There’s Sociology in the Air(port)
Students transform into sociologists during a visit to the busiest airport in the world: Hartsfield-Jackson International.
Sociology students of Lab Atlanta amble side by side through the sunlit atrium of Atlanta’s esteemed airport, wondering one vital question: How is a major airport an ideal space for a sociologist interested in spotting values, norms, and behaviors?
Values, norms, and behaviors are foundational concepts in sociology, and are windows onto a host of social forces. Behaviors are the ways one acts, especially towards others; this means it is the decisions made based on the influence of norms and values. Norms are the typical behaviors of people, while values are someone’s principles of behavior. All three signify the bread and butter of the sociological imagination.
From the moment one walks into the airport’s expansive atrium, there is a sense of faux comfort and nature, as if in a zoo that is dressed up to seem more realistic. Americans value the natural environment, even when in artificial ones; it makes them feel as if they aren’t trapped in the indoors and are instead, outside. The sun roof and trees surrounding the center of the atrium at Hartsfield-Jackson International reflect that value. Unfortunately, there is an overwhelming amount of restaurants, couches, and advertisements encircling the artificial environment, taking away from the point of including greenery.
Speaking of, the restaurants surrounding the middle portion of the atrium reflect many common values. From Popeyes to Teriyaki Experience, the value of variety comes in play, as people would rather have a multitude of options than a lack thereof. Capitalism allows everyone to have choices like these. With the density of the space and the high amount of people coming through the airport everyday, it is a necessity. These restaurants cater to those with limited free time to relax.
With Atlanta’s long held reputation of having the busiest airport in the world, they are expected to possess a certain amount of security. There are, for example, even heavily armed guards posted above the airport’s famed atrium, watching the mass movement occurring within. This represents the social value of security and safety. It is also a norm, following the attacks of 9/11, that airports have greater security measures. The danger of terrorist attacks, especially in densely populated areas like this, has brought about this action.
The airport is more than just a place for plane travel; it also has the very vast American value system integrated into it. For one, it is very serious about the veterans traveling through. The USO is an organization providing live entertainment to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. This organization having been stationed at the airport conveys the value of the respect we like to be able to give to our country’s defenders. It is uncommon behavior to show anything but that, as our country cherishes our protection and our protectors equally. The USO being placed in the airport is another way of showing the men and women in the military that they have earned the right to relax, no matter where they are.
Around the atrium are numerous shops where passengers can purchase souvenirs, including a Falcons-branded shot glass. The value of sports can be seen within this shot glass, as one of Atlanta’s most notable sports team is represented on it as a symbol of the city, along with it being something people can remember Atlanta as. Also, tourists frequently look for cheap mementos of their trips, creating the norm for people to obtain them in places they visit.
Privacy is a main aspect represented in the airport, something that can be seen as a value and norm of Americans. It is a value, because individuals like to have freedom from disturbance or interference; it is a norm, as it is seen in a multitude of public spaces, such as libraries, restaurants, and housing. The sectioned off sitting areas dispersed throughout the atrium show how the airport is trying to reflect that, definitely in a crowded space.
The written definition of sociology is the study of development, structure, and functioning of human society. Through the eyes of the budding sociologists, however, it becomes a perspective of how and why people have certain behaviors, norms, and values. Looking at it with those three key concepts in mind allows us to see that mundane everyday activities go so much deeper, into the ingrained parts of our society. The sociological perspective offers the ability to look at the world and the people in it as an outsider, something a typical perspective would never be able to do.
Text and Photos by Kaylee Spivey and Cana Roach
