Allow me to explain this connection. Every time I step foot in the airport, my mind instantly goes wild with all of the opportunities for people-watching. I absolutely love the feel of the airport. Any time one of my friends needs a ride to the airport I jump at the opportunity. There is ample room for the imagination whilst people-watching at the airport: should I sentimentally watch the soldier be reunited with his wife and children? Or would I rather watch the nonchalant business man who can go through security in record time? Perhaps I should keep tabs on the wealthy old lady struggling with her matching set of Louis Vuitton suitcases that weigh 50 each. All of these observations would be prime material for field writing. The airport is a singular place in the way it allows for so many different subcultures to be briefly juxtapositioned together.
Speaking of subcultures, I have recently been pondering the structures and dynamics of subcultures. This fascination preceded from an article I read for my Intro to Sociology class. The article, by Velliquette and Murray, is entitled "The New Tattoo Subculture" and suggests that subcultures are undetectably divided into two groups. The first group is comprised of the people who become a part of a subculture because of self expression. The second group is composed of those who join the subculture merely because they want to be cool by association. Essentially, the two groups are the genuine and the striving. After reading this article I have been attempting to analyze the subcultures surrounding me. This week my field writing notebook would be filled with questions of "Does she really want a tattoo or does she just think it will make her look cool? Does he really like wearing those tight jeans or does he just want to fit in at Belmont?"
I have a sudden urge to do a field writing exercise on the subculture of the scarf-wearing, Bongo-Java-coffee-drinking, skinny-jeans-wearing, guitar-playing Belmont kid.
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