This past weekend, my team traveled to California for a wrestling match. In order to get there we had two separate flights, each a couple of hours long, which gave me ample time to observe the various people on the plane. I spent a good deal of time watching and thinking about the norms of airport and airplane behavior, both written, codified rules and informal rules that nearly everyone follows. These venues prove as very interesting locations to observe people, as it involves groups of strangers enclosed in a small area for extended periods of time. Airport behavior is something that is learned through experience. First-time fliers observe others in order to ensure that they are going to the right places at the right time and doing the actions deemed acceptable by society as a whole within the confines of the plane or airport.
Airlines are institutions that have their own unique set of rules outside of “normal society.” These rules and norms of airport and airplane behavior are socially constructed as behaviors that are often seen as acceptable outside of these specific institutions may be frowned upon or illegal within the confines of air travel. This social construction is a product of social interaction, between the many employees and consumers at the airport, with the airport having the goal to transport their customers from one place to another as quickly and safely as possible. This goal requires that the airport effectively does its job and that the passengers play their own part in following the rules set forth. People are expected to act in accordance to the airport norms, or else will be potentially faced with punishment. An example of this could be saying the word bomb. In everyday life this is not a big deal, however...
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...ne whether or not there were differences in behaviors, as one group would be socialized by experienced fliers while the other would have to figure it out on their own. It is likely that the rookie fliers in the mixed group would act more closely to the accepted norms than the group comprised of only first time fliers.
In all, airplanes provide a unique situation that shows how the social construction of reality is situation dependent, in the sense that stepping into an airport means that you are now following a new set of rules and norms that dictate acceptable behavior. Because of this fact, it would be interesting to look at how people are socialized to this situation. This goes to prove how far one’s sociological imagination can spread, as nearly any normal activity involving groups of people, large or small, can give huge insights into the culture as a whole.
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011 prompted the world to reevaluate and drastically modify airport and airline security. “Four targets had been chosen, all iconic American buildings that would send a clear message of the depth of their hatred for the United States. All four planes crashed, killing all on board—terrorists, crew members, and passengers, along with hundreds who were killed inside the structures, on the ground, and the men and women who ran into collapsing buildings in an effort to try and save others” (Smutz 1). As Jason Villemez said “the decade after the 9/11 attacks reshaped many facets of life in America” (Villemez 1). Before the attacks, people did not think that large scale hostility towards innocent people in our country was remotely possible. Ever since that fateful moment, citizens in America are on their toes every day worrying about another attack happening. United States citizens have had to adapt and change in response to this fear of further terrorist assault on our country. One of the ways they have adapted is by changing their means of security concerning airline travel.
The American Behavioral Scientist, 44(12), 2252-2268. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/214769221?accountid=45049. Gray, M. (2014). The 'Standard'. The L.A. riots: 15 years after Rodney King.
“What time should we leave? Two hours in advance? Three? Four?” Millions of people ask these questions each year before boarding a plane. Between driving, security, walking to the gate, and getting settled, boarding a plane exhausts travelers. But out of all of these different activities, one frustrates and restrains travelers the most: TSA security. People ask why they need all this security, complain about the inconvenience it causes, and ultimately annoys people to no end. Created after 9/11, Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, nationalized airport security, increased screening duration, and supposedly increases security on flights. However, statistics say these added security measures never come to fruition and potentially cost more lives than they save.
It is fascinating to observe social interactions in a large place. More importantly, analyzing how people interact on grounds of social stratification, power, wealth, prestige, ascribed status, and achieved status. Last weekend, I visited Boston Common Park to purposely observe how people are interacting with one another. I was equipped with a notebook to jot down some important observations in light of the aforementioned elements of social interaction. My interest was drawn towards a wedding being officiated at this venue with people coming from diverse backgrounds being present at the venue. This event provided the perfect scene for identifying various ethnographic phenomena.
Elias, Bartholomew. "Aviation Security: Outlook." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 2 May 2014.
Southwest's philosophy of "Service for Smiles and Profits" encourages employees to treat customer service as the most important aspect of their job. It appears that when employees strive for this high level of service, the rest takes care of itself and success is inevitable (Amanor-Boadu, 2007). Southwest Airline's management structure is designed to carefully direct the activities of employees while still maintaining the spirit of "fun" that is the cornerstone of the airlines' customer service success (Lancaster, 1999). The fundamental concept of management at Southwest is the notion of a "loose-tight" design. Within the context of tight rules of conduct, employees are encouraged to take a wide degree of leeway. For example, the company encourages employees to make their own customer service decisions. Employees are encouraged to try new things, knowing that they will not be punished for innovation as long as they do not violate safety standards, endanger crew or passengers, or keep a plane from taking off or landing on time; this allowed not only to increase the speed of service but it allowed to increase the quality of it too.
After I observed four different boarding lines, I soon realized how impatient our society reacts to situations. As soon as the airline attendants announced the boarding for a certain flight, it seemed as if everybody rushed to the...
Prior to 9/11, there was little to no security in the airport. One could simply check in and walk to straight to their gate. Shortly after, security took rise across the country and noticeably in airports. Now, one must wait in line, take off their shoes, jackets, liquids, and get screened for metals. While some view this as an inconvenience, others perceive this as a completely necessary aspect to one's travels. In this instance, one's freedom is significantly limited but, in turn, a greater level of safety is provided. This situation is perceived differently by everyone and depending on one’s outlook, can be a good or bad aspect to
The main opportunities that the scheduled air transportation will have in the next five years are the possible decrease of TSA agents at airports, technology increasing the safety and comfort of the flights for the passengers and ...
... Thus, there are strict boundaries that exist regarding personal space when a culture itself is strict in its views. Strict or relaxed, all human beings are part of the human race, the largest “community” consisting of every culture and every country. And in this human race, individuals thrive on interaction with others. However, this interaction is affected by one’s experiences in a community.
Rogers, Anissa. Human behavior in the social environment. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2010. Print.
The Presence Of Others: Voices That Call For A Response. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. (112-123).
The heart begins racing the moment the car pulls into the airport parking lot. The smell of jet fuel, automobile exhaust, and hot tarmac combine to assault the senses with images of exotic escapes and the kind of freedom that can only come from airports. I feel the thrum of the engines at takeoff and the vibration of the plane during the flight in my skin. I see people listening to MP3s and playing video games. I hear the couple behind me chatting about the weather in Florida and the possibility of rain. I recognize the smell of fading perfume that women are wearing. Chanel, Windsong and White Diamonds clash with the smell of popcorn and Quizno sandwiches.
Your first decision when running your airline was to choose the sector it operated in — discount, normal or luxury. Therefore, you had to segment the market. How did you do this? As the simulation progressed, did you change your market segmentation? Why? In your judgement, did you segment the market successfully? Why? If not, why not?
“Flight 208 to Los Angeles is now boarding. Section N you may now take your seats”. You looked down at your carry-on bag to make sure you have everything packed up, even though you took nothing out, and headed toward the flight attendant and handed her your ticket. As your walking through the tunnel, the sound of the planes jets put just enough pressure on your body, causing your pulse to increase. “Why are you nervous, you been on planes before”, you ask yourself. You shake your head and start to inhale and before you could finish getting your lungs to the maximum capacity they could hold, a man wearing a white shirt twice his size and jeans that also seemed