The Sociological Phenomenon Of Bowdoin - 1588 Words

Bowdoin College, better known as the Bowdoin bubble, has within it sociological phenomenon that helps it maintain social cohesion. One of these social phenomenon is the Bowdoin hello. The Bowdoin hello is the act of students greeting one another on campus and downtown. However, the practice of this tradition has extended itself to people in cars at crosswalks and random people on the Bowdoin campus. This phenomenon maintains social cohesion on campus because it attempts draws together a community that is constantly changing. With the incoming diversity on campus it serves to reaffirm what Bowdoin stands for, a welcoming community for everyone. The Bowdoin hello creates a norm, which in turn creates an identity of what a Bowdoin student†¦show more content†¦I will examine the material that they distribute to the incoming class that pertains to etiquette and norms displayed on campus. Then I will engage in informal conversations ethnographically as a complete participant with students about their views and uses of the Bowdoin hello. By immersing myself as a complete participant I will be able to receive answers that have more credibility. I will also utilize my personal experiences from when I entered Bowdoin as a first-year and I will attempt to breach the phenomenon to observe the outcome. The social location, which is Bowdoin’s campus, will enable my ability to observe the phenomenon because it is exclusive to Bowdoin. However, my social location might constrain my ability in that reactions might be bias for or against the phenomenon depending on whether the person uses this custom or not. I believe this i s the best method because it will enable me to see how this norm is introduced and manifested over time in the community. Before entering Bowdoin students are told on campus tours and in info sessions about customs that are particular to Bowdoin. They are told that a Bowdoin student strives for the common good and engages in the Bowdoin hello. While on the tour they see their tour guide wave hello to all the people that pass by whether they know them or not. However, this is not the case when you are actually a student on campus and there are not any