Observe life in a café
Are you a keen observer of humanity? Are you aware of your surroundings, tuned into the smells, sounds and motions of everyday life?
Become a Mass Observer for a day
Observational work has been central to the Mass Observation project since its inception in 1937. It was particularly integral to the Worktown project. In Bolton, a team of paid investigators went into a variety of public situations: meetings, religious occasions, sporting and leisure activities, in the street and at work, and recorded people's behaviour and conversation in as much detail as possible. The material they produced is a rich documentary account of life in Britain.
See observations made by original Mass Observers
Spend the afternoon observing life in a café
This should be an enjoyable exercise so take the time to really soak up the atmosphere and environment of the location. Pay close attention to the décor and the people around you. What can you smell? Is there music playing? Are people’s conversations audible? What is the waitress wearing?
This is quite an open-ended exercise and it’s really up to you what you record about your experience. Maybe you wish to divide your observational account in two sections, one describing what you see and hear, and one writing how you feel being there, taking part in the scene? These questions might help you:
- Where am I?
- What is the atmosphere like?
- What can I see, hear and smell?
- How do the people around me behave?
- Why did I choose this place or activity?
- Why does it interest me?
- How do I feel being here?
- Between what times did my observation last?
- What were the main events that happened during that time?
If you would rather observe a different scene or activity, please feel free to do so, but remember to make it clear on your submission what it is that you chose to observe, for example, life around the dinner table at home, yoga class or a day on the beach.
