Micro Gaps

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Observing the going on in a busy university cafeteria over a series of different occasions provided me with some greater insight as to how the space is multi-functional in nature, that is, while the primary intended purpose of the space is a dining area, it also functions as a study space and a social gathering and meeting space. It is a focal point of the university campus and acts as a hub of activity, a common space, where a great deal of interaction and mobility takes place.
While our university community is a relatively small one, and we all share the common denominator of being part of the Trent community, we are still, for the most part, strangers to one another. As such, when we are in common areas, like the cafeteria with lots …show more content…

293) the spaces between automobile in lines, the same principle can be applied to people waiting in line at Tim Horton’s or Otonabee cafeteria. The size of these micro-gaps between individuals in line seem to vary depending on whether people have backpacks on etc. From my observation the actual space between individuals did not change much, about 18 inches to 2 feet or so, however, that meant that people stood quite close to the backpack in front of them, within 6 inches when in line, and stood approximately the same space behind them even if they were not wearing a backpack. I believe that this is linked to our concept of personal space and personal comfort zones, and thus the actual person’s physical body is the reference point for creating space between individuals regardless of whether they are wearing a backpack or not. The micro gaps, at times would experience a short lag in which the gap would grow, if, for instance, an individual in line, so focused on civil inattention or avoidance behaviour such as looking at their cell phone they took a moment to realize the line had moved forward and would thus “rush” ahead quickly to close the …show more content…

While the vast majority of cafeteria users, collected their plates and garbage and cleaned up after themselves, this was not always the case, and some individuals just ate, got up and left, leaving their garbage on the table. Thankfully, the cafeteria has people who periodically check the area, and clean up the messes left behind by others. How individuals interact with the objects around them has a lot to do with habitus and learned behaviour. This as Johnson points outs, is where, “Either to discipline the people or to substitute for the unreliable people another delegated human character” (1988, p. 300). While Johnson was referring to opening and closing a door, this can easily be applied to the concept of cleaning up after yourself in a public space such as the cafeteria.
Regardless of the time of day I observed the cafeteria space, individuals and groups tended to sit at the ends of the tables if at all possible, which could be due to a couple of factors. The first and easiest to explain would be the ease to get in and out of these seats, while having to deal with the fewest number of obstacles. The second reason might have to do with respecting and allowing for as much personal space between people in this public

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