Courtney Sattler

Com 316

Observation

Observation Paper

Males and females approach life in a different way from one another. According to gender roles on the terminology list that was posted on blackboard, “One’s internal sense of being a man/boy, a woman/girl, both, neither, etc. This internal identity may or may not be expressed outwardly, and may or may not correspond to one’s physical characteristics” (blackboard, word document). Through the three locations I noticed myself observing stereotypical behaviors between the two genders. My first observation took place at Chabad, which is right off campus, on Friday nights. My second observation took place at Starbucks at the Memorial Union (MU). My third observation took place at Barnes & Noble, at Tempe Marketplace. Each location that I observed, they each represented different aspects of gender communication. On Friday nights I attend Chabad, where I go for services and dinner, the location is right off campus. Going for services, females and males are separated by seating on opposite sides of the room of each other. The reason for separating females and males sitting on different sides is because the main focus is on the prayers rather than the opposite of gender. Where I never realized that it was about focusing on the prayers rather than the opposite sex. When we pray in synagogue males and females are experiencing the opportunity to be with your self, to communicate with yourself. Males and females need space from each other to help themselves become in tuned with oneself. My perceptions were not what I had expected because when I was growing up, males and females were able to sit together during services. As a female, it affected how I perceived this type of messages because sitting with other females who I am not familiar with makes me feel uncomfortable. A male on the other hand might have