For my observation I went to an 18 year old and up night club in East St. Louis, IL during the hours from about 2am to 5am. The club is located in an area of the city known for its violence and corruption. The area of the club consists of predominantly poor and lower middle class people. And though the club is geared toward people in their late teens and twenties the club has its share of older people who come to watch the dancing and drink with friends. The space inside the club caters to the desires of its guests. The dance floor sits up like a stage in the middle of the building for all to see clearly the newest hip hop steps (dances) and dating potential. There is a lounge with couches that looks out onto the adjacent dance floor for those who want to relax in semi private while watching the dancers.
[...] Dance partners take a break from the activity on the dance floor in order to create intimacy in the lounge in ways seen as cheap to the outside sphere but accepted in this realm and whole heatedly encouraged. Another otherwise deviant act that was prevalent and encouraged in the club was the use of marijuana (weed). There was a rule that weed is not supposed to be smoked in the club, because after all it is an illegal drug, but the enforcement of this rule was far and few in between. [...]
[...] If a man was pushy and aggressive instead of gentle he lost the girl who would verbally yell at him or physically push him away. The second method men used to grab the attention of women was through eye contact. Because it is more subtle and focuses on facial features and expressions of a person a lot more feeling can be conveyed up front about whether or not a person is interested. A woman who is approached from behind on the dance floor is apt to dance with the guy making a move on her because she likes the music and desires to dance whether or not she is interested in the guy. [...]
[...] The setting of the club has the dance floor as the main focus in the middle of the floor, and tables surrounding the dance floor and bar separating the participants based on their activity. Participants: Participants include the bouncers, the cashiers, the DJ, the bartenders, and the men and women attending the club. Everyone plays a role and their actions are affected by their role. Bartenders who check Ids and search everyone for weapons before entering are the authority in the building, because of their role the bouncers promote peace and break up fights. [...]
[...] A woman discussing the men in the club will talk bluntly with her female friends describing their physical attributes and use of language, but to talk about the same topic with a man would be considered odd and rude. The bouncer checking Ids outside may say that a young woman doesn't look like the picture on her ID and refuse her admittance to the club, but no other person in the club setting would discuss such a topic with the woman had she been admitted. [...]
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