Assignment 1
Looking Prohibition: Elevators
Nowhere is it explicitly stated that we should not look at one another when in an elevator. However, it is a social norm in American society that doing so is an intrusion of space and thus it is prohibited to look at each at another while in an elevator. Yet, as we’ve learned in class, staring is basic human instinct; so, it is bound to happen at least a little bit in an elevator. For my research, I went to UC Medical Center and also rode the elevators around campus, though those experience less traffic. I was interested in how the starer reacts when he/she is caught breaking the other’s privacy.
(I ride the elevator in my parking garage to avoid the creepy stairs, though most times I am alone.)
While riding the elevators, I interacted with all different types of people. There were times the elevator was full, and others it was just me and one other person. In Staring: How We Look, Garland-Thomson makes the claim that staring makes things happen. This is especially evident in an elevator. What was most interesting to me was what happened when someone was caught staring. Personal space varies between person to person, but there is something about staring that instantly invades that zone of physical comfort. Since an elevator is already such a confined area, breaking that personal bubble can feel even more intrusive and threatening. If someone was caught staring, more often than not they would try to diffuse the situation with a verbal interaction. On one particular ride, the car emptied on a floor and all that was left was me and one other man. Trying my best not to stare but also study how he was not staring, I kept making quick side glances over at him. At one point, I looked over and caught him staring at me. The once just awkward ride had quickly transformed into something more tense. Despite being aware of my own research and how harmless staring typically was, I felt myself tense up. However, I felt the tension diffuse when he asked me how my day was going.. His nonthreatening attempt make small talk cleared the air and the last few moments on the elevator passed without any more events. This happened a few times over the course of my research. I would catch someone looking at me or someone would catch me looking at them and a few words would be exchanged. If no words were exchanged, at least a few awkward smiles would be shared. I found that smiling was the “opposite of staring as a display of dominance” (Garland-Thomson 41). Smiling from the starer confirmed to the staree that there was no intended assertion of dominance, just a curiosity. Sometimes though if someone was caught, they would quickly look away at something else. One woman began an extensive search for something in purse that I’m not sure she ever found.
(Sometimes while at UC Medical Center, I would be ont he elevator alone for a few floors. This selfie documents that such event.)
Again, the tight space of an elevator is what makes staring so intrusive. But also, since that space puts you so close to a stranger you almost have to stare. In relation to Segal’s discussion, people on the elevator are using their personal typifications to assess whether it is safe to be sharing such a small space with a certain stranger; especially at the hospital. I watched strangers start to shrink into themselves as the elevators started to fill up. Depending who was entering the car, people practically inserted themselves into the walls. This was not the case when I entered an elevator, however. Most do not have negative typifications of young, white girls, so most just shifted over so I could insert my own space into the car. I imagine if I was a different race or even a different gender, people would have reacted differently when I entered or exited an elevator. Despite my nonthreatening demeanor, people still wanted to have their personal space respected. One woman immediately moved to the other side of the elevator once it emptied, even though she was off on the next floor. I don’t blame her though, I did not want to be close to her if I did not have to, either While riding the elevator in the hospital parking garage, I witnessed a man enter the car and stand right next to the other man who was already on. The newcomer did not look up from his phone and planted himself right in front of the door, even though he had pressed a lower floor and we were already going up. I found this interesting because even though we do not want to be stared at, we want to be seen and have our space acknowledged. The other man was physically uncomfortable, and I could tell we shared the same thoughts that the newcomer was rude for standing where he was. Another interesting thing happened on this short elevator ride; the man looked over the newcomer’s shoulder to read his phone. It is almost like since the newcomer broke the man’s space, he did not deserve the same respect. On all the elevator rides I had been an observer, this was the first and only time for something like this to happen. Most are considerate of each other’s space. Groups that entered the elevators even whispered to each other rather than talking normally. They also scrunched themselves closer than they probably needed to, almost as if they were aware of the extra space they were taking up and wanted to conform into one. Those who were alone clung to the outer walls; one man pretty much faced the corner the entire time.
(The buttons seem to be very interesting reading material when on the elevator with a stranger http://www.gettyimages.com/license/172341378)
Finding five people to talk to was a challenge for me. After enduring an awkward elevator ride, I did not want to pull them aside and create even more awkward interactions. What worked best for me was to insert my questions after someone had already initiated small talk with me. This was not as hard as I thought it would be, as I found those who started the conversation were happy to answer my awkward questions. After explaining the premise of my research as studying how strangers interacted on elevators, I asked how they felt when they made eye contact with another on an elevator. Most admitted to feeling some increase of awkwardness, like they were caught doing something wrong. One even said he felt as if he had to acknowledge the eye contact and start some form of small talk. A few admitted to staring at their phone even if there was nothing on it to look at, anything was better than staring at the other people in the car. They wanted to avoid that interaction that staring creates; whether it be a smile or small talk it created a small sense of anxiety or dread. After doing this research project, I don’t think I’ll be able to ride an elevator the same again. I will always be thinking about how the other people fill their spaces and how they perceive mine.
References
Garland-Thomson, R. (2009). Staring: how we look. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Manley099. (n.d.). elevator buttons. Retrieved from http://www.gettyimages.com/license/172341378
Segal (1999) Can You Tell a Jew When You See One? Judaism 48(2):234-24
-Mikaela Williams