French Social Psychology

So last week was the first lesson i took in french, and after everyone finished filing into the room and taking up spaces, lo and behold, there were just enough chairs, by pure coincidence, probably. And everyone who came with friends of course sat together, and people who came alone started to make friends with the person next to them and that sort of thing. And then the teacher made us partner up because you just need someone to throw bad french at.

And so after the lesson, one day when i was bored in camp (which is rather common anyway) I start to wonder if the seating arrangements this week would be the same as last week. I mean, obviously the people who were partnered up would sit next to each other, but would they still sit in the same places around the classroom and resume the same order as before, or not?

Turns out they did, even after i deliberately sat in a diff spot (I was early coz i went for that singing thing prior to this lesson) so everyone sat in the same configuration as before, even with extra chairs now (which were there because there were not enough chairs for the hesitant singers) just that the social groupings were more clearly demarcated this time around with the spare chairs (and missing people).

So, why? Because they're still into remembering people's names by location, instead of by face, and thus by sitting in the same place they're implicitly agreeing to a pact that everyone should sit in the same place damnit so i know who you are? Because they're comfortable with certain other people being 'on the other side of the room'? Probably when they first came in and took their places at the start of the course they would try to sit next to someone they would possibly get along with, based on pre-held prejudices and assumptions and things. So the 15 year old schoolkid didn't sit next to the ..... relatively more chronologically advanced remiser, and instead sat next to the other young girl.

The thing is, would those initial impressions change, and would they instead sit next to other people once they've discovered what they're like? hm. apparently not, maybe because the primary purpose of the class is to learn french, after all, and not make friends. But well certainly observing other people is starting to get rather interesting.