Micro-ethnography Report: Observation of The Pool Area

For my ethnography, I wanted to stay where I felt most comfortable to do my observations, and that was outside the apartment where I live, by the pool area. I decided to conduct my observations for 3 hours on the 28th of September 2018, from 6-9 pm. This research took place at the Apex West Midtown Apartment, where I was an observer and took notes of my surroundings and the people around me. My goal was to understand the social dynamics and interactions that occur in this communal space.

Micro-Ethnographic Study: Observing the Pool Area

Walking towards the pool area, the first thing I noticed was how nicely set up the area is. To enter the pool area, I observed a black gate guarding the area, and you would have to pull the lock upwards to open it. There were many blue and red lounge chairs and couches lined up in various sizes. Some lounge chairs had a red umbrella over them with a little table at the side of it. The pool was relatively large and looked like it was shaped in the letter “G” with a bar in the middle of it. On both sides behind the gate, there are apartment buildings towering over it, creating a sense of seclusion and privacy.

Upon sitting to finally observe the individuals around me at around 6:05 pm, I noticed a girl, who appeared to be about the age of 11, wearing pink swimming trunks and a black shirt in the pool. She was doing backflips and occasionally stopping to float on her back. I assumed that her mother was the lady looking over a balcony in one of the apartments, watching over her while she was in the pool because the little girl kept looking up every time she did a trick in the water, smiling. This interaction suggested a bond of trust and communication between them.

There was a man on one of the pool lounge chairs with a woman who seemed to be tanning. The lady was sipping a martini in one hand and texting with the other. She paused halfway through texting to show the man sitting next to her something by pointing at the bar, then continued to text again. I looked over at the bar to see what exactly she was trying to show him but could not pinpoint it. This indicates a level of intimacy and shared understanding between them.

By 7:00 pm, the little girl walked out of the pool, looked around, grabbed a towel, and started to dry herself off. She looked around once more, then walked towards the edge of the pool and stood there for a while. She then suddenly held her nose and dived in. At 7:12 pm, she came out, grabbed her towel, then walked towards the stairwell and went up. At 7:40 pm, the man and the woman did the same, and by that time, the sun had already set, and the pool light came on. The transition from day to night added a different ambiance to the area.

At about 8:03 pm, a group of individuals came running towards the pool and splashed in one by one. A man went behind the bar to plug his phone into the speakers, and then "Nice for What" by Drake came on. There were two men and two women in the pool just throwing a ball around. At 8:20 pm, they were still in the pool, frolicking around and having fun. One of the men who was behind the bar came up and asked me to join them, but I kindly declined his offer. I told him that I was too tired and was just relaxing, enjoying the atmosphere. At 8:55 pm, the music stopped, and they all got out, dried themselves off, put their clothes on, and headed out the gate. After this, I noticed how quiet the place was. The breeze was slightly blowing, which was evident by the little waves formed in the pool.

Conclusion

From what I have observed, the downstairs pool area is quite active on weekends in the late evenings rather than on weekdays, where I would sometimes pass the area minding my business and realize it to be very still, quiet, and hardly occupied. This is why I decided to conduct my observations at this time. From my assumptions, I believe it to be quite active on weekends due to the fact that it’s a time to unwind, relieve stress from the workweek, and free one's mind temporarily. This shared space becomes a hub of social interaction, relaxation, and community building during these times.

References

• Drake. (2018). Nice for What. On Scorpion. Young Money Entertainment.
• Geertz, C. (1973). The Interpretation of Cultures. Basic Books.