Brianne lenz and Sam Foreman Heather Blain Rhet 105 Q3 2/1/11

Body image plays a major role in todays so iety a!sing many o" !s to stri#e to loo$ li$e the stars and those portrayed in the media% &he '!estion that (e ame a ross to resear h is (hy (e "ind o!rsel#es moti#ated to (or$o!t and (hat stereotypes and gender roles are set ahead o" !s% Some reasons "or moti#ation that (e "o!nd (ere) the image so iety portrays as the per"e t *ody) the idea o" +the "reshman "i"teen,) ne( years resol!tions and ones o(n health% &o loo$ into this topi (e hose to go to the -%R%. and o*ser#e the di""eren es in (hat type o" people (or$o!t) (hy they (or$o!t and some hidden stereotypes seen% &o gain insight on (hat goes on on amp!s (e (ent to -R. on t(o di""erent days #arying in time to see i" o!r o*ser#ations hanged or (ere onsistent% &he "irst day that (e (ent to o*ser#e (as &h!rsday /an!ary t(enty0se#enth% 1e started o!r o*ser#ations at "o!r o lo $ in the a"ternoon and o*ser#ed !ntil "i#e a"ter si2% &he "irst thing that (e noti ed (as that the gym seemed to *e pretty *!sy in all areas% 1hen (e (al$ed in) the -R. smelt o" s(eat and leaning prod! ts% &he main *as$et*all o!rt *elo( the entran e had a*o!t thirty people shooting aro!nd on the di""erent o!rts all o" (hi h (ere male% 3n one end o" the o!rts there seemed to *e a gro!p o" a*o!t nine males (ho (ere really into it and too$ their game serio!sly% B!t on the opposite end) "arthest "rom the main entran e) there (as a gro!p o" a*o!t "o!r or "i#e players shooting (ith leis!re% -s (e stepped a(ay "rom the *as$et*all o!rt the ratio o" men to (omen *e ame j!st a*o!t e'!al% 1e also o*ser#ed that there seemed to *e no dominant ra e seen (or$ing o!t *!t most people (o!ld (ear similar lothing4 t0shirt) shorts) gym shoes et % another major o*ser#ation that re orded (as the !se o" entertainment (hile

(or$ing o!t% 1ith the -R. *eing ompati*le (ith many state o" the art e'!ipment) many ma hines had &5 monitors or i6od ja $s right on the ma hine itsel") not to mention the other &5s thro!gho!t the -R. or the !se o" 76ods and radios% -s it ame lose to "i#e o lo $ (e noti ed that a*o!t si2ty per ent o" those (ho arri#ed (hen (e did (e "inishing !p their (or$o!t or ha#e le"t) a!sing !s to *elie#e that the typi al (or$o!t is a*o!t "orty0"i#e min!tes to an ho!r% &he se ond day that (as o*ser#ed (as S!nday /an!ary thirtieth at t(el#e thirty in the a"ternoon% &he smell (as onsistent (ith the last time (e o*ser#ed *!t the amo!nt o" people (as drasti ally di""erent% 1hen (e (al$ed in there (as hardly any noise ompared to &h!rsday) the main *as$et*all o!rt had less people *!t this time there (as "o!r girls on the "ar o!rt) and the tra $ a*o#e the *as$et*all o!rt (as empty% 1e (al$ed aro!nd to see i" this emptiness (as onsistent thro!gho!t% &he pool had a good hand"!l o" people s(imming laps) the sa!na had *et(een eight and ten people) the #olley*all o!rts (ere empty% &he area that seemed to *e most pop!lar on a S!nday a"ternoon (as the main le#el ardio se tion and the tra $ a*o#e the ardio se tion on the se ond le#el% 8i$e &h!rsday the lothing (as onsistent and a*o!t ninety0eight per ent o" those (or$ing o!t had an 76od% By t(o o lo $ the main *as$et*all o!rt (as empty and the on e empty tra $ a*o#e it had a*o!t ten people% -"ter o*ser#ing at a prime (or$o!t time on &h!rsday and a #ery '!ite day o" rest on S!nday (e (ere a*le to "ind many onstant #aria*les (ith so iety and ho( "itness and *ody image is seen% 9!ring o!r gro!ps "irst o*ser#ational session) 7 noti ed that most people) espe ially in the "ree0(eights and mats se tions) (or$ed o!t in gro!ps) rather than indi#id!ally) (ith an appro2imate ration o" a*o!t : gro!ps to ea h indi#id!al% 1ithin the gro!ps) noti ea*le so ial intera tion too$ pla e) not only d!ring non0(or$o!t times) *!t also (hile the e2er ises (ere arried o!t% .on#ersations (ere held) in addition to #o al en o!ragement to(ards the person

(or$ing o!t% .on#ersely) it seemed as i" almost all the indi#id!als (or$ing o!t hose to listen to their i6od or mp3 player (hile e2er ising% -lso "rom o!r o*ser#ations) (e (ere a*le to on l!de that the a#erage time spent (or$ing o!t is a*o!t ;5 min!tes to an ho!r% -nother ommonality amongst those at the -R. o!ld *e seen *et(een strength training #ers!s ardio#as !lar e2er ises% -ll in all) it seemed as i" the (eight training se tions (ere predominantly male) (hile the ardio#as !lar e2er ises (ere dominated *y "emales and s ra(nier men% 7 *elie#e that there are se#eral so iologi al reasons that an help e2plain these o*ser#ations% 7t *e omes easier to analyze and e#al!ate these *eha#iors *y onsidering those (ho are there as part o" a !ni'!e) and learly independent s!* !lt!re% - s!* !lt!re is de"ined as +a so ial gro!p (ithin a national !lt!re that has distin ti#e patterns o" *eha#iors and *elie"s%, &his ass!mption is most apparent (hen onsidering (hat #al!es and *eha#iors are onsidered a epta*le (hen (or$ing o!t% For e2ample) altho!gh one most li$ely (o!ld not *e ostra ized "or (earing) say) high heels to go (or$ o!t) they might *e loo$ed at a($(ardly or e#en *e treated di""erently% &hese #al!es o" the gym help to ser#e as a riteria "or e#al!ating the a tions o" others% &hese on eptions o!ld also e2plain (hy there is little to no intera tion *et(een the people (or$ing o!t4 it may *e onsidered improper to interr!pt someone d!ring their r!n% 3ne last point that 7 "eel deser#es mention is the pre#alen e o" gender roles% -s stated in my o*ser#ations) the gym (as pretty learly di#ided amongst men parti ipating in (eight0 training and "ree0(eight e2er ises) (hereas most (omen !se the *ene"its o" a ardio#as !lar (or$o!t to tone and shed the !n(anted po!nds% &hese stereotypi al roles are the res!lt o" long0 held mis on eptions *y so iety) (hi h in t!rn) a ti#ely ontri*!tes to the e#er in reasing pop!larity o" stereotypes and so ial enigmas% 7ts apparent that o!r so iety has a t(isted "i2ation (ith health and physi al *ea!ty% 7ts nearly impossi*le to go e#en a single day (itho!t hearing

a*o!t a ne( diet that j!st ame o!t) or the latest (or$o!t "ad% 7 "o!nd it interesting that) amongst this parti !lar <s!* !lt!re and in some respe ts) so iety at large) that health doesnt depend solely on (hether one is physi ally or mentally +si $, or +(ell), it is more a prod! t o" ones so ial o !rren es and s!rro!ndings% &he in"l!en e o" so iety on ones healthy a tions an ma$e or *rea$ any han e at a potentially healthy li"estyle) as ea h and e#ery one o" !s are s!*je t to not only o!r o(n ro!tines) *!t the press!res) the s!pport) and the standards o" o!r peers and o!r (orld%