CLUBBING!The thrills, chills, and effects clubbing has on self-

esteem.

Whats this ethnographic study about?The club definitely plays a big role in any college students life, but does it play a bigger role than we think? With all of the emotions we experience in the club, I began to wonder what toll it has on us emotionally. Is it possible that clubbing can have an effect on our self esteem? And if so, what effects? This theory led to my ethnographic study, which is to find out what affect clubbing has on the self esteem of students from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte(UNCC).

Who/What is being studied?

UNC Charlotte Students!

Bar Charlotte!

who go to

Elements that affect Self-Esteem:

● Environment

● Music

● Attire

● Dancing

● Alcohol

● Gender

The Environment

The environment plays a huge role in the clubbing experience. If the club did not have the atmosphere it does, the energy and enthusiasm of the clubbers would be very different.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEphhR5PhRg

The Environment Analysis:My study revealed that the environment certainly plays a

role in the self-esteem and confidence of the clubbers. When clubbers arrive, they must first wait in line in an alleyway that is buzzing from the bass in the club. This not only builds the anticipation, but also sets the mood. Clubbers wait in line calmly and very reserved, but once they entered the club, (the environment) their moods drastically changed. Upon entrance, you see bars, flashing lights, a mechanical bull, poles to dance on and hot bartenders dancing to the blaring music. You also walk into a sea of people dancing, drinking and partying.

The Environmental Analysis: (Continued)

I noticed that once they entered, they went nuts, and became a completely different person from who was standing outside in line. The setting provokes an overload of emotions, filled with excitement and thrills.This casual and crazy environment lets the clubber know that whatever happens in the club, stays in the club, which encourages him/her to do what they wouldn't normally do. It is more encouraging to act out when everyone else around you is too, which is how the clubbers got a boost in confidence as well as self-esteem.

The Music

The music taste for Bar Charlotte is the stereotypical music for most clubs. The genres include rap, pop and rave. This music is a major benefactor in setting the mood with its provocative lyrics and upbeat tunes.

-Shelly Ronen

The Music Analysis:

Just by playing a certain song, the club could instantly become alive or instantly die down. It became apparent that whenever certain songs came on, more people were asked to dance, and more dancing occured.

The Music Analysis: (Continued)

I certainly noticed a direct correlation between the music and the dancers. The music got the people hyped, when the beat accelerated, so did the dancing. The music serves as a motivator to go out and get that dance. At the same time, if the song was slower, it also discouraged dancing, which lead to a drop in confidence.

The Attire

Most clubs have standards or dress codes that must be met to enter. This stresses how much we value our appearance, and how it makes us feel. Along with this, it also displays how much we value what others think of us based off of our appearance, which relates to how high our self-esteem is. We judge others based off of appearance, as this is often what we base our first impressions on. We also base our attire of what we feel will impress others, which is why the majority of clubbers attire is very revealing.

Mens Wear

http://fashionfinder.asos.com/mens-outfits/chill-leopard-look--387178

http://fashionfinder.asos.com/mens-outfits/diesel-denim-outfit-384235

http://fashionfinder.asos.com/mens-outfits/street-wear-386258

Womens Wear

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When asked in a survey,

of females on campus confirmed that the way they dress does have an effect on their self esteem when it came to going out to the club.

The Attire Analysis:

Attire was also another major factor in the club. It was obvious that the girls who dressed in a more revealing way ultimately got more dances and drinks, and the guys who were dressed more nicely were also turned down less often. In return, this resulted in a larger ego boost and higher self-esteem.

The Attire Analysis: (Continued)

On the other hand, it is also important to note that those who did emphasize dressing more revealing could have been lacking confidence in their other assets, and felt the need to make up with it by dressing nicely. For example: If they can’t dance as well, they make up for it with their attire.

The Dancing

The main reason to go to the club is to dance. The major form of dancing in the club is grinding. Grinding is a very suggestive and sexual dance, which involves the repetitive rotations and motions between a females back side and the males front side.

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-Hannah Weinstein

The Dancing Analysis:

A reoccuring pattern was very obvious, that the females and males who danced well were more bold in their actions, and became the clubbers who worked their way around the room. As they scored more dances, their body language revealed emotions of pure happiness. They then proceeded to go for more and more dances, as opposed to those that were turned down, or approached less. Basically more dances equals more confidence.

The Dancing Analysis: (Continued)

Clubbers dancing abilities are used as indicators on how well they will perform in more intimate situations, therefore how well you dance is a direct reflection of how well you can satisfy someones wants and needs. With this said, it is a given that dancing is a main pinpoint of the pressures felt while clubbing. The ability to dance directly reflects how confident the dancers will feel, and the reactions may enhance or diminish this feeling.

The Alcohol

Since all dance clubs have some type of bar area in them, alcohol is another major element of the clubbing experience. The powers of alcohol are ever so strong, as it can alter reality for us and cause us to do acts we wouldn't normally be daring enough to do, especially flirtatious acts.

http://duijusticelink.aaa.com/for-the-public/get-educated/alcohol-quiz

http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2014/03/10-of-the-worlds-most-expensive-beers/

http://www.askmen.com/entertainment/special_feature_300/385_tuesday-trivia-shots-you-should-never-drink-after-college.html

The Alcohol Analysis:It was very obvious that the more drinks they consumed,

the less they cared and the more confident they became. Alcohol serves as a temporary self esteem booster. Along with this, the number of drinks you’re offered is considered a gauge of how popular you are in the club. I noticed that girls who received substantially more drinks than others became that much more outgoing and bold than those who did not receive any. The feeling of being rewarded worked in a positive way towards their self esteem, just as the feeling of being left out did not work in their favor.

Gender

There are many differences in the pressures that come along with being a boy and girl in the club. Females have pressures to be presentable, attractive and beautiful. They also face the pressure of being able to dance well and seductively.On the other hand, males face a different dilemma. They have to fight for the females acceptance, while are also expected to provide the drinks for the female, and win them over with charm and wit.

Gender (Continued)

As Roy F. Baumeister points out in his article, “People high in self-esteem claim to be more likable and attractive, to have better relationships, and to make better impressions on others than people with low self-esteem.” This was evident in the club as those who had more self esteem in the club were seen as more attractive to the other genders. The guys who were charming and bold got more dances than the guys who shyly walked up to girls and just grabbed their hips. Similarly, the girls who were more bold got more dances too; those who danced on the bar and made direct eye contact to call someone out ultimately got the dance over the girl just standing in the corner.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/22/running-into-your-ex_n_3582280.html

-Bernard Berk

Gender Analysis: (Continued)

It became evident that when girls didn’t receive the attention they wanted, they certainly reacted. Many females were seen comparing themselves to others. When they realized that they weren't being offered as many dances or drinks as others, they often changed their behavior. Some jumped on top of the bar in order to get more attention, while others danced in a more seductive and suggestive way. This lowered their self esteem, which in return triggered a flight or fight response. Either option they chose still reflects the same result. Their self esteem was damaged by this lack of attention, ultimately changing their mood.

Gender Analysis: (Continued)

When observing, I noticed that once a guy was shot down by around 3 different girls, their mood drastically changed. They smiled less and also became less hyper. Some resorted to offering drinks as a bribe to get dances. If this didn’t work, many left. As anyone could imagine, being turned down to dance by multiple woman has a very negative effect on a mans self esteem. When surveyed, one anonymous male stated that “When I ask a cutie to dance and she says no, I’m fine, but if it keeps happening its definitely a bummer.” Each rejection just hurt them that much more.

The Overall ResultOverall, the clubbing experience does have a substantial effect on

the self esteem of clubbers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After concluding the data gathered through my own personal observations, scholarly articles, interviews and surveys, it is very evident that the clubbing that we college students cherish so much may actually take a bigger toll on us than we think, having lasting effects. Just as Becki L. Ross points out in her article, too much of this type of attention actually becomes more demeaning than positive, therefore affecting the self esteem of the clubber in a negative way.The club serves as a place for most to unwind, meet new people, but also can serve as a hindrance on how we feel about ourselves and our self esteem, may that be in a positive or negative way.