What Goes on in the Matador Bookstore Complex

Joshua Steele

October 8, 2012

English 115

Professor Macklin

What Goes On in the Matador Bookstore Complex

Today, I visited the Matador Bookstore Complex in order to make observations for my ethnography. When I was there, people were eating lunch or a snack. Some of them were eating alone, while others were eating with a friend or group of friends. At one table, a couple was hugging and kissing. At another table, one woman was talking to another woman about the flirtatious texts that a man sent her. Many of the people who were eating were also texting or using their laptops. Those who were not sitting down to eat were eating while walking or were carrying their food with them while it was still packaged. At the Matador Bookstore Complex, there were plenty of people who were just passing by. Some of them were headed to the bookstore, while others walked upstairs or rode up the elevator. Also, some of the people who were passing by were carrying skateboards or scooters. Other people who were passing by were listening to music, texting, talking to another person, or talking on their phone. The bookstore complex is a lively place, which does not work for somebody looking for a quiet place to study. The fact that the bookstore complex is a bad place to study is validated by the fact that the televisions are on. When a person enters or leaves the bookstore complex, they will notice that some people are smoking outside, since smoking in public buildings is illegal. Last but not least, most of the people at the bookstore complex were students.
    While our assigned readings in class give us an idea of what visual analysis is, doing an ethnography allowed me to visually analyze something on my own. One conclusion that I have reached from my ethnography is that plenty of people are more interested in their computers and iPods than each other. Another conclusion that I have reached from my ethnography is that eavesdropping on a nearby conversation without arousing suspicion is not very difficult.