Schulman, Sam2020-11-052020-11-051974197413764287https://hdl.handle.net/10657/7068Within the complex urban setting of Houston, Hauser's Place functions as a meeting place for friendship groups which serve as primary groups for the twenty-six businessmen and professionals who meet there regularly for lunch. The study is based on eleven months of participant observation research conducted while employed as a cocktail waitress in this small restaurant-bar. Characteristics of the bar fostering intimate customer interaction are explored. The customers have created a general atmosphere within which they meet in small groups of friends. These groups are of two types - those composed of socially mobile men seeking status through group affiliation and those composed of men who having obtained a high level of financial success seek security and intimacy. In order to maintain their interaction these groups have developed a system of relating to each other, nongroup members who are regularly in the bar, and newcomers.application/pdfenThis item is protected by copyright but is made available here under a claim of fair use (17 U.S.C. §107) for non-profit research and educational purposes. Users of this work assume the responsibility for determining copyright status prior to reusing, publishing, or reproducing this item for purposes other than what is allowed by fair use or other copyright exemptions. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires express permission of the copyright holder.Hauser's PlaceThesisreformatted digital