Ethnography

Library 02/07/2023 10:25-11:10am

Outside TCU Library

It was a humid, damp, and gray morning with a slight breeze. This is the norm in DFW as the weather is unpredictable this time of year. Warm yet coldish at the same time. The library quad between Rees-Jones and the TCU library is a relatively quiet atmosphere that has moderate to extreme foot traffic during the periods in which students are moving between classes but relatively quiet when there classes are in session The library building is of a beige/light peach color palette made of brick and stone that resembles a classic but modern aesthetic. There are ten large rectangular shape columns attached to the building with vertical indents running down them that are spread throughout the exterior of the library in evenly spaced dimensions. (Columns in antiquity represented spaces of great importance or meaning. This is why you see the ancient architecture of Greece and Rome has circular columns on the outside of buildings like the Colosseum, the Parthenon, and the Oracle of Delphi and why we see this design pattern in many government buildings in the USA, such as the White House, the Pentagon, and capitol buildings of States. TCU has a proud heritage and is historically connected to American elites who are educated in a traditional Western mindset. It makes sense why the library, the epicenter of knowledge on campus, would have a modern design of the concept.)

The building across from the library is Rees-Jones hall which has a similar aesthetic to the library. However, there is a difference in the interior of the building, with the center room having a large open space with purple and grey furniture such as cushioned chairs and sofas comprising the mainstay aesthetic in the middle.

Students, faculty, and staff from all walks of life walk through this section of campus. Yet, once the schedule of classes begins, foot traffic is reduced and limited to mostly white female students dressed in athleisure wear. Lean, blonde, or brunette female students make the norm demographic that inhabits this space in between class times. This place is a space of foot traffic and is welcome to all. However, during my brief stay, it was infrequent to see women of color or men of any creed in this space. White female students would sit alone or in groups. Laptops, binders, and notepads were common items on display for everyone to see. I could relatively see that students wore the brand lululemon predominantly based on the insignia on their clothing. Were they actually doing work, or was this a performative gesture? Based on my walking by, the students were on Youtube or online shopping. Lululemon is a relatively pricey brand based on common knowledge. It is safe to assume that the majority of female students were at least middle class. Based on known TCU data, white, middle-class female students are the biggest demographic on campus, and this space certainly highlights that. I will have to pay more attention to this next time.

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Big rectangular-shaped windows with white accents cover the entrance on the Rees-Jones side of the building which is officially known as the East Library. I am unsure if students actually call it that but that is the official name. These large windows allow the outside to view the library with extreme clarity. Before stepping inside, one could see there is a cafe immediately to the right of the entrance filled with predominantly white female students in athleisure wear. There were several tables and seats in that area where students sat down with their school supplies such as laptops, binders, calculators, and notepads. Some were in groups, and others had headphones on while they worked. Few men and individuals of color were in the space.

To the left of the entrance appeared to be a large room where the social norms were different based on the amount of social interaction between students. Laughs, smiles, shoulder shrugs, and pacing back and forth from students were common in that setting. The individuals who dominated that space were white female students dressed in athleisure wear. Using my sociological imagination, that room on the left is a conference-style type room or lounge that permits different/alternative forms of social interaction and engagement from students. (Once again, I noticed the domination of the space by white female students wearing athleisure wear. Why is there so much athleisure wear? Is it really that much more comfortable to wear or is it a status thing? Is it an expensive material/brand that allows for breathability?)

Stepping inside the East Library, the Rees-Jones side, one is immediately met with a mixture of stairs and steps. To the left of the stair/step structure were traditional stairs where students walk up and down but to the right are big block steps with quotes/saying in a variety of knowledge that all referred to the idea that knowledge is power. What is really interesting is that there is such a powerful message to send the idea that knowledge is power and that knowledge is obtained in the library. It makes sense since the library is historically considered the epicenter of knowledge on a college campus. What is interesting is that these giant blocks with the engraved words and lettering are located in one of the noisiest sectors of the library and right next to one of the least important aspects of a library yet appeared to be the most popular, the cafe. A cafe and library could not be at odds anymore. Cafe’s in the United States, are living breathing institutions that highlight capitalism, modernity, and American exceptionalism. Regardless if a cafe is a Starbucks or a left-leaning cafe that promotes organic fair trade coffee, the core American values are the same, just expressed differently.

The cafe area is filled with tables on the sides and two large wooden tables in the center area. There was a line formed with talking and laughing being a norm, things that are generally against traditional library norms. Students were on their laptops but very few were actually working at all. The cafe area was more gender and racially diverse than the opposite side of the first floor but still white and female dominated the space. The Cafe appears to be the quintessential example of the changing college landscape during the neo-liberal era of college life. Cafe’s are a necessity on a college campus as a point of contact and institutionalized practice. The library merely acts as a host for the cafe, students may go to the library “a lot” but its not for the library itself but rather the cafe. The coffee smells, chatter, and purple decor is a

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staple in the space. The totems (physical objects of importance) of the color purpose, TCU logo, and horned frogs do an excellent job at banal nationalism of the imagined community of TCU.

On the other side of the first floor, the opposite corner of the cafe is a large open seating area with a few conference rooms for more applied studying. The area is filled with tables on the sides and couches in the middle. A quick surveillance upon arrival reflected exactly the same as in the cafe area and the outside quad area, the space is dominated by white, female students, dressed in athleisure wear. The exception to this came in two distinct areas. One was the tables immediately to the left of the entrance when walking in, there were three tables back to back and each table had a white male student. They were compact in a tiny portion of the room. In the larger wooden table in front of the conference room, there were two latina female students sitting. (more on this interaction later).

In this space, nearly every student had three things in common, their laptop out, food, and forms of dress. Forms of dress include athleisure wear which was the dominant form of dress and the other is retro which includes ripped jeans, larger hoodie, and either dock marten boots or converse. The food was everywhere. Coffee was on most of the tables and many people had brown bags full of food which I can assume is from the cafe but some had lunch pails as well. It appears that the library, at least the East Library, has been designated as an unofficial area to eat, grab a bite to eat, and snack. The amount of chips out on display with the crinkling of the bag was very apparent. Once again, the notions of food and the noise that comes with is, comes at the price of completely contradicting the space of the library. Victor Turner, would understand this as the anti-structure of structure, which is when institutionalized norms and values that are used and instilled on social actors to behave (providing structure) is actively pushed back and/or altered for brief moments and acts as the temporarily acceptable structured behavior. This behavior of food and being more talkative did not appear to manifest itself in the West Library or in the large study section in the middle. The food can also be an example of boundary making as described by Michelle Lamont, social actors can create and re-create boundaries that best fit ones needs with those boundaries becoming important to how that particular group functions. In this case, new symbolic boundaries were created that allowed food in the library to be a common mainstay. This example also exemplifies cultural shift, how new cultural norms and behaviors emerge with a younger generation.

After being in the area for about 40 minutes, there began to be an increase in noise and foot traffic. Some students entered and some stayed. The time read 10:55, 5 minutes after classes end. The increase in noise and foot traffic represents how time affects how a space operates and changes. If I would have left right when class ended I would not have noticed that there are specific moments of time in which it is acceptable for such a shift in noise and foot traffic. In my mind, the library is normally static and that has been my experience in every college campus I have been to with the exception of finals week where library norms change. Perhaps TCU’s smaller campus how for more dynamic change within the library. In cultural geography, the spatial location is dependent on the temporal location of the cultural context. This means that a specific space is constructed based on time, the meaning of time, and specific time of the specific

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place. At TCU, understanding that it is a small campus and that classes are built into blocks helps understand these shifts.

There were three interactions that happened that highlight the library. Sketch of three white women:

There were three women, all white wearing athleisure wear talking right next to the steps. They were talking in a tone that was above average and making their presence known in the vicinity. Each was holding a bag of food and they were discussing “drama” in the sorority. One female student who was above average height by US standards was wearing a normal sized pink sweater with black lululemon yoga pants and all white shoes. Another was average height wearing a black hoodie, black lululemon yoga pants, and all white shoes. The last, was below average height and was in all black athletic attire with black lululemon yoga pants. The shortest one of the group stood in the middle of the hall, holding her bag of food and speaking in a tone that could be heard by people within the vicinity. She begins to discuss “drama” in the sorority about a fellow sorority sister not “paying her dues” and not showing “respect.” The tone and form of speech could be described by the traditional speech patterns of affluent individuals of the West coast described in mainstream society as a Valley Girl. After a few moments of dominating space, they move to the first table on the left when entering the East Library from the outside. The young lady in the black attire continued to speak, mentioning that the same girl from before did not like her instagram story. The group in unison begins to laugh and freely use the word B****. The group of female students were loud enough to the point that a pair of Latina women through the use of body language such as eye rolls, wrist swirls, and plugging in their headphones were distracted and to a degree annoyed. Once another Latina student arrived they immediately left (more on this below). This specific interaction highlights many key observations in understanding TCU student life and especially how gender and race manifests and performs on campus. The three female students are what is considered to be the norm of TCU, the majority demographic of white, affluent, female students who have a specific form of dress such as athleisure wear and participate in Greek life. It has been stated on multiple occasions but most famously by Khan (2011) in his famous work Privilege. White affluent students, regardless of gender make their presense known by taking up space as the focal point whether this be in class discussion or through their behavior in a physical space such as being loud and standing in a walking path. Their presence is forced to be recognized. These female students inhibited the traditional behavior in other ethnographies and interview studies. Speaking loudly and standing in the middle of walking path without regard to others is a classic sign of privilege. The conversation I overheard on a fellow sorority sister was prefaced on her lack of showing “respect” and “paying her dues” yet was followed by not liking an instagram post. In high school like in college, social media is a powerful social currency which raises the profile of any individual within that space. I do not know why or how the student in question did not show “respect” or “pay her dues” other than not liking an instagram post. However there can be two conclusions from this, 1) it appears to not be that severe objectively speaking. There was no

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mention of infidelity or stealing one’s partner which is a big no no for this age and social demographic and it could not be something criminal enough to speak so nonchalantly about it which means the purpose of speaking ill of this alleged perpetrator of a student was for the simple fact that the status of the girl in all black attire was threatened or not recognized. When social currency is broken in this manner, informal sanctioning such as gossip or the silent treatment is common. Or 2) the reason for the lack of “respect” and “not paying her dues” is solely based on not liking her instagram story means that in the social world of an Elite University where the majority of students are affluent, that social currency is the most important thing regardless of how simple it is and being in a sorority, the social currency is attached with more value and meaning. So the simple act of not liking an instagram post is considered disrespectful. Regardless if it's 1 or 2, what is important to understand is how social hierarchy operates and the performative aspect of gender such as the past time of gossip becomes an integral part of TCU campus life. From a feminist perspective, especially one taken by Susan Birrell, the performative aspect of gossip is a powerful tool in creating social hierarchy among women. Because the United States has a paternalistic cultural tendency, social currency for those outside of the white male gaze rely on social and cultural capital much more. In short, these female students represent one of the many challenges that not just TCU is trying to move away from but all college campuses in that there is a hierarchy among women based on race and class. No female student of color in my 45 minutes of observation took up as much space in the library from being loud, bringing attention in the form of dress, or using their social capital to make it known their social importance.

Sketch of two Latina women: Sitting on the wooden table in front of the conference room, left to the main entrance of

the East Library, were two lighter-skinned Latina students. One Latina had short round framed glasses with long black hair, a grey hoodie, a black jacket, ripped jeans, and a pair of converse, while her friend was also light-skinned with black curly hair, a black hoodie, maroon jacket, grey sweats, and grey running shoes on. They both had their laptops out but neither was using their laptops for work. Instead, the Latina with curly hair was on youtube while eating hot Cheetos, and the other just had it open as she wrote on paper while also eating hot Cheetos and indulging in her iced coffee. They spoke in Spanglish with one another, with the Latina in glasses speaking with the other young lady asking how she takes care of her Pelo Chino (curly hair).

Eventually, the group is joined by another friend, another light-skinned Latina in all black except for her grey zipper sweater, and refers to the Latina with the curly hair as La China (the curly hair one). All three were bothered by how loud the group of three white female students was being loud. These ladies expressed their discomfort through wrist rolling, eyes rolling, and putting on their headphones. The newest member of the group told the group that the three white female students were “annoying gringas” (annoying Americans but when said by more Americanized Latinas, it usually refers to White Americans) with La China responding with “Neta” (similar to the connotation of us Forreals). They got up and left the library.

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The interaction of the Latina students is very interesting in that the space was predominately dominated by White female students yet the one patch of diversity, the students are together. The students are not just Latina, but specifically of Mexican heritage and descent. The use of the word Chino to describe curly hair is uniquely Mexican as it is connected to Mexico’s colonial history along with the slang Neta can only be found among Mexican Spanish speakers. Speaking Spanglish with an accent refers to one of two things, they either moved to the country at a very young age and no longer have extensive ties to the motherland or they are born to the US with Mexican parents and/or grandparents that still speak Spanish. Still, whose skills in the language have not translated for a variety of reasons. Regardless, having an accent in Spanish translates to more Westernization/Anglonization. In the US, hybrid identities among Latino Americans are prevalent. They have a strong history of manifesting itself in highly American spaces where the classic “ni de aqui, ni de alla” (neither here nor there) emerges. Spanglish is the traditional marker. English is only thrown into Spanish to highlight specific characteristics rather than forming a new form of communication that is truly half and half. Individuals who use English at specific points in time are known as Fresas in Mexico but each country has their own word for it. Guayabito in Puerto Rico, Cuico in Chile, Pupi in Colombia, Lais in Argentina, etc… and is connected to Middle and Upperclass individuals. Spanglish does not reflect these notions.

Larger Analysis of contrast between the Latina group and the white female group: Culture is the embedded patterns of behavior, both verbal and non-verbal, that one learns

through socialization that mark an individual as part of a particular social group. For very small groups, we call it idiocultures in which each respective team or friend group has its own culture with specific memories and terminology that allows that group to operate, function, and dictate who is part of their group/team. For smaller groups such as workplaces or institutions, we generally call this organizational/institutional culture which is how institutions and organizations structure themselves to create specific patterns of being to intertwine with organizational/institutional memory that creates a specific work culture. (These definitions are for the class since many of you will not know what culture is or how to define it).

Culture is a system of historically embedded patterns of behavior, common forms of communication (both verbal and non-verbal), understanding of symbols, and shared associations to respective norms, mores, values, and beliefs for a particular socio-cultural group. This is what is called culture in the singular sense. All macro cultures share this. Each macro culture is a socio-political group with its unique forms of being (everything I stated above). That is called culture in the plural sense. Think of each society having its system of way of being like German, Chinese, and Mexican culture.

Culture is the backbone of all national identities. All national identities are the politicization of macro cultures or what we call the imagined community. The observation of varying racial groups in the American identity highlights the racial tensions that still exist in the United States. According to Omi and Winant (1986), racial formation happens because of

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shifting political, social, and cultural contexts within a specific temporal setting. In Latin America, we understand race on a spectrum and not fluid as in the US. In the US, race, not ethnicity, is the primary marker of social categorization. The invisibility and visibility of specific racial formations are most expressed in contexts where dominant groups do not recognize their race yet make everyone else understand it. In this example of the two groups, we see how race operates in a very particular setting. This isn’t politics, a corporate boardroom, law enforcement, or a school board but rather a library that, in theory, is supposed to provide a space of equal opportunity for all TCU students.

However, we see how the library, at least the East Library's first floor, becomes transformed and re-imagined as not a space of higher learning but rather as a lounge or a more casual space and therefore transforming the meanings, behaviors, and norms of that space. The power of invisibility and visibility operates as the group of talking white female students of affluent backgrounds are the norm. They do not risk being bothered to move out of the way, and no one asks them to move out of the way. Nor does anyone ask them to lower their voices when sitting at the table. The invisibility comes from the notion of not having to recognize their specific identity in that space, as they knew no one would tell them otherwise. The visibility comes in when others are forced to recognize them; they do not have to recognize them back. In this case, the Latinas recognize and say “annoying gringas,” but the “annoying gringas” are not forced to recognize them. The Latinas are the oddball out, not dressed in athleisure wear and eating hot Cheetos with the darkest features in the space. Many minority groups feel invisible as their feelings usually are not taken into account. In traditional conflict theory or racial formation theory that involves marginalized groups, their presence disrupts the social quota. They are visible because they stick, but our invisible as they are always a minority in the situation.

Big Takeaway from the observation. The quad outside and the East Library operate as a symbolic boundary for female

students that sent a message that it was primarily their space. It also provides insights into racial dynamics of who primarily found themselves in that location. A highly white space, the few minority students there were visible flustered through the actions of their white counterparts. It highlights the realities of TCU student life, that it is a predominately White space. Athleisure wear operates as a uniform most likely influenced by the taste of the students class background. The library, is a space that operates on time meaning there are certain expected periods of time where the regular mode of being is disrupted. At the East Library, this is when class blocks end. The library unlike the classroom for example, is a space that is visited by people outside the TCU such as parents and prospective students doing tours. The structure of the library is also important to note as it is literally half the old architecture and the newer half is modern.

Things to pay attention for next time: ● Do women continue to dominate the space? ● Inter-gender interaction

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● Inter-racial interaction ● Class dynamics ● A shift in demographic

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