Topic
Political
Anatomy
Source
The search for a seat in Founders
Hall 118, I know we’ve all been there whether we like it or not!
Relation
This relates to the discussion of political anatomy
in our textbook RR chapter 1, page 3 where it states: …”The shaping of a human
body as ‘political anatomy,’ a way that people’s bodies are controlled by
others to operate with the necessary speed and efficiency.”
Description
I’m sure that many of us have had
classes in Founders Hall 118, but for those who haven’t, let me describe it for
you. This large lecture hall, I believe
one of the largest in the school, is located in the north east corner of
Founders Hall. At the front of the classroom, there are two large screens for the
computer, an empty desk sitting in the middle, and the computer controls are
over on the north side. When you turn to
the west, you see rows and rows of burgundy stadium like chairs (there must be
at least 15 rows of seats), staggered up, all facing forward. All of the seats have little fold out desks
to put your papers on, some on the left hand side and some on the right,
depending on which row you sit in.
So far, of my four semesters here,
this is my first semester that I have not had a class in Founders Hall
118. I must say that I am happy about
this. From three semester’s worth of trying
to find the right seat, I believe I have some insight. Now, as many of us already know, the first
three rows are dedicated to the “smart kids”.
Typically, these students stay engaged in the lecture, ask the professor
questions, and most likely get good grades in the class because of this. The next section is the middle rows, let’s
say row 4-12, and these students are typically your average student. They are usually somewhat engaged and come to
class fairly regularly. They arrive on
time enough to choose a seat, and generally do okay in the class. This section, I believe, is the broadest. The next section is the last few rows, let’s
say 13-16. These students are often not
as engaged as the students further down the slope. The often bring their laptops to class, chat
quietly with their friend, or sleep.
These students are here because they have to be, this is probably just a
GE course for them. They often arrive late, coming in through the
back door, and sometimes leave early.
They rarely ask questions. The
last section of seating is the people who sit on the steps alongside the
chairs. These kids were often too late
to get a seat, even in the back. This is
kind of a limbo area, often times they are about the same height level as the
first or middle set of rows, yet I have observed that they have more of the
tendencies of the students seated in the back.
The steps are for students who aren’t quite sure about the class, it is
probably a GE course, but they may still want to get a decent enough grade, but
arriving to class on time can often pose a difficulty.
Commentary/Analysis
The way that Founders Hall 118 is set up is a result
of political anatomy, a way that bodies are positioned for the most optimal
speed and efficiency of the situation. As
anthropologist, we can observe many things about our own culture by simply
examining this classroom. The way it is
set up was not coincidental, it has a specific purpose. The front few rows, as discussed earlier, are
intended for the ‘engaged’ student. They
are on the same level as the professor, they can look directly and evenly into
their professor’s eyes. By being in
close proximity to the professor they are set up to be called on and speak more
in class, just because they are right there in the professors face. It is hard to ignore the students in the
front row. The middle rows are for you
average students. They comply with the
rules by attending class. They are
slightly higher up out of the professors vision so they usually are not called
on, or participate in class discussion not quite as much as those in the first
rows. These students want to blend in,
just be the norm and sit in the middle.
They know what they are there for, and usually just want to get it done
while still withholding some of the information in the class. As for the back rows, these students are not
in the line of site of the professors.
Usually to get the attention of the professor, they have to wait and see
if they make a circulation of the room.
But, if students are up here in the first place, they usually are not
trying to be at class. The students on the
stairs, as stated earlier, are kind of caught in between. Depending on how high
up they sit on the stairs, it determines how much they are planning on paying
attention.
The setup of Founders Hall 118 is very strategic. It is made so that all students must look at
the teacher because the chairs are all facing in that direction, yet depending
on how close you sit to the professor is really how the students are
judged. I think that it is set up in
this manner to allow the students that want to pay attention to do so, and
those who don’t can just pretend that they do because they are already set up
in a position where it looks as if they are paying attention.
