Cultural Observation Project:
Assessment Paper
Assignment
Name: Rylie Hineman
Location of Observation: High School Volleyball Game
YOUT 201-Section # B02
Observation:
For my observation, I chose to view our first high school volleyball tournament. The
reason I chose this sight to view was because there are copious amounts of differing social groups
ranging all age groups. Home games from any sports are the highlight of my small town, bringing
everyone together. It does not matter if the people attending are related in any way to the athletes,
or if they even know their first names, but the support for the home team is
immense. Looking at the youth aspect, I would say there are 3-4 defined groups that was able to
identify. For this, I chose not to use the student athletes as an identified group. My reason behind
this was that those athletes were in a position where they had one goal, and that who they were at
that point might not be a fulfillment of the correct social group.
When I first walked into the recreation center, I immediately noticed that there was
populous of what I would define as “outcast” groups. By this, I mean, the groups of students that
were at the volleyball game for every other reason than the game itself. They were huddled in odd
places, like back hallways, stairwells, and bathrooms, which led me to think about what social
aspects inclined them to feel as though they needed to be there at the game.
When I made it into the gym, my attention was grasped by what I would define as the
support group, meaning the band students, the student section, and the cheerleaders. I observed
them as high-energy, sort of ride-or-die youth that give everything they have to keep the team and
crowd uplifted. I also noticed that there is a sense of communication necessary for the two groups
to function successfully. There was a communication needed for the songs being played so that
the correct cheer could be done, but also there had to be communication to the band group for the
best performance chances possible. The student section is a conglomerate mix of athletes that get
the night off, and typically what I would define the “it” group. I came to this conclusion
by seeing the interaction that took place in the group, which was a lot of verbal interaction
between everyone in the group, and typically a personal interaction with the athletes on the court.
Another area where I saw a different in youth interactions were those that sat with family
or parents. From my small-town experience, I could tell that these were typically the siblings of
the athletes, which to me brings up an interesting aspect of social dynamic that would involve the
family as well. This was typically a sibling support system, which I could tell was different from
the student section. The difference was noticeable because there was that personal sibling and
parent/child relationship. I could see that there were nicknames and often a lot of conversation
discussing how the athlete would perform and whether it was a good or bad game, and the
personal things that affect them.
I find that observing these things made me a lot more perceptive to the different type of
social interactions that can exist for the youth in one place. Not only that, but how there is so
much separation between these different groups. The closest that I observed these groups getting
to a unified point was the line leading to the snack bar.
Response:
I had a lot of different feelings as I reflected on the observations that I had made
throughout the night at the volleyball game. With me working in youth ministry, and having the
largest group in the town, I was surprised to have students in every social group that I had
mentioned previously. This, of course, made my observations very personal, and I realized that
knowing the students position with Christ correlated with the social group they relied on. Also, in
my conclusion of the “observation” part of this essay, I found myself painfully longing for the
youth to come together. It was interesting to witness that within the school, the social separation
defines who the students are, what they do, or who their family is. In the church, I can see that
there is separation when it comes to people they know, but the church thrives on unity for the
body of Christ, hopefully not totally forced.
Starting with the “outcast” group, I will admit cheesily, that these were the youth that
tend to find trouble, and in the youth setting they are the ones that tend to pour their souls out.
They are the students that ask me if I can make it to their activities or if I’ll be at a town event,
which may sound like I’m blowing my own horn, and I don’t mean to. I recently had a revelation
that tore my heart out of my chest when it came to the importance of my presence to the youth
outside of the church walls. The students that spend their time at the games are intentionally
trying to stay away from home.
Next would be what I previous labeled, “support group” and this was the group I related
to the most, and most of the youth in this area noted that. Before transferring to Liberty, I was a
music major at the University of Wyoming, when I came back home, I am now frequently asked
to be involved in anything musical happening in the school. Knowing the band director at the
high school, I knew that the band has its own developed sense of unity and passion, which works
favorably when putting those students in the church.
I am going to separate the student section because it was the most perplexing part of this entire
assignment. As I said before, the student section, was a combination of the “it” crowd. These
students are the ones that I often cannot ever get in the church, and unfortunately find themselves
in the middle of small-town gossip. I have trouble finding ways to connect with these students,
they are so entwined in the world that it seems hopeless to try and get them to hear the Gospel. I
would say that there has to be some psychological aspects for the students and their social need
for worldly identity, and from the readings this week and the past weeks I am learning that that is
very true. I hope that learning how to get through to these types of students come with age, and
also that their teachers and peers give them grace when they fall short, will come with age. As
much as I want to grab them and make them understand the overwhelming love of God, I also
remember that it is not my plan, but His.
Lastly was my interaction with the youth oriented with family in the bleachers. I felt as though
this could only be defined as the most stable settings. Although I personally hold the idea that
sports can be idolized in family settings, that was not what I was witnessing at the time I was
visiting the game. What I notice was a healthy, and caring interaction, in which focus was on the
athlete, but that did not diminish any family interactions. This puts me in an interesting position
because it gives me the chance to interact with the parents of youth that attend the youth group
and not our church. Although this paper does relate directly to the kids, I feel like having this
outward connection with parents is also important when connecting with the students!
Integrity Statement:
I, Rylie Hineman, went to Douglas High School on September 8th, by myself and have followed all
the necessary instructions.
