...In our society we have what are called norms. Norms are the expectations, or rules of behavior that develop out of a group’s values (Ramirez-Tinoco, Values and Norms Discussion). People react to norms differently in different times and places and this is what makes up certain norms being norms. I witnessed two norm violations being committed, and I committed one myself. By committing this norm violation I went against my values and my own expectations not only for myself, but also for the expectations others have for me. Values are standards by which people define good and bad beautiful and ugly (Ramirez-Tinoco, Norms Vary Discussion). Without using norms such as mores in our everyday life, our society would not be able to operate properly....
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...In my Norm Violation assignment I chose to break the common dining etiquette norm of eating with your hands. Since eating with your hands is only deviant behavior in certain dining situations, I chose to break this norm at a local sit-down restaurant in Eugene, Café Soriah. I went to the downtown restaurant with a group of friends for an afternoon meal without telling them of my Norm Violation assignment. Being the only informed one in the experiment seemed like the best way to get the most candid reactions from my peers. When I arrived to the restaurant I immediately noticed several social norms that everyone at the establishment was following. The customers and the staff were well dressed, and everyone was conducting himself or herself in an appropriate indoor manor. Everyone who was dining there was using silverware and had napkins in their laps as well. I also noticed that the group of people I had walked in with had already broken some less serious social norms or folkways. They way we were dressed epitomized college students who were struggling financially and those who did not have dressing nice high on their list of priorities. I could tell that we had instantly acquired stigmas from both the staff and some of the customers, simply by how we were dressed for the setting we were in. However, we were not acting unruly by any means and these stigmatisms seemed to be overlooked once we were seated. We were seated in a very open area of the restaurant and immediately...
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...The norm I will violate in this project is the norm of what is and is not appropriate to wear out in public. Typically, when leaving our homes for whatever reason, we are expected to look presentable; neatly groomed, not wearing sweatpants or pajamas, and just all around portraying our best selves to the world. However, I have noticed that specifically in shopping environments, customers can sometimes be seen in grungy clothes, like cookie-monster pajama pants or their hair hastily thrown up in a bun. People who dress up while going out look at these people and use it to make them feel superior to them; making them feel accomplished and all around “better” than others because they are primped and presentable. To violate this norm, I will got...
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...Deviance is defined as as a violation of social norms, in regards to sociology. But what if deviance is actually just the opposite? What if deviance is simply a social norm? Cultural deviance theory suggests that the conformity to cultural norms of lower class societies actually causes crime. Simply stated, if you are in a lower class of society, committing a crime is actually an act of conformity. In the case of these poor societies, it is more obscure to not conform to the consistent lifestyle of crime. Moreover, does deviance really even exist in these societies? Those born into a lower class society, according to the cultural deviance theory, are born into a life of crime. Members of the poor society are expected to commit crimes, due...
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...Shaming: to publicly humiliate or shame for being or doing something dishonorable or disrespectful. Historically shaming has been all about control and social norms. The society responds to misbehavior by publically shaming the person in order to each him a moral lesson and lead him to repentance. It is about imposing hardship on the offender that closely mirrors his wrongdoing. We can see through out history, cultures have resorted to publically criticizing, flaying, branding, egregious form of punishment like chopping body, stoning etc., in response to violation of social norms. Intention of public shaming is to humiliate a person and has been integral to the legal system during its evolutionary stage. Shaming was primary means of restoring...
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...The social norm I chose to violate was to sit in an empty chair at an otherwise occupied table. I chose a table occupied by three people in a coffee shop in Portland, Oregon. There was not much of a reaction to the social norm violation I committed. The people at the table just looked at me for a moment. After an awkward moment of silence the people at the table said hello and made small talk with me. They were very friendly and easy going. They did not seem to mind that I sat at their table uninvited. After speaking for a few minutes I explained to them that this was a psychology assignment and let them read the assignment. The people at the table were somewhat confused as to why such a thing would be assigned by a college professor. They explained that they felt it was inappropriate for a teacher to ask students to put themselves into any of the listed situations. All the people stated they were not offended by someone actually doing these things. They were bothered that students were required to violate any of the “so-called social norms on the list”. I found my actions to be rude and inconsiderate. I would not like it if someone came over and sat at my table uninvited. Maybe someone wants to have a private conversation with the others at the table. Maybe someone is on a date and wants to be alone. Maybe the people at the table are criminals. Maybe the people do not care if someone sits at their table uninvited. The bottom line is that for me it was uncomfortable...
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...Social norms are customs that we are conditioned to percieve as ordinary. Social norms have their pupose in our society. One can look at social norms as being favorable or unfavorable. I personally think that social norms are often a positive thing as they help keep us in order. For this paper I decided to violate a social norm that is derived from folkways. Folways are common demeanors related to rituals and triditions of a certain society. The norm that I choose to violate for this paper required me to cut into the middle of a line by myelf and stay in line for atleast 2 minutes. I decided to violate this social norm on the campus of Queensborough Commnity Colloge, in the cafeteria located in the science building. I choose this specific...
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...Professor Monica Sosa SOIC 1301 11 April, 2016 Breaching Experiment Many people feel that it is uncomfortable standing closely to someone during a conversation, in an elevator or while walking. I have chosen this social norm violation because it really happens to many people. As I walk around people or when I’m in an elevator my first thought is to be mindful of their personal space because all humans have boundaries. Many people feel if their personal space is disrupted they are being attacked. Trying to keep a comfortable amount of distance between ourselves and strangers is very hard because there are many reason for one not knowing others’ cultural customs, religion belief, professional regulations, and even gender preferences. But the norm of personal space is what make us unique as Americans. Other cultures may not have the same expectation when it comes to personal space. In some cultures, greeting complete strangers with a hug and a kiss on each cheek is not only normal, but also expected. Other cultures find it completely normal to stand very close to someone you don’t know while talking to them. If either of these things happened to us in America we would be shocked and probably very uncomfortable. In America, personal space is a social norm that will definitely receive negative sanctions if violated. We also refer to our personal space as our “bubble”. Because when someone is facing us, they must be a certain distance away or we begin to feel uncomfortable...
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...system of ideas … constitute a design for living” Zvi Namenwirth & Rober Weber 2 /3 /2 0 1 6 P a tr ic k F o o n g VALUES Values: Ideas about what a group believes to be good, right and desirable; shared assumptions about how things ought to be They include a society’s attitude to individual freedom, truth, justice, social obligations, the role of women, love, sex, marriage, etc. They are invested with considerable emotional significance; people argue, fight and even die over values such as freedom 2 /3 /2 0 1 6 P a tr ic k F o o n g NORMS Norms are the social rules that govern people’s actions toward one another based on values It can be subdivided into: folkways and mores 2 /3 /2 0 1 6 P a tr ic k F o o n g FOLKWAYS Folkways are the social conventions of daily life Good social manners, appropriate dress code, eating with the right utensils, etc. Violation of folkways is not normally a serious matter; people may consider violators as weird or eccentric and if you’re a foreigner, you may be initially excused 2 /3 /2 0 1 6 P a tr ic k F o o n g FOLKWAYS Eg attitudes toward time in different cultures ie lateness What is the general attitude toward punctuality in your culture? 2 /3 /2 0 1 6 P a tr ic k F o o n g FOLKWAYS Malaysian time or Swiss time? Also Arab, Latin and Mediterranean cultures 2 /3 /2 0 1 6 P a tr ic k F o o n g FOLKWAYS Folkways also include rituals and symbolic...
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...Assignment 3: Nonverbal Communication – Violating Social Norms Assignment 3: Nonverbal Communication – Violating Social Norms When I started this assignment I was totally lost. I couldn’t find which direction to go in until I researched the title and read over the chapters in the book a little more for a better understanding. Then it hit me and I realized how cool I was going to make this assignment. Before I get into the first scenario I want to briefly go over what I learned about nonverbal communication and social norms. Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal communication is “behaviors and characteristics that convey meaning without the use of words” (Floyd, 2011, p.179). How I interpret the meaning of nonverbal communication? In my opinion these are emotions that are not consciously controlled but an instant reaction off of one of our sudden perceptions. Our senses pick up this vibe. This is why people lean towards respecting nonverbal communication better than what a person actually says out of his/her mouth is because nonverbal communication is more honest. It’s an automatic reaction in most cases like a reflux (123helpme.com, 2000). Using of nonverbal communication. An example of nonverbal communication is “for instance, if someone asks you for directions to the bookstore and you point and say “It’s that way”, your nonverbal behavior (pointing) clarifies the meaning of your verbal message” (Floyd, 2011, p. 179). “In contrast, if you say “It’s...
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...reaction and centuries of habit has deeply ingrained this behavior into society. It has developed a sort of "functional autonomy" meaning that the modern implication of "bless you" is detached from its roots (Psychology Today). Acknowledging a stranger, be it holding the door or elevator, is not only tied to the impression an individual gives, but it has become a norm and an expectation in everyday behavior. Some may even be offended or hurt when others do not conform, leading to a dispute like the one between Robin and Michael in Seinfeld's "Good Samaritan" episode. Analyzing the social context makes it apparent that society uses norms to guide behavior and pressure people to conform while frowning upon those who stray from expectations. In a Seinfeld scene where Robin, Michael, Elaine, and George have dinner at a moderately classy restaurant, Robin sneezes and George hesitates before saying "bless you." George then proceeds to joke that Michael, who is Robin's husband, ought to have the responsibility of saying "bless you" first (Seinfeldology). George points out Michael's lack of adherence to the social norms demanded in such a formal setting. In this case, there is a variety of factors that shape the level of formality. The group is in a relatively upscale environment where appropriate attire applies, wine is served, and diners ask instead of reaching over for the bread basket. This adds to the social pressure that comes with proper dinner table manners and...
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...those culture. Part II – Current Culture A. Cultural Type As we can see in the accompanying OCI Circumplex, Sandstone is strongest in the Aggressive/Defensive Styles. This Aggressive/Defensive culture is generally one “in which members are expected to approach tasks in forceful ways to protect their status and security, are characterized by Oppositional, Power, Competitive, and Perfectionistic norms.” * Oppositional: pointing out flaws * Power: building up one’s power base * Competitive: turning the job into a contest * Perfectionistic: doing things perfect Primary style is Competitive This was the cultural norm with the greatest percent score: 89%. According to the OCI Interpretation & Development Guide, a Competitive culture is generally one “in which winning is valued and members are rewarded for outperforming one another. Members operate in a "win-lose" framework and believe they must work against (rather than with) their peers to be noticed”. (Turn the job into a contest; never appear to lose) Secondary style is Oppositional This was the cultural norm with the second greatest percent score: 88%. According to the OCI Interpretation & Development Guide,...
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...Challenging the Social Norm. “Story Of An Hour” by Kate Chopin is a telling story about a woman, Mrs. Mallard, who’s given the horrible news that her husband has passed away in a train wreck. Devastated by her husband’s sudden death, she excuses herself and immediately rushes to her bedroom; this is where readers see a different side of Mrs. Mallard. In time she has taken on a different angle of life. Although obviously upset about her husband’s sudden death, Mrs.Mallard has something to be happy about. In 1894 when the “Story Of An Hour” was written, women didn’t have a say over anything and because of her husband's death; Mrs.Mallard learns the cost of both freedom gained, and freedom lost. Kate Chopin lived in a time period when women really did not have any rights. Therefore her stories typically focused entirely around the theme of female characters who dealt with these problems; Chopin was well known for writing about these society blocks. However in her stories the women usually take on a more conventional side than what would be expected. Normally they chose their own path rather than what society would want. One theme in Chopin’s story is freedom (Mayer, 95). In the beginning of “The Story of an Hour” the scene opens up and readers are introduced to Mrs. Mallard, who has been told that her husband has died in a horrible train wreck.She reacts to this news like any other wife would -- yes, she is clearly upset so she excuses herself and rushes off to her bedroom...
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...as in the case of noise pollution. However, human behavior is not always simple when determining the source. Many points of input are present, one of them being environmental cues. “Cues are elements in the environment that convey important information or trigger an affective reaction” (Steg, 2013, p. 120). How a human responds and impacts the environment is determined by the cues and the message they convey. Environmental Cues and Behavior “Sentences, words, and visual images are environmental cues that can affect the behavior of individuals (Charles-Sire, Guéguen, Pascual, & Meineri, 2012, p. 457). The presence of environmental cues is constant and therefore shapes human behavior in positive, as well as negative ways. Social norms and laws or rules are reinforced or weakened as a result of environmental cues. For example, a fabric rail queue line at the bank is meant to control the line and spread the customers for quicker service. Some individuals adhere to this cue regardless of the abundance or lack of customers while others adhere only if no way around it is found. Cues can be as basic as signs warning to not litter or as involved as public service announcements and social media campaigns. Behavior Modification There are often a variety of external cues and internal drives that shape behavior. As such, when an individual has set a goal to meet or an intention for new behavior, when the circumstances change, often the goals and intentions are dropped because...
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...Norms are based on your behavior. Norms can be put into many groups. Informal norms are everyday behavior. They aren’t written down and can be as common as saying “good morning” and washing your hands or saying a prayer before you eat. Formal norms are written down into a law, which, if broken you will face a punishment. Examples of formal norms are do not steal from a store or do not speed. We enforce norms by sanctions. Sanctions can be positive or negative. Positive sanctions could be as simple as smiling at somebody or as formal as receiving a raise. Negative sanctions could be a frown or going to prison. Society adapts the norms to the world around them. For example, people in Texas don’t need to wear the same winter apparel...
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