Day 1 of Observation

My first day of observation went pretty well, I started at Rams Gym and stayed form 11am to 12 noon. The gym itself is split into 3 section basically which include:

• weight section
• indoor track
• machine section (treadmills, etc)

The first I observed was that the weight side mainly consist of men, the track is about even (gender wise), while the machine side is mostly women. However there are both men and women on both sides (I am just speaking majority wise).

Observations:

• Everyone was wearing t-shirts, and athletic shorts/tights (except 1 guy who was wearing jeans?)
• Not many groups of people working out together (just a small handful of groups of 2)
• Many people who were alone were wearing earphones/headsets (ipod)
• Majority of the guys were pretty muscular, while the rest were around my size. (I did not see and really big/muscular people)
• Mostly young people However I did see one older male working out.
• The environment was nice along with the people, although it was not all that sociable with the exception of a few people helping out someone, either by spotting them as they lift or through giving tips/advice.

This is all of my observation for this day, I have a few assumptions/analysis but I will save those until I finish up all my observation for this project.

My Plan of Observation

My initial observation will begin on Thursday February 26, 2009. I will start my observation at the Rams Head Gym . It will most likely be in the morning since I have no classes then. Some of my strategies include:

• Focusing on the facts
• Not making assumptions until the end when I am analyzing all my observations
• I will be looking for aspects of the micro culture that are more prevalent (stand out)
• Observe what things seem to go against the majority
• Observe the atmosphere and personality of the people of the micro culture

New Hypothesis

As if today my hypothesis has changed. The reason being is that my last one could not be completed without me actually interacting with the people whom I am observing. So my newly improved hypothesis is:

Comparing the atmosphere of two gyms on campus known as Rams and Fetzer Gym. I will be observing how the people are; whether they come to work out alone or in groups, are they social, or loners (so to speak).

Weight Training

The micro culture I am interested in investigating is the culture of people who work out. By stating the phrase "work out" I do not just mean lifting weights or "pumping iron" as some may say, but I am interested in this micro culture as a whole. Meaning people who not just work out for building body mass, but also endurance training, and work out to tone-up their body a little more. Some of these work out may include: lifting weights, running on the treadmill or around the track, or doing ab work outs to tone the abdominal section of the body.

One may ask, "why am I interested in this so called micro culture?" My answer is this, people are always in search of perfection: the perfect hair, the perfect smile, or the perfect body. Because in our modern society were beauty is exemplified everywhere a person looks: whether it be on television, in magazines, or on billboards. It has become a modern norm in our society. People want to be beautiful, and there is nothing wrong with that. I, myself would not mind having a nice big chest, and washboard abs. However I believe that not everyone who works out simply does it to have the perfect body, some may do it because it helps them stay healthy which keeps them from contracting harmful illnesses such as obesity or other health issues that are becoming more prominent in America.

One can not help but notice the many people in the windows of Rams Gym lifting weight or running on treadmills. I plan on observing this micro culture of UNC by going to the gyms on campus, such as Rams and Fetzer Gym where there are people working out all the time, from early in the morning to late at night. Over the next couple of weeks I plan to go to these facilities and get a better view of what happen in these gyms. Who know may be after watching others work out,I myself might become inspired to to a little training myself to become healthier while at he same time aim for that so called "perfect body."