The Walker-Adams Mall and Social Interaction

Fitzsimmons 1 Emily Fitzsimmons Dr. Wieters RCPL 4213 001 30 September 2019 The Walker-Adams Mall and Social Interaction The Walker-Adams Mall sits squarely between the older dorm towers, thus serving as both an outdoor gathering space as well as a channel of travel between class, food, and home.

The area is wide and open but, by no means, plain or boring. Some key features include expansive lawns, diagonal pathways, plant beds with bushes, and intersecting sidewalks lined with trees of varying size and age. The mall also has a fountain, a basketball court, a swing set, picnic tables, and benches, all of which contribute to the social environment there.

Keeping these attributes in mind, the design of the Walker-Adams Mall does encourage social interaction. Many of these features attract people to use the space, such as the recreational equipment, the picnic tables, and the lawn. Other features simply create a pleasant atmosphere so that people enjoy their time there, even if they are just passing through, such as the trees and the fountain. In particular, the Walker-Adams Mall is most agreeable in the evenings when the sun is low enough that the buildings envelop the entire area in a cool shadow. This was the case during my observation period from 5:15 PM to 6:00 PM on Monday, the 23rd. Despite the clear recipe for a social space, I found that the majority of people did not experience social interaction; however, considering the users of the space and the time of day, I maintain that this is not necessarily the fault of the space’s design.

Most of the people I observed used this place as a channel of movement rather than somewhere to hang out; however, from my memories of dorm life, I attribute this largely to the time of day. Many of the passersby were going home from class, getting dinner, or leaving to

Fitzsimmons 2 attend a club meeting; when I lived in Adams Center, people often spent time in the mall later in the evening, after their other commitments. Additionally, many college students are too focused on their to-do lists to notice opportunities for social interaction. In fact, some actively discourage conversation because they are busy or struggle with socializing. During my time there on Monday, the lawns and recreational equipment were left largely unused; instead people tended to stay on the paths, clustering around benches and sidewalk intersections.

During my forty-five minutes of observation, I focused mostly on the people in the northeast corner of the mall because that is where my picnic table was located, but I still observed some people in the farther areas. I noted three categories of behavior amongst the users of the space: behavior that culminated in social interaction, behavior that had potential for social interaction, and behavior that discouraged social interaction. People who fall in the first category had long or passing conversations, smiled, laughed, and physically interacted – such as the friends who low-fived when passing and who goofed around together as noted in my observations. Behaviors in the second category consist of those that invite social interaction but do not always result in social interaction. In this case, these include friendly, confident, or relaxed demeanors, as people are more inclined to interact with happier, open-looking people.

Similarly, walking a dog typically encourages social interaction, particularly if the dog’s demeanor is open and friendly. Unfortunately, neither the couple walking the dog nor the beagle itself that I observed seemed open to social interaction. Also, utilizing the play equipment can often lead to group social interaction. Looking around further encourages social interaction because eye contact is often the first step to a conversation, and walking slowly can promote interaction because it is easier to capture the attention of someone moving slowly than someone moving quickly, which is one of the behaviors under the third category for the same reason.

Additionally, many students wore sunglasses or stared straight ahead and straight down,

Fitzsimmons 3 often at their phones, which avoids eye contact and, in effect, social interaction. Likewise, talking on the phone or listening to music through earphones discourages social interaction because others will not initiate a conversation with someone whose attention is already taken. An exception to this during my observations were the two girls who greeted each other in passing, though one of them was using her phone. Furthermore, people typically will not bother someone who is carrying lots of objects because they are clearly busy, such as the people in my notes with groceries. Unfriendly expressions also discourage social interaction because such behavior is uninviting. Moreover, using shortcuts, like the informal pathway beside Walker Tower, lessens the time spent in the space and, therefore, reduces the opportunities for social interactions.

Based on my observations, the design of the Walker-Adams Mall creates a facilitating space for social interaction; however, the demographic of the users may not necessarily be a good fit. Perhaps the mall would be used more as a social gathering place than a channel between destinations if it were located elsewhere so that non-students felt welcome. For instance, the OU Duck Pond is on the edge of campus, so non-students feel more comfortable visiting there than the student-dominated Walker-Adams Mall and South Oval. However, the Walker-Adams Mall still contains several features key to a successful social space, including plant life – trees, in particular –, seating, recreation, and intersecting sidewalks. These elements provide opportunity for social interaction by creating a pleasant atmosphere, furnishing places to rest, encouraging people to perform activities together, and pushing people to cross paths, respectively. Repeating such features in other spaces will facilitate social interaction by propagating instances of behavior from the first two categories demonstrated in this case even though actions from the third category dominate most spaces.

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Fitzsimmons 5 Observation Categories and Notes of Walker-Adams Mall, 5:15-6:00 PM, 9-23-19 Note: Some people behaved across categories, in which case the note will be in both categories with the matching behavior in bold.

Behavior that culminates in social interaction • 2 girls sitting on a bench; one is talking on the phone until a 3rd girl joins first two. Now standing up. 4th girl joins. They all smile, talk, and laugh.

• 2 people standing in one place, talking. Feet shift; they look around while talking • Boy and girl standing next to bike racks, talking, laughing, smiling, and looking around • Boy and girl walking, talking, laughing, smiling, and looking around • 2 girls walking, one with a bike, smiling, laughing, and talking • 2 girls walking slowly and talking • 3 girls walking quickly and closely behind girl above and talking • 3 boys sitting on a bench, talking and looking at their phones periodically • A group of 2 girls and 1 boy walking while talking and smiling animatedly • Girl and boy walking and talking • Girl walking quickly and confidently; stops to talk briefly to a girl who was walking and using her phone. They seem to know

Behavior that encourages social interaction • Girl with earphones walking slowly • Boy strutting slowly, looking around and then at his phone • Boy walking; he was not looking at his phone, but it was open and in his hand • Girl walking while looking around and twirling her earbuds • Boy walking while looking around • Girl walking while using her phone but also looking around • Girl walking while using her phone while also looking around • 1 girl walking and looking around • Girl walking • Boy walking relaxed and slow • Boy walking confidently with earphones • Girl walking while looking around and carrying food • Boy walking confidently with earphones • Girl walking while looking down at her phone and smiling • Woman walking relaxed and slow, but her expression is not friendly • Boy walking with his hands in his pockets. He looks

Behavior that discourages social interaction • Various groups walking, looking at their phones • Girl with earphones walking slowly • 3 boys walking together silently • Girl walking alone, no phone or earbuds • Cyclist with earphones • Girl walking while talking on the phone • Boy with food walking while looking down; used the shortcut • Skateboarder stopped to stand and check phone; after a minute, he skateboarded away • Woman walking with food cuts through lawn; she stares forward with a concentrated expression • 3 girls walking quickly and closely behind girl above and talking • Girl walking while looking down at phone; using earphones • Girl walking while searching through her backpack • Girl walking alone and quickly • Girl walking while talking on her phone, using earphones • Boy walking quickly, carrying lots of items

Fitzsimmons 6 each other based on their friendly encounter.

• 2 girls walking while talking • Group of 3 girls and 1 boy walking and talking • 2 boys stop, stand, and talk; then they call out to a nearby girl. She stops, and they walk to her. The three walk off while talking.

• 2 girls smile, wave, and greet each other as they cross paths but do not stop to have a conversation; one is using earphones • 3 boys walking and talking • Group of 2 girls and 1 boy walking and talking • 1 girl and 1 boy with a bike walk together while talking, smiling, and laughing • Group of 2 girls and 1 boy walking and talking • 2 girls walking and talking while looking around • The 3 boys who were sitting on the bench now walking slowly while talking • 2 girls walking while talking • 3 girls walking and talking • 2 girls talking animatedly to a third girl far away; they walk closer to each other to talk • 2 boys walking, smiling, laughing, and talking • Boy walking and tapping water bottle rhythmically; slaps hands with a passing friend • 2 girls walking, smiling, and talking while also looking down at their

around, but his expression is grumpy.

• Girl walking with her head high and using earphones • Another girl walking confidently and wearing headphones • Girl and boy with dog, walking slowly and silently • Boy walking very slowly, using his phone and earphones; he stops at a bench and sits for a long time • Boy walking, looking both down at his phone and up and around; he uses the shortcut • Girl walking and smiling while on her phone • Boy on the swings • Boy walking quickly and looking around • Girl walking relaxed and slow

• Boy walking while staring down at his phone • Girl walking while staring down at her phone • Boy walking with earphones in but looking straight ahead • Boy walking with his hands clenched inside his hoodie sleeves • Boy strutting slowly, looking around and then at his phone • Boy walking quickly • Boy walking normal pace • Cyclist going quickly • Boy walking with food while also looking at his phone; he uses the shortcut • Girl walking while looking down at phone; she uses the shortcut • 2 girls smile, wave, and greet each other as they cross paths but do not stop to have a conversation; one is using earphones • 2 girls walking together while looking down at their phones • Girl walking while using her phone but also looking around • Girl walking while using her phone while also looking around • Boy walking with food while looking down at his phone; he uses the shortcut • Person riding an electric scooter passes • Boy walking while looking down at his phone; he is carrying groceries • Boy walking with earphones • Boy walking with earphones

Fitzsimmons 7 phones • 2 groups of 3 people walk through while talking; they are dressed up • A passing girl in a work uniform has a brief but animated exchange with the group above while walking by • 2 girls walking and talking; they say something friendly to a passing boy • 1 girl and 1 boy get attention of a friend nearby; they meet and stand for a while to talk, laughing and goofing around for a while • 2 girls walking slowly and relaxed while talking; they use the shortcut • 2 girls walking quickly a few feet apart but still talking to each other • 4 girls walking, talking, and smiling • Girl stops, stands, and talks on her phone; a little later, she meets a girl and they walk off, talking to each other • Group of 4 girls stop, stand, talk, smile, and laugh loudly

• Boy walking quickly • Girl walking with headphones • Boy walking confidently with earphones • Cyclist rides slowly through • Girl walks, stops, stands, looks at phone, looks around, walks on; then she walks to middle of lawn and does the same.

• Girl walking while looking down at phone • 2 girls sitting a different picnic tables on the other side of the lawn, both on their phones • 2 girls walking, smiling, and talking while also looking down at their phones • Girl walking alone • Girl walking quickly • Girl walking while talking on her phone; looks straight ahead • Cyclist passes through • Boy walking with earphones • Girl walking with earphones • 1 girl and 1 boy walk together silently • Boy with food walking quickly • Skateboarder with earphones passes through • Boy walking confidently with earphones • Girl walking quickly • Girl walking while looking down at her phone and smiling • Girl walking while carrying her phone and a thermos in her hands

Fitzsimmons 8 • Girl walking quickly and looking around, but her expression is not friendly • Boy walking with earphones, looking down at sidewalk and straight ahead • Woman walking relaxed and slow, but her expression is not friendly • Boy walking while talking on the phone • Boy walking while looking down at his phone • Boy wearing sunglasses walking while looking straight ahead • Boy walking with his hands in his pockets. He looks around, but his expression is grumpy.

• Boy walking while talking on his phone • Boy walking with earphones, looking down at his phone • Girl walking with her head high and using earphones • Another girl walking confidently and wearing headphones • Boy walking and twisting his backpack • Person rides by on a scooter • Cyclists passes through • Boy walking while talking on his phone • Girl walking while carrying a laundry basket • Girl walking and looking down at her phone • Girl walking with her phone in hand but not looking at it; her expression is not friendly • Boy walking with earphones

Fitzsimmons 9 • Boy walking while both looking around and down at his phone • Girl and boy with dog, walking slowly and silently • Boy walking very slowly, using his phone and earphones; he stops at a bench and sits for a long time • Boy walking while looking down at his phone • Boy walking, looking both down at his phone and up and around; he uses the shortcut • Cyclist passes through • Girl walking quickly while looking down • Girl walking while looking down at her phone • Girl walking while looking down at her phone • 2 girls walking slowly and relaxed while talking; they use the shortcut • Boy walking quickly; he uses the shortcut • 2 boys walking; one is on his phone • Girl walking and smiling while on her phone • Boy with headphones walking quickly while looking down and occasionally at his phone • Boy walking quickly and looking around • Girl walking while looking down at her phone • 4 independent people riding scooters • Girl walking with earphones • Boy walking with

Fitzsimmons 10 earphones • Girl walking with earphones • Boy walking; he uses the shortcut • Girl walking while looking straight ahead with an unfriendly expression

Focus Area: Walker-Adams Mall, Northeast Corner

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