Public Space Observation : extra credit assignment (Kim Hye-Jin)

 The Korean subway is an important means of transportation for Koreans. There are many stations, helping Koreans to go to work and move conveniently. I chose a subway station where a lot of people gather as a public place and observed how people wait right before the subway ride. The subway station I chose is Bupyeong Station in Incheon. This station is a transfer station, so it is crowded with many people.

So, let me introduce the methodology. I sat on a chair at a subway station for two weeks and observed people waiting every 4 hours. The people I have observed are people waiting for the subway. I divided my observations by time and recorded them directly in the table.

The following are the results I observed by time zone.

In the morning hours from 7 am to 11 am, when people wait for the subway, most of them are standing. The morning hours are crowded with people going to work. People wait in line in front of the subway to get on the subway for sitting in an empty seat. Some of the people sitting in the chairs at the subway station are grandmothers and grandparents. According to Whyte, sitting should be physically comfortable. So, it means that the chairs in the subway station serve as a rest area for people in busy morning hours. People wait for the subway while watching news or YouTube on their smartphones, listening to music, or reading books.

During the lunch time from 11 am to 3 pm, about half of the people are sitting and half standing while they wait for the subway. People seem less busy than in the morning. There are more people than in the morning sitting in their chairs and waiting in a leisurely way. Also, there are more people waiting on the phone or chatting with a friend than in the morning. It's a much more lively atmosphere than in the morning. Usually, during lunchtime, people go to make an excursion or eat something delicious. According to Whyte, this joyful atmosphere is made by people who are going to some places that have attractions to enjoy. Therefore, their ways to wait for the subway are relatively freer.

In the evening, from 3pm to 7pm, there are more people standing and waiting. They want to take the subway first, because it's time to go home. People wait in line for the subway in a calm atmosphere rather than lunch time. People listen to music or use smartphones while waiting for the subway. According to Goffman, it might be the same routine at the same time and place.

At night, from 7pm to 11pm, the last subway time of the day draws closer, so more people run. As the number of empty seats in the subway increases, there are many more people sitting and waiting at the subway station. The subway station is very quiet, similar to the morning. According to Whyte, the chairs in the subway station serve as a rest area which is a same function in the morning.

The following is an analysis of what I have observed.

First of all, I noticed that people tend to stand and wait more during times when there aren't many vacant seats in the subway. This is because if you wait the subway in a standing position, you can get on the subway first. 

Next, the atmosphere at the subway station in the morning and the evening is relatively quieter than during lunch time. In the morning and the evening, there are more people waiting for the subway, quietly spending time alone, rather than having conversations with people around you

 Third, the waiting attitude of people and the atmosphere of the subway station differed greatly by time of day. While waiting for the subway in the morning and the evening hours, people usually spend their time quietly on their own, using smartphones or listening to music. On the other hand, during lunchtime, more people communicate with people around them, and more people make phone calls with friends.

In conclusion, the ‘time’ functions as a “shill” in the observation. The roll of the shill is to manipulate the audience reactions. The reactions of the people waiting for the subway are changed by the time zone.