Peeping Tom

The three places in which I chose to play peeping Tom was the library, grocery store and the recreation center. Just sitting back and evaluating individuals and how they carry themselves was kind of creepy. There are times in which I look or recognize something special or unique about someone but it always came as a surprised to my eyes.

My first place of observation was the Valley Library. I thought this would be an interesting location to observe people based on what the library is typically used for. When I think about library I think studying, reading meeting up with a group for a particular project. I figured since people were going to the library for the reason stated previous it really didn’t matter what people wore. In fact I had no idea it would be a fashion show. As I sat in the reading area pretending to read, I noticed that the library was indeed a resting or meeting place amongst friends before class. In other words it was a pit stop. There was plenty of diversity in what was being worn by individuals. Manly, shorts and summer clothing because the sun was out and it was nice out. Even the summer clothing differed, some guys wore cargo shorts, some wore basketball shorts and others wore jean shorts. The females were either in shorts or mini skirts with flip flops of some sort. It seemed as if everyone was happy and in a joyful mood during this period of the day.

Things were quite different later on at night in the library. Although it was the same place, it seemed as if the focus had shifted. Individuals came into the library in clothing’s that were comfortable, not really caring how they looked. The dress was sweatpants, shorts and sweatshirt for both male and female. The interaction amongst individuals also changed. It wasn’t a joyful mood; it was more of a dreading mood. It seems as if they were now forced to be in the library.

My next location of observation was the grocery store. This was an easy evaluation given that everyone individual I saw was a college student and dressed up in some sort of beaver athletic attire. I don’t recall anyone outside the workers wearing jeans in the store. It seem as if everyone was in there own zone in terms of reacting to one another. People were there for their own personal purpose which led to little interaction if any. As I walked ale to ale I observed individuals looking at their list and getting their necessary products and avoiding others at the same time.

I have no clue why I chose Dixon but I thought it would be interesting to see how people react differently to the way others dress. My first observation started on the lower level basketball courts. This was the perfect setting for this assignment. Individuals typically chose teams based on the type of gear someone is wearing. It happens all the time and it is hilarious that people are judged based on they present themselves instead of their actual skill. There was an older gentlemen waiting on the sidelines in cut jean shorts and some old Nikes tennis shoes. The man was waiting to play for several games, yet he continued to get passed up on by the younger students because of his attire. When the older man got his chance to play he amazed everyone. Long story short, the man could flat out play ball and he couldn’t even get a look or conversation with others because of the way he was dressed.

I think how an individual is dress truly dictates how much interaction he/she receives. People react differently to different people based on the way individuals are dressed. The example of my experience in Dixon was a prime example. As far as the grocery store, it was more about actually accomplishing something rather than presenting themselves. So I couldn’t really draw any conclusions on the level of reactions an individual received. The library was a different story; it was a fashion show by day and cram session by night. People were dressed to impress earlier in the day but as the day wore on the wardrobe of individuals became restless and semi- pajamas. I think different environments require different dress.