Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
technological sophistication of the people who fight the fire is a good
indicator of their knowledge, values, economic resources, and degree of
social interaction or isolation from the mainstream. Other rare events, such
as funerals, weddings, and rites of passage, also offer excellent opportunities
for in-depth analysis.
A classic key event in contemporary offices is the vote. In most offices, a
proposal is put forward to advocate for something, such as a new program,
practice, or policy. Testimonials are offered and the idea is put to a vote (for-
mally or informally). During this type of key event, lasting a few minutes or a
few hours, allegiances, party lines, and informal hierarchies surface in a highly
orchestrated and often stylized manner. They reveal much about the culture the
event is situated in. For example, in a medical school curriculum meeting I
observed, a proposal was put forth that divided faculty and students across
party lines. The issue was less interesting than the human drama it evoked. A
superficial analysis might suggest that many of the arguments were flawed or
had little substance or even relevance to the topic. The same analysis might
even suggest a contradiction between what a person espoused and his or her
actual behavior. However, a deeper analysis (focusing on power rather than
logic) might reveal that this debate presented participants with opportunities to
symbolically demonstrate allegiance to or defiance of those in power. This key
event provided a glimpse into the power structure of the school, revealing less
about logic and more about power, hierarchy, and political allegiances. In a few
moments, the entire political structure of the school was revealed in a public
arena through this key event.
Another common key event in contemporary office life is the distribution
of computers. Individuals act out most of the hidden dimensions of social life
in these situations. Formal and informal hierarchies become apparent through
action and memoranda. Who decides who will have the latest model?
How does the type of computer platform or operating system a person uses
influence how he or she is perceived and classified in the office? Who will use
the latest model as a status symbol first and a functional piece of equipment
last? Subterranean tensions that have nothing to do with computers and tech-
nology and that remain buried in daily interaction come to the surface during
such key events. Observing the schism between people who fear technology
and those who embrace it, how staff members accept or reject it, how align-
ments shift as individuals become dependent on each other's technological
expertise, and how the use of technology changes the group's social dynamics
can be an all-consuming but revealing task.
For example, a fistfight erupted during a basketball game at one of the
Career Intern Program (CIP) sites. On the surface, this key event indicated
