of my stay, I noticed more guys coming in alone with study materials than girl though. At least in this room, it seems that guy's rather be on their own than with more people. The opposite for girls.


Entering through the back door: On the two hours that I was there, 13 people came in through the back door, even though it clearly instructs to enter through the main door. All college students. I would like to observe if the older patrons are, the best they follow instructions.