Description
Assignment #1: THE VIOLATION OF NORMS
Purpose:
This exercise asks you to violate a norm in a SAFE way and report about the experience. The objective of the exercise is to determine the extent to which norms influence behavior. Thus, you will want to pay particular attention to the reactions of both YOURSELF and OTHERS.
Guidelines:
- Select a norm that is common in our society. Be creative!
- Break the norm in a socially/physically safe setting. DO NOT VIOLATE ANY COVID PROTOCOLS OF MASK-WEARING OR SOCIAL DISTANCING FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT.
- Observe the reactions of others and yourself, both verbal and nonverbal.
- Record (write down, NOT video record) as quickly as possible those reactions.
**DO NOT:
- Break laws or cause anyone else to break the law.
- Cause harm to yourself or anyone else, including risking exposure to COVID.
- Do anything that is overtly offensive or legally, morally, and/or ethically questionable (in other words, break a folkway, not a more or a law).
Format:
Answer the following three questions. Number each response and follow the guidelines for the number of sentences for each response.
- state the norm you violated (one sentence),
- describe how you violated the normthe physical setting, the social setting, and how many and what types of persons were there (two – three sentences), and
- interpret the reactions to your norm violation (three – five sentences):
- How did you feel as you were violating the norm?
- How did others react?
- What did you learn about how norms organize and control behavior?
