FOUNDATION phatic

story by simon cox

Most students eat lunch every day. While many bring their lunch, even more buy one from the school. To get through either lunch line, you have to talk to at least one of the kitchen staff. Whether it’s the person handing you a slice of pizza, or the one at the register. But how many of us have ever struck up a conversation with them; asked how they were doing? How many of us even know their names?

I doubt you need me to tell you the answer.

I’m not saying you’re a horrible person for not getting to know the kitchen staff. I’m certainly no better than most. It’s always much easier to simply go through the motions when it comes to school. This is especially true when it comes to mundane tasks like the lunch line.

But I’m often surprised when I buy a school lunch at how few people even provide a simple thank you. It’s not uncommon to see someone not even acknowledge the cashier when they say “You’re good to go.” It seems to me like many students treat them like NPC’s. They’re simply doing their job because it’s their job.

But if they’re not NPC’s, why do they do what they do? If you take the time to get to know them, you’ll get that answer.

It’s not just the kitchen staff who are in this position.

Classified staff is the name given to staff who aren’t required to have some form of an education certificate. Some examples are

Discussing classified staff at South, and the effect Phatic language has on our relationships with them.

kitchen staff, attendance staff, office secretaries and building subs. All these positions are integral to South running smoothly. Because nothing is inherently wrong with not getting to know staff, it’s easy to rationalize a curt hello or a phatic how are you. Phatic expressions are phrases that serve just to maintain a social relationship. Common American examples being “What’s up?” or “How’s it going?”. In America, if you walk up to someone and ask how it’s going, they’re likely not going to be honest with you. More likely they’ll respond with, “Good, how about you?”. Whereas in the UK if you were to ask someone “How’s it going?”, they’d think you were genuinely inquiring on the state of their life.

The word to focus on in that definition is ‘maintain’. When you stick to simple, phatic expressions to communicate with staff, you maintain a simple, phatic relationship. Again, there’s nothing objectively wrong with that. We all have a lot going on in our lives, and you can’t have an in-depth conversation with everyone you come across in a day.

In American society, you’ll be left in the dust without phatic expressions. Who in the world has time to get to know every stranger in their life?

At the end of the day, nothing will happen if you continue treating the staff like robots. Most people won’t notice, and fewer will think anything of it.

But think about all the friends you wouldn’t have if you never tried to get to know them. Is there really a difference?

Unfortunately these are all symptoms of a more foundational problem. Time.

This isn’t a school issue or a generational issue --it’s a societal issue. The “grindset”/ hustle-like mentality often seems to be the backbone of American society. It’s clear to anyone who isn’t brainwashed that most platonic relationships are seen as a secondary priority, along with health, happiness and other seemingly important parts of life.

Get good grades. No, great grades. A 4.0 gpa. Score high on the ACT, and get all these scholarships or else.

Or else go into debt before you’re 25. There simply is no time allotted for relationships. You can make time, sure, but that’s time someone else is spending to get that full ride to Vanderbilt.

However, everyone has time to at least acknowledge the people working behind the scenes day in and day out to keep the school running.

So next time a kitchen staff member checks you out of the lunch line, or an attendance secretary stamps your late slip, the least you can do-- the least we all can do-- is look them in the eye and say thank you.

Phatic Language And Its Place In Society

Phatic expressions are used in almost every country throughout the world, and most are different. In the UK for example, rather than “How’s it going?” they say, “Are you alright?” If you were to say “Are you alright?” in America, it would seem like you were genuinely concernced for the person. Phatic language itslef is not a problem; rather, it is a very useful tool. However, I feel it is often overused. In a capitalist, hustle culture like ours where people feel bound to the fast lane, it’s easy to feel like any stop on our race to nowhere is a distraction or an obstacle. Phatic language enables that thinking and the behavior that comes with it.