Week 4 : extra credit assignment (Kim Hye-Jin)

-I have analyzed the people in the airport.

-I tried to understand the words mentioned by Goffman. 

I have analyzed an interaction taking place in an airport. The point to note here is that the airport is a place where a lot of emotions are expressed. Because it is also a space just before you go on a trip, but it is also a space to reunite with your family or friends after the long trip. Therefore in the airport, there are three types of interactions between people. Let me explain the interaction more specifically.

 First of all, there are people waiting for the flight with joyful expressions. They are the people who are waiting for the flight with a good heart because it is the trip they really wanted. They often sit in airport chairs, laugh and chat with their friends or family whom they travel with. And others happily talk on the phone to inform of their travel before the flight. Recently, young people have been active on social media, and they have posted posts on Instagram that they are going on a trip with their friends right before the trip. The excitement and anticipation just before the trip is expressed in their actions. According to Goffman, their lively talk, happy faces and uploading on Instagram is called ‘the expressive coherence’. They express their moods and energies through these actions.

Second, there are people waiting for the flight with a dark expression. They are people who are sad because they have to leave their family and friends for a long time studying abroad or on a business trip. Their voices are small and their tones are low. When they talk to family or friends who see off, they speak calmly rather than laughing out loud. According to Goffman, if you see that they smile, it might be ‘underplaying expressions of sadness’. They might conceal their actions and emotions of the wrench of parting because they do not want to make their family or friends sad.

Finally, after a long trip, there are people who reunite with family and friends at the airport. They hug their family very hard. Also, they shed tears of joy. They are usually people who have lived abroad for a long time. They chat with their families or friends, checking in each other. Familiy members and friends who meet up often share their luggage and carry them together. According to Goffman, the reunion between family members is called ‘bonds of reciprocal dependence’. It is an integral part that is made by the intimate people.

In conclusion, I have analyzed that there are three types of interaction between people in the airport. On the one hand, I could find the expressive coherence which the tourists with expectant faces express just before their travel. On the other hand, there are underplaying expressions of sadness. At last, I could see the bonds of reciprocal dependence when some people reunite with their family after their long trip. Thank you for listening.