Submission Date

4-28-2025

Document Type

Paper

Department

Sociology

Adviser

Lauren Wynne

Committee Member

Kelly Sorensen

Committee Member

Catherine van de Ruit

Department Chair

Lauren Wynne

Project Description

In his 1963 book Behavior in Public Places, Erving Goffman described the concept of civil inattention as the most proper form of public interaction with strangers. It takes the form of a simple nod or glance as we pass by a stranger on the street. Civil inattention strikes a balance between asking too much of strangers or ignoring them entirely. It allows us to acknowledge one another just long enough to establish politeness and trust that both parties are using the established place as intended and do not pose a threat to one another. Through an observational case study of the Norristown Transportation Center, I argue that our propensity for civil inattention is beginning to change. What is now taking place in public places is not civil inattention as Goffman described, but a more complete form of inattention that reflects a complete avoidance of strangers. The primary force at work in this change is our ritualized use of smartphones. Through my observations, I argue that these changes in civility are not limited to public spaces like the train station and may have more wide-reaching consequences on human interaction.

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