Education experts assert that field trips are necessary at all educational levels. Similarly, in the workplace employees can become exposed to cultural and ethnic differences by participating in field trips. In this regard, field trip enables participators to observe things and events from their perspectives and colleagues’ perspectives. Through this, they would deepen their understanding on specific areas. As such, field trips enable participators to explore places they have never been to, participate in new activities, collect new information, have an indelible experience of their future careers, and attend special events. In general, field trips should serve as a tool for provoking significance in new topics and culminating experiences. Through this paper, I seek to highlight my field trip experiences at an Irish pub.
Before my field trip, I took time to analyze the instructions from my instructor. I was to attend an event that I had never attended before, or do something that I had never done before. Similarly, I was supposed to accomplish the assignment by myself. Having understood the instructions, I decided to attend an Irish pub to watch football as my field trip. As a non-Irish, I was going to be exposed to new situations and cultural and ethnic differences from the Irish people and other people who visited the pub from all over the world. As an Arsenal fan, I was fortunate to note that Arsenal fans were the majority customers in the pub. Therefore, I was going to be welcomed in the club as part of the millions of Arsenal fans all over the world. Thereafter, I was to assess my feelings from the experiences.
On the day Arsenal was playing their game, I arrived at the pub 30 minutes before the pub opened its doors to the public. Since I was wearing an Arsenal jersey, the gatekeeper allowed me in to relax and wait for the pub to be opened. While in the pub, I realized that foods were not being served and that food from outside were prohibited. Surprisingly, the pub officials allowed me to smuggle in food from outside just because I was an Arsenal fan. In the pub, everyone cheered in unison and when Arsenal scored a goal, everybody celebrated. Before the game ended, I heard a fan claiming that a player from the opponent team was a rapist. Following his comments, one of the fans among the crowd shouted back rejecting his claims warning him not to believe in fabricated stories from the media.
At the end of the game, I left the pub having learnt several things. First, I realized that the pub officials were victims of groupthink. I noticed that the pub officials treated all Arsenal fans as part of their family allowing them to disrespect even the pub’s basic rules that might be essential for their existence. From the manner in which I was treated in the pub, by being allowed to enter the location before the pub was officially opened to the public, I believe that groupthink effect has affected the pub’s decision outcomes. All the favors I received from the pub were made possible because I wore an Arsenal Jersey. Therefore, I believe that the pub should stop treating their customers in such manners and let ethics and regulations determine the way to treat their customers.
Another lesson I learnt from the event was that people from different ethnics, cultures, and races are unified through social amenities. In the pub, being an arsenal fan was a guarantee that you would be treated as part of a family regardless of your backgrounds. Therefore, organizations and learning institutions should adopt this principle. Through this, they should encourage students or employees to participate in social amenities to break down social, racial, and ethnic barriers that exist in our societies. Notably, social amenities that will encourage students or employees to mingle with their peers from other regions should be encouraged. Equally, through these events we would all learn to appreciate our diversity and cultural differences. Generally, if field trips are encouraged in our institutions participating individuals will gain immensely from the information gathered and observed from the field.