Between a Hard Rock and Postmodernism 9/17/12
I. What is the sociological question?
What are the features of postmodern spaces? II. What is the analytical approach?
Borchard’s approach at the opening of the Hard Rock was a participant observation approach. Borchard wanted to get into the Hard Rock Café the opening night is Las Vegas because he wanted to part of the concert, and the “once-in-a-lifetime experience” like everyone else in line. The line expanded around the 75ft spectacle of the Gibson guitar. Like everyone else, Borchard wanted to be a part of the grand opening to the most iconic and well known Rock and Roll hot spot now known. Borchard was looking to get in and have the time of his life but what he found out was very different. He found out that night that the way you looked acted and seemed to be in society gave you either extreme advantages, or extreme disadvantages. Borchard’s use of participant observation was also used when the random man, whom he has never met before in his life, so easily and eagerly talked about his life with Borchard displaying the use of microwave relationships. III. Findings Borchard didn’t have the right “look” and didn’t act the right way to get into the concert like the blonde man behind him, who was dressed like a rocker and chosen out of everyone to go in ahead of time. The man was chosen because he had the right “look” according to the bouncer who chose him out of hundreds, and was doing for others he saw that fit the protocol. The man may not have had earned his place but in the postmodern world he didn’t have to. All the man had to do was dress different and a way that the people of the concert saw fit and he got in no questions asked. He had the look and that’s all that mattered. Hundreds of others in the crowd may have deserved that spot but may have been dressed for the weather (rain) or just dressed comfortably and