I chose to carry out this observational activity within a casino as I am unfamiliar with an environment of this sort.
Myself and a friend went along to the casino in central Dundee at lunch time, in the middle of the week. On entering the building, we were asked for identification, forced to become members and asked to hand in our bags because they were classified as 'ruck sacks' -apparently a no go in a casino...
When we got past 'security' we were welcomed by a little Ronan Keating number ''life is a roller coaster, you've just got to ride it...'' played in the background..-i laughed.
I thought the music choice was very light hearted and relaxed -obviously intentional, as you want to try and create the 'ideal' atmosphere for those entering the casino..
Most of the people in the casino were old/retired. I observed a number of old men wheeling what I can only assume was their wife, in a wheel chair into the casino. I gathered/assumed the elderly couples were in the casino to make 'an afternoon' of it. Perhaps they spent a decent amount of time within the casino so as to make their visit worthwhile.
To my surprise, the atmosphere within the casino wasn't stressful or intense - perhaps this was because I was there at a quieter time of the day. I found the atmosphere friendly and pleasant during my visit, perhaps because the people there shared a common bond, or perhaps they were regulars...?
I did make the decision however that the casino is not a conventional sociable place. People do not come to the casino, (particularly mid week at lunch time) to socialise with other gamblers. They are there to win. They are in their 'own zone' and evidently have a '1 to 1 relationship' with the machine/roulette machine. I also felt that these individuals unconsciously showed a variety of expression in their game. They were so engrossed in their own business to a point that I highly doubt that they were aware of the length of time they were spending on particular games/machines.
I felt that for the players, spending time in the casino was a personal experience. The players continued to eat and drink when in the casino, however I observed that they chose to take their food and drink with them to whatever machine they were using at that time. I even witnessed a woman giving the 'heads up' to the bar man, as if to indicate that she was ready for her food and drink.
I feel that its the combination of entertainment, thrill and the opportunity to 'win big' that sustains an individuals/gamblers play.
I also feel that the interior design plays a large part in the degree of success with the casino. The interior is classy. The bright colours and the bright lights on the ceiling are exuberant, and therefore create an excitable atmosphere and a suggest that you could 'win big'. The bar area attempts to integrate with the rest of the interior, creating an open and friendly space. There is also a variety of seats within the interior, including sofas, high stools, and sit down tables -plenty of choice!
Even with the varied amount of seats in the interior, I found that most people present in the casino where there to gamble, NOT to sit around the bar. If people wanted to drink, they would probably go to a bar - not a casino.
Personally, I felt comfortable in this unfamiliar environment because my friend and I could make use of the food service from the restaurant whilst remaining in sight of the casino. If the casino didn't serve food, I would have felt more obliged to play a game so as to be accepted within the environment.
As part of activity 3C we were also asked to comment on secondary sites that we experience as part of our everyday lives.
We were asked to think about if there were any 'unwritten rules', where there unfriendly atmospheres? and how we personally felt when we were in these places..
Bus/Railway Station
The two main unwritten rules in association with a bus/railway station:
- a man should willingly give up his seat on a bus/train for an elderly woman/pregnant woman.
- When a female with a lot of luggage enters the train, a man usually makes it his priority to help her out. He may help her put her luggage in the over head space.
Aeroplane
If you are travelling by yourself, the window seat within the aircraft is the typically preferred seat chosen by the passenger because it means that people shouldn't bother you to move for them because you have positioned yourself at the end of the row.
I think it is fair to say that the middle seat on an aeroplane is the most unpopular place to sit, therefore it is deliberately avoided -unless you are travelling in a group.
Lane swimming at a swimming pool
When 4 lanes at a swimming pool are divided into
-a slow lane
-a medium lane
-a fast lane
-a sprint lane
the person entering the swimming pool will unconsciously 'access' the ability of the swimmers in each of the lanes so as to compare their own personal ability with the swimmers already in the pool -in order to determine which lane they should be part of.
It is to avoid embarrassment/humiliation that this quick 'assessment' is carried out.
The Check out at the Supermarket
The unwritten rule involves placing an object on the conveyor belt as an indication that you aren't placing any more items on the belt. This also allows the next person in the queue to realise that it is then their turn to place their items on the conveyor belt.
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