Bonnie Linn
Writing Workshop II
Professor Keefer
May 10, 1997
Windows and How They Affect Human Behavior
or Windows and the "Rameses Complex"
You might wonder where the term "Rameses Complex" comes
from. For a bit of background, the movie, The Ten Commandments,
is about how the Hebrews came to be freed from bondage and how
they were delivered out of Egypt, and how God gave them the Ten
Commandments. However, for purposes of this paper, Rameses is
the main character of interest. Rameses was Pharaoh of Egypt at
the time and decreed that a city should be built in his honor.
Moses was sent to build this city, which he did with great
success. Rameses went to see the construction of the city in
progress and, as Moses pulled back the curtains from the palace
windows, Rameses viewed the City of Goshom that was being built
in his honor. The city was filled with images of Rameses and
dhis name was inscribed everywhere. Moses declared that Goshom
and all within its borders belonged to Rameses and that it was
Rameses' greatest triumph. Thus, the creation of the Rameses
Complex. Although the term Rameses Complex is a state of mind, a
working definition would be making your mark on the city, the
desire to conquer, or to own all that is within your borders.
Like Rameses, throughout our lives, we set certain goals for
ourselves and as we accomplish these goals they become our
triumphs and conquests. To some, and particularly in the
workplace today, one of these goals may be to obtain that office
with the window. Reason would dictate that the size of the
office space would be most important to the individual, however,
this is not necessarily true. Windows would be the enticement
for the individual because not everyone wants to be Pharaoh of
the company and the big, posh, corner office is not of interest
to them. Some people are more like Dathan, the Hebrew overseer
in The Ten Commandments. Dathan was content being the head of a
department, but that is not to say he was any less ambitious than
the Pharaoh in his desire for a window. The windows from which
Rameses and Dathan viewed their city may have been on different
social levels, but the windows from which they viewed the city
still signified their conquests and triumphs.
The story of Rameses and Dathan is from a movie and
circumstances in today's workplace are slightly different - but
only slightly. Just like Rameses, attorneys have the same desire
to conquer and to put their mark on the city. They work hard to
acquire the windowed office and once that office is achieved,
they generally gain a certain status within their working
environment. As a result of this change in status, their self-perception changes and they assume a different attitude. This
attitude often manifests itself as the Rameses Complex. An
example of self-perception and status displays itself in the
following story overheard at a party. An individual was hired as
an attorney by a government agency. When he started working, he
perceived himself to be so important that he felt that there must
be some specific way that he should present himself to his
colleagues. He perceived that there must be some appropriate
body language to indicate his newly acquired status. As he
worked, he would either stand up at his desk or lean back in his
chair with his arms crossed or pace the floor as he was thinking.
Finally, his office mate looked at him and asked if he was
troubled by something since he could never sit still. Although
this particular example does not include windows, it illustrates
how, "People will cling to an image tenaciously and let go only
when forced" (Klapp 128). And this image or self-perception is
the important factor in human behavior and how a person's self-perception is elevated by windows.
To understand how windows elevate self-perception, it is
necessary to determine the symbolism of windows and how they have
become such a significant part of American culture. According to
Duncan, "Symbolic integration is achieved through naming" (21).
This "symbolic integration" (Duncan) of windows has occurred
because windows have been a part of a person's space since the
beginning of "permanent building construction" (Tutt). The
windows in these permanent structures were simply holes in the
walls, with no covering, to allow for movement of light and air
through the structure. Coverings were later created out of
different materials such as thin slabs of marble, mica sheets,
and oiled paper. Glass became the material of choice for window
construction in Roman architecture during the Byzantine era by
using bronze "muntins" and small panes of glazed glass. These
first windows were used as decoration. It wasn't until later
that the placement of windows took on an importance. This
placement of windows within a structure, known as "fenestration",
was especailly important during the years that the "Gothic
structural system" was utilized (Tutt). Churches and cathedrals
are the buildings most associated with Gothic architecture and
the use of windows in this style became very important with
respect to "theological considerations" because the light shining
through the stained glass windows in these structures was
considered "a light from heaven" and "was equated with the divine
radiance" (McClellan). Thus, windows began to assume a more
"iconic" (Research) meaning and an importance with respect to our
lives. Possibly, the Puritan influence in this country since the
early 15th century had something to do with the "symbolic
integration" (Duncan 21) of windows into American culture. The
significance of windows has filtered down over the centuries into
our daily lives. For example, in 18th century England,
individuals were taxed based upon the number of windows they had
in their home (Webster's). This is an indication of how the
significance of windows has filtered down through the centuries.
Even in 20th century America, children learn the
significance of light and windows at an early age. In a
Presbyterian upbringing, a child attending church school and
services must sit and listen to the Minister's sermon and Sunday
lesson, which can be pure torture to a young child. However, the
most amusing times for a child who must sit and listen to
something they don't fully understand can be the days when the
sky is cloudless and the sun shines through the stained glass
windows of the church. The stained glass filters the light into
thin rays of multi-colored light that stretch across the white
walls of a church in a kaleidoscope design. Whenever a breeze
moves the trees outside, the design on the walls change. For the
child, this early introduction to the significance of windows is
further amplified when the Minister teaches that the light
shining through the windows is God's light. Indeed, Christian
education includes many references to light and its association
to God and goodness.
The Bible, one of the most widely read books in the world,
establishes the significance of light immediately within the
first page of the Book of Genesis. The passage "and God saw the
light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the
darkness" (Ch 1 v 4) not only establishes the significance of
light, it also adds value to the window. Literally, from the
beginning, light became a symbol of goodness that was created and
offered to the world by God. Other passages in the first chapter
of Genesis further glorify light and establish its importance by
describing it as "the greater light" that would "rule the day"
(Ch 1 v 16). At this point, "symbolic integration" (Duncan 21)
of the window occurs because light shining through the window has
been established or "named" (Duncan 21) as being a symbol of
goodness or a gift from God.
This symbol of light is only one of the millions of signs
and symbols that inundate our daily lives. American culture has
taught us that signs and symbols represent specific things. The
simplest example of how our cultural upbringing defines the way
in which we interpret signs and symbols is the stop sign. A
person living in the United States and traveling from New York to
California by car would immediately understand that, upon seeing
a stop sign, they should stop at the intersection, check for
oncoming vehicles, and then proceed through the intersection.
However, someone from another country who is visiting the United
States may not have the same cultural understanding of the stop
sign that we have. In Greece, for example, even though the words
on the sign say "stop", culturally the sign means slow down
slightly, pull out into the street, then drive like hell so you
don't get hit by oncoming traffic. Another example is the green
traffic light. In the United States, we culturally interpret the
green light as a symbol that means proceed through the
intersection without stopping. In Brazil, however, even though
the green light has the same meaning as the United States, the
cultural interpretation is different. Brazilian drivers,
especially in Rio de Janeiro, stop at a green light first, then
proceed. The reason for this is because Brazilian drivers have a
habit of running red lights. This cultural interpretation may be
a safety precaution in Brazil, but in the United States this
practice could have serious consequences. These instances
represent how a "meaning of a symbol is determined on the basis
of the cultural content or subjective meaning it conveys" (Rossi
135). Although Rossi was speaking of "semiotic structuralism" in
linguistics, this thought applies to windows because the value of
a window can be "determined from its position within a system of
relational differences and oppositions" (Rossi 135).
The "cultural content" (135) Rossi writes about allows
people to communicate in non-verbal ways and one of those ways of
communicating non-verbally is with signs and symbols. The study
of signs and symbols and their "meaning" (Brandt, General) is
called semiotics. Within this study of semiotics there are
several categories of non-verbal communication (Cowan) but this
paper focuses specifically on proxemics. Proxemics is a term
that was originated by Edward T. Hall, a professor of cultural
anthropology (Hall). Proxemics is also called "spatial
relationships" (Scrolls) and throughout this paper the terms are
used interchangeably. Spatial relationships, or proxemics, is
defined by Professor Hall as "the interrelated observations and
theories of man's use of space as a specialized elaboration of
culture" (Hall 1). In laymen's terms, it means the way a person
uses personal and social space and how it is perceived which is
determined, in large part, by a person's culture. Another
explanation would be that it is body language used in culturally
defined ways. Professor Hall explains in his book The Hidden
Dimension how cultural differences can cause different meanings
to be communicated and how different understandings of those
meanings can be received.
The Japanese culture is an example of how the use of body
language can be used to create spatial relationships. Michael
Howard, a cultural anthropologist, found that, in a crowded space
such as a public bath, Japanese women and children were able to
create their own space by using their bodies to either include or
exclude others. They accomplished this by slightly turning their
bodies inward toward the others in their group to create an
invisible boundary (Howard). The "defense of [their] personal
space...is a matter of gesture, posture, and choosing a location
that conveys a clear meaning to others" (Sommer 45). However, in
the United States this crowded condition would be culturally
unacceptable because Americans value space. This non-verbal
communication shows the difference in "expected distance" (Sommer
36) between two cultures. The "expected distance" (Sommer 36)
that Professor Hall considers in The Hidden Dimension, are called
"personal" or "social" distances.
It must be understood and stressed here that a working
environment is also a culture. So how does this relate to
windows affecting human behavior? Let's assume for the moment
that an attorney has just moved into a windowed office after
several years of being in a non-windowed office, specifically
attorneys in the workplace. Finally achieving a windowed space,
this attorney is going to feel important and is going to create a
spatial relationship with the other attorneys. How would that
affect the spatial relationships of the attorneys? Well, a major
portion of communication is done non-verbally. This allows for
perceptions, perceived or not, of class separation and elitist
attitudes or "spatial segregation" (Sommer 41) among those
attorneys that have windows. This class separation may also be
the work of the subordinate individuals within the office.
To illustrate how windows create class separation, I
interviewed Ed Nichols, the manager of one of New York
University's computing facilities. Mr. Nichols works in a space
without any outside windows; however, he does have a glass window
separating him from the general work area. If a student
unfamiliar with the room walked into the computing facility, that
student's societal perceptions would immediately interpret that
Mr. Nichols is spatially segregated behind the glass window and
he is, therefore, the person in charge. Mr. Nichols indicated
that, although he does not necessarily feel important, it is true
that people visiting the computing facility do, in fact, treat
him differently than those working in the general work area
(Nichols). Mr. Nichols does not have the Rameses personality
like attorneys, however, unconsciously, he does communicate a
class separation. Mr. Nichols' spatial relationship with his co-workers indicates that windows do have an affect on human
behavior.
You must also think in terms of value of space when thinking
about windows and their effects on human behavior. Americans are
very territorial as evidenced by our laws on searches and
seizures (Hall 10). In fact, for decades in American business
hierarchy, there has not been a status symbol more "sacrosanct"
(BusinessWeek) than the executive suite. Depicting the windowed
space as a status symbol bestows that same status upon the person
sitting in that office. Therefore, a person wishing to preserve
that image, becomes more protective of their space because their
space has become more valuable.
A symbol loses meaning as it becomes more widely used or
there is a "loss of scarcity" (Klapp, Inflation 5) but as Klapp
suggests in Inflation of Symbols, there are five type of "social
magnifiers" that inflate a symbol and cause them to lose value.
They are: 1)"overstatement", 2) "crusading", 3) "contagious
communication", 4) "self-expansion by identification with
others", and 5) "oversupply" (4). Klapp compares overstatement
to a balloonfish that puffs itself out so it appears threatening
to any intruders. Like a balloonfish, an attorney with a
windowed space can puff himself up so that he appears, not
threatening in this case, but more important to those in the
immediate area. Klapp also calls this "self-enlargement" (7).
However, if attorneys in the windowed spaces continally puff up
their own importance, the space loses value because the attorney
loses credibility. With respect to crusading, Klapp states, that
it is, "Faith in one's own righteousness [that] is a chief mark
of the crusader" and that it is "a self-righteousness that verges
upon authoritarianism when one thinks only his own view is right
and does not hesitate to impose it upon others" (21). Crusading
is conquering and obtaining a windowed office or space is a goal
to conquer. For contagious communication, Klapp likens it to the
commom cold because it is passed unwittingly from one person to
another with "signals [that] act on us so compellingly that we
accept and obey them uncritically and unwittingly, and we label
such communication: authority [and] prestige" (59). People are
so enamoured by others of greater status, that they try to
emulate them. However, if the association continues unchecked,
the value of the status diminishes. Self-expansion or "emotional
hitchhiking" (73) allows the attorney to identify with those that
have already enhanced their status but if everyone in the rank
and file has windowed space, the attorneys' status would
diminish. Oversupply (89-90) is similiar to emotional
hitchhiking. It is an abundance of windows given to people of
lesser rank which will erode the value of a windowed space.
Because of these "social magnifiers" (Klapp, Inflation 4) and the
desire to maintain a certain status, attorneys protect their
space because any shared windowed space is shared status.
The Japanese, on the other hand, according to architect
Rafael Vinoly, are "puzzled by openness" (Moonan 24) that is
created by windows. Although Vinoly is referring to the Glass
Hall in the new Tokyo public center called the Forum that he
designed, this sentiment can be applied to windows in general.
The Glass Hall, as the name implies, is made of glass and the
Japanese are more culturally familiar with doors as status
symbols. As John Cuadrado suggests, doors are "More than purely
[a] practical means of ingress and egress, doorways communicate"
and they "represent a building and its inhabitants" (164). Doors
"dramatize" (Cuadrado) status in Japan as windows do in American
culture.
Since Americans value space, those without a specific
windowed territory tend to make "status generalizations" (Webster
1). Status generalization means "importing of status
distinctions that exist in the outside world, and allowing them
to determine certain features of interaction in small groups"
(Webster 1). "Status generalizations are used to predict
behavior" (Webster 3). Although Webster and Foschi use status
generalization in terms of gender, the use of it here is
appropriate because the have's and have not's can be looked at in
terms of gender.
This paper did not start out as a criticism of attorneys and
should not be construed as such. Attorneys were simply the human
factor used to support the thesis because they were the
professionals that provided the most readily available material.
Additionally, it was not a comparison between windows and
religion. It is a paper on the connection between windows and
human behavior. Rameses' behavior was extreme but he was Pharaoh
and he had been born to rule. Although most people do not have
Rameses' extreme desire for control and conquest, what we view
outside of our windows is our kingdom. Because of windows, we
place ourselves in a higher status and create a self-perception
or image of importance. However, fear of losing our windows and
ths our status within our working environment makes us become
territorial with our space. The working environment, where we
spend a major portion of our time, is an extension of ourselves
and is a representation of our accomplishments and goals.
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