Table of Contents
The Situation
For my first observation, I chose to observe socialization at the 99 Cents Store which is my workplace. I chose to observe the continual socialization of my coworkers on Thursday 11th, 2018. In this day, I worked with different coworkers who participated in the day to day socialization practices that are visible on my work environment as well as social interaction with the customers. Furthermore, Thursday are particularly busy days because trucks come in with merchandise on the, so every Thursday our team tried to get well prepared for the afternoon shifts by having more cashiers, people doing aisles, someone doing go backs, produce and car runs.
The cashiers were Sabrina, Darlene and me. The people doing aisle includes Freda, Edwin, Edgardo and Virginia. The person doing Go backs consisted of Karla. The person doing produce consisted of Maria. Lastly, the person doing car runs consisted of Edwin. Also, throughout the afternoon shift, many of my coworkers where having different kinds of duties, such as cleaning registers, facing the registers, cleaning the floor as well as cleaning bathrooms. But the most important duty was to help the customers with what they needed. It is a fast paced shift in which we have to made or tasks really fast to accomplish our goals and it was our regular stressful work environment until it calmed down by the end of the shift.
For my second observations, I chose to observe socialization on my Zumba class at Santa Clarita Valley YMCA which is the gym where I normally go, on Friday 12th, 2018. When we arrive to the Zumba class, our gym instructor, Sergio, welcomed us to the class. First of all he made us stretch and then it followed with aerobic moves for 20 minutes, in which your partner helped you to stretch, then you help her, and finally we made a really big circle and everyone follows the instructor moves.
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Moreover, for 10 continued minutes, we did a series of exercises that combined cardio and flexibility, as well as we communicate with each other on the meantime and work on the exercises with a partner. The last thirty minutes, the instructor put Zumba music and we started with the final exercises, we burned calories, he teaches us zumba moves as well as all we danced with our partners. The class is a fast paced environment, is a really fun class to take that it helps to remove stress and is a great way of doing exercise.
The Socialization
Based on the observing socialization at the 99 Cents Store, I concluded that the investigation was made by the third level of socialization, which is the adult socialization. This levels is about how society takes up their role of adulthood (Socialization Chapter). Furthermore, in the investigation made at the 99 Cents Store, I found out that half of the employees are over the age of nineteen and the other half is between thirty or forty, which was impressed because they’re all in the same level of socialization. They already pass the two first level of socialization, which are primary and secondary, even though some of them are beginning to learn the third level of socialization.
Moreover, my coworkers have an ascribed status because of their race or sex, also, the majority of them have been working there for more than two years and I would say that the majority of my coworkers have an achieved status because they have been working for a very long time on the company and all are hard workers. My managers can enter in the achieved status too (Social Groups and Collective Behavior chapter). On my day to day I found social agents which are my coworkers and managers, and a social agency which is 99 cents.
On the other hand based on the observing socialization at the YMCA, I concluded that the investigation was made by both second and third level of socialization, which are the secondary socialization and adult socialization. Moreover, the secondary socialization is based in stage that people is non-family member and the adult socialization is the stage that people is having a adult role (Socialization chapter).
This investigation was based on the ages of seventeen until thirty. Furthermore, my classmates and partners of my Zumba class have an ascribed status but I would say that all of my classmates and the instructor included have an achieved status as well because, as soon as you enter the class you realize that they are all focused and follow what the instructor says. All of them works really hard to accomplish their own goals. Finally, I consider YMCA as a social agency because they are involved in my socialization and my classmates are the social agents that are actively involved in my socialization (Social Groups and Collective Behavior chapter).
Feelings
On both of my observations I think that no one realized the way that I was observing them. On my work environment at 99 Cents Store when I observed my coworkers I felt nervous because I wanted that anyone knows that I was observing them so they will act normal. While I was observing my coworkers I learned a little bit of everyone, how Sabrina socially interacted with people, Freda always smiling and helping the customers and Karla solving problems because she is like a second manager. They help me to improve my social skills, as well as abilities at work.
I really appreciate how my managers and 99 Cents Store help us whenever we need something and hear when we request a day or if we want to change our schedule, as well as how they constantly want to improve our social and work environment which makes our job easier and makes our customers happier. Another thing that I like is that our company is always trying to get better and hold a higher standard for them and for ourselves as well, which help us to improve our socializing skills and creates a more socialized work environment that everyone can learn from another.
My feelings about the Zumba class at Santa Clarita Valley YMCA from a sociological perspective was more divergent compared to 99 Cents Store observation. Moreover, when I was observing more specifically my zumba classmates and instructor, I felt more curious of their passion, their effort of practicing as team, and, even though it was a fast paced environment, everything looks perfect, the moves, exercises, the rhythm of the music. Moreover, I learned so much in that class, from my instructor, that a maintaining a healthy habit is really important to stay healthy and by doing that, you feel more energetic, motivated and with more confidence. I feel really comfortable and enjoy every moment of that class, everyone is kind respectful, always they try to help you with the exercises or give you tips that will help you in life and some dance moves that I really enjoy. I am glad that no one knew that I was doing that because I was nervous while I was doing it.
Perspective
In this observation I used as a frame Structural Functionalism Theory. This theory states that various aspect of how society nowadays have relationship (Social Theories Chapter). Also, this theory states that society can be examined just like the human body, problems can be identified, analyzed and solved. Moreover, it also says that society is not perfect, there is unfair treatment in it, dysfunctions and breakdowns. Furthermore, functionalism is a more positive theory that those dysfunctions, after being studied, and they need to find a balance in society to be maintained and not collapse. This equilibrium is acquired by different components that combined all together creates a stability in society (Social Theories Chapter). The components that maintain society equilibrated need to work together for its own benefits and keep constantly evolving along with the changes that the world brings in and try to maintain this balance and prevent a collapse.
By using Structural Functionalism Theory helps me connect my observation with society, such as the connection between coworkers, classmates or my instructor. A great example would be the two comparison between both observations. Both on my work environment and on my Zumba class I am able to see social agents and a social agency which are 99 cents and YMCA, these social agents and agencies are the two essential requirements for socialization to occur. Also, the adult stage of socialization is found on both places, which is really important because it is one of the key components of socialization.
Socialization is a process that every person goes through, in every step of their lives, and always passes through all three stages of socialization which are primary, secondary and adult. All this stages and people that we meet during them, change the way that we do things, help us in others, they are the key component for our life, but at the end, it just depends on yourself because you are going to have struggles in life and someone can help you through it however it all depends on your adaptation to new things, changes and keep going with it.
