Observation Essay, Research Paper

Field Experience Observation The group that I chose to detect was and Alcohol Anonymous meeting. I chose this group because I know really small about how it operates and its rules. The function I played was that of an overt. Puting the temper was portion of the meeting, you were required to present yourself and state why you were at that place. Because it was a unfastened scheduled meeting, they had no expostulations to my being in attending. I left the security of the warm auto and crossed the street, cranking through the heavy traffic. It was a blue afternoon outside. The grey hanging clouds matched the feelings of butterflies and edginess that I felt as I opened the door to the Fleur and Grand edifice. The door buzzed unrelentingly with a loud shrill that echoed in my head, until it closed behind me. Slowly I walked into a big room. The walls were covered with old wooden panel that was stained with xanthous movie from coffin nail fume. The rug I walked on was a putrid viridity. It was to a great extent soiled and tattered. It was even worn bare in musca volitanss, demoing its age. In the center of this room was a grouping of old rickety card tabular arraies formed in the form of a T. there was one shabby dressed adult male, who appeared to be in his late mid-twentiess, sitting at the tabular array starring off into infinite. A lady in her mid 1950ss with greying ruddy hair was repairing java along the E wall. The pot was a immense Ag machine, much like one you would anticipate to see in a infirmary cafeteria as the java began to drip and make full the pot, a trickle appeared at the corner of the pot. The java trickled down the counter and to the floor. I sat down in a chair, one off organize the shabby dressed adult male. The chair was metal and cold. As I sat down, I noticed holes that had been dug into the tabular arraies and late uses as ashtrays. I had to be really careful non to put my cubitus in one. As I sat and waited for the meeting to get down, ideas of roaches creeping out of the clefts haunted my head. I began to experience dirty, even though I knew I had taken a shower that really forenoon. One by one others began to sidetrack in the door. Each clip a new individual came in the loud bombilation of the door echoed through the room. Each individual would walk up and acquire a cup of java and so take a topographic point at the tabular arraies. I found it odd that everyone ignored the drip of java coming from the pot. There were approximately 10 adult females and five tungstens work forces who attended the meeting. They appeared to run from the age of mid mid-twentiess to upper 1950ss. They were all Caucasic with the exclusion of one adult male in his late mid-fortiess who was African American. After what seemed like an infinity the two older ladies in their mid 1950ss began the meeting with a soundless supplication for other alkies. Then the one posing at the caput of the T, read a Bible from a green book. She so passed two shabby, yet laminated cards to two gentlemen, that were seated catty-corner to her right. Each adult male read one card. The first card had the regulations of AA on it. The 2nd card had the 12 stairss to recovery on it. The ruddy haired lady once more took the floor and introduced herself as Marge and stated that she would be the Chair for tonights meeting. She spoke of her narrative of intoxicant maltreatment and what AA had done for her. Then she passed the floor to the 2nd lady, who appeared to play the function of co-chair. She spoke of being an alky and what AA had done for her. This continued all the manner around the tabular array until it reached me. I rapidly said my name and told them that I was merely at that place to larn and detect an AA meeting. When the narrative circle had reached the adult females straight across from me, I sat up and took particular notice. She was in her late mid-fortiess with long bleach blond hair. She appeared to be weak and frail. Her figure was thin, one would conceive of that a good air current would pick her up and brush her off, along with the dust and soil in the room. She spoke of a immature adult male who had late been killed in prison. She said that the adult male was in his early mid-twentiess and looked to her as if she were his female parent. As she spoke cryings of heartache rolled down her cheeks. She spoke of craving and needing to take a drink to assist her get over the hurting and sorrow. It seemed that the lone thing maintaining her from imbibing was the cognition that the behaviour of imbibing was accompanied by unwanted effects. Much like Skinners basic rules of operant condi

tioning. No 1 reached to comfort her or even give her a tissue. I felt uttlery helpless as I sat and watched her weep. But I had to use Piagets construct of version and adapt to the norms of the environment I was in.

As the dark continued and I listened to narrative after narrative, I began to believe of the coherence of the group. The common end as to give each other support in order to maintain the others from taking a drink. There seemed to be an mute bond of trust and regard for what the other was traveling through. Because each member had the dependence of intoxicant, the had the we-nes we spoke of in category. Each member suffered from the struggle of desiring to imbibe ( a substantial struggle ) . This struggle leads each of them to an inter-personal struggle of their single end of get the better ofing their dependence. Ultimately, each person is the lone 1 that knows weather the struggle was resolved. It can non be assumed that go toing the meeting kept the person from go forthing and traveling directly to the nearest saloon for that drink. The inter struggle was merely resolved or possible delayed by go toing the meeting. The narratives continued. A immature lady in her late mid-twentiess said she had moved to Iowa from Colorado. She spoke of non holding any friends or household in the country and that the solitariness was doing her to hunger a drink. This lady looked out of topographic point in the dingy ambiance. She was good appareled and her hair was styled. She wore diamonds on each manus. She appeared to be a lady of wealth. As the meeting came near to an terminal, a basket was passed for contributions, because AA is a non-profit-making organisation. The meeting ended with the male parents supplication and a brief chant of support coming back it works. No 1 said adieu or wished anyone a safe trip place. there was no little talk. Everyone merely raced toward the door, as if there were a award for the first 1 who stepped outside the dingy edifice. As I reflect back at the AA meeting I attended, I wonder how much of the content of the narratives that were shared were of feeling direction. How many of those in attending were seeking to organize the others feelings of them. As I sat and listened to the narratives, the idea of the stuff from category sing Goffman and his presentation of ego, came to mind. It sent me believing about what these persons wanted me to see of them. I as a member of the group was effected by the gestural and the verbal communicating. The verbal communicating was really unfastened. Group persons were really unfastened about replying inquiries and sharing information. But their gestural communicating at times was upseting. The sociological effects were those of non gesturing and carefully positioning yourself at the T grouping of tabular arraies. Personally the effects of each individuals temper and physical visual aspect helped to put the temper. When the one adult female shared her feeling of sorrow, many of the members sat up really directly and austere, and did non notice in any mode. It seemed that the norm for the group was non to pay to shut attending to the person as a individual. A individual who has ideas and feelings. My cognitive procedures seemed to be taking over. I was being influenced by my believe that you should comfort those who are sorrowing a loss. There was frequently that painful silence that we spoke of in our group kineticss category. It seemed to be the mute common norm. This was different than the norm of the environment of which I was raised. The description of the Jahari Window in our group kineticss category, gave me the information to understand how the persons at the AA meeting were being unfastened, yet close and so besides, how they were incognizant of information they were giving, but yet it was in their blind window, because they were non recognizing that they were let go ofing information about themselves. The bulk of the group took a low-line face to uncovering themselves. They were non doing undue claims of themselves. Detecting an AA group, gave me the opportunity to larn about the 12 stairss that are stated as stairss to recovery. I was able to ovserve how intoxicant is destructive to those who are addicted to its effects. Attending gave me the chance to use some of the stuff that was discussed in the group kineticss category and use it to single state of affairss that occur. This was a fantastic oppertunity for me to exam the functions and struggles that evolve within a group.