SOC/100
University Of Phoenix
In my observation findings I will first start by explaining the setting in which it took place. I
chose to do my observations at Freedom House Behavioral Health Alumni event which was a
chili cook off. This event took place in the evening from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. This group is very
diverse ranging from 18-60 year old Caucasian, African American, and Hispanics. This was a
group of people who had once attended and graduated an inpatient treatment center. Everyone
comes together every 3 months to welcome newcomers, celebrate the road to recovery that
they are currently on. In my observation I saw how much differently the men interact with
each other compared to the women. The men were at tables eating and talking football,
whereas the females were sharing their recovery stories. So it showed me that the
communication styles between men and women are much different. The overall setting of the
cook off was to give everyone a chance to communicate together and get involved in a
closing Narcotics Anonymous meeting. The cultural norms I observed at this narcotic
anonymous meeting were the anonymity it created a safe and non-judgmental setting for the
individuals to share and get their testimony out. I noticed each person talking only addressed
themselves on a first name basis, furthermore maintaining a level of confidentiality and
abiding by the anonymity principle. In my finding the next cultural norm I noticed was the
support and positive reinforcement each member had with each other. I also noticed that it
was very diverse and the acceptance was immediate with this atmosphere of individuals. I