Week 4.2: Reflections on the Interaction Observation Assignment - NGUYEN KIM CHI (응웬김찌)

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For this week’s assignment, I chose to do the Interaction Observation. I spent about an hour observing people in a public space near campus a small café where lots of students and locals gather. My goal was to quietly watch how people interacted without interrupting or joining in. It was a surprisingly eye-opening experience.

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What I Did

I found a seat where I could see several tables and the entrance without being too obvious. I took notes on different types of interactions: friends chatting, couples talking, baristas and customers exchanging words, and even people using their phones while sitting alone. I paid attention to body language, tone of voice, and how people managed their “face” during conversations whether they laughed, looked away, or adjusted their posture.

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What I Learned

One thing that really stood out was how much nonverbal communication shapes interaction. For example, when two friends disagreed about something, they rarely raised their voices. Instead, there were small gestures leaning back, crossing arms, or avoiding eye contact that signaled tension. It reminded me of Goffman’s idea of “face work,” where people try to maintain dignity and harmony even when disagreeing.

I also noticed how people “perform” differently depending on who they’re with. Some customers were very friendly and chatty with the baristas, laughing and joking, while others were quiet and polite but distant. It felt like everyone was managing impressions, consciously or not, depending on the social role they were playing at the moment.

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Was It Fun?

I wasn’t sure at first if sitting quietly and watching people would be interesting but it really was. It made me slow down and notice things I usually overlook, like the way a smile can soften a conversation or how groups naturally form and shift in a social space. It also made me think about how much we rely on shared understandings to keep social interactions smooth.

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Final Thoughts

This assignment helped me connect theory to real life. Goffman’s ideas about performance, face, and interaction felt very alive in that café. It’s easy to think social interactions are straightforward, but observing closely showed me how complex and nuanced they really are. I’d recommend this exercise to anyone wanting to understand people better - it’s both fun and enlightening!