Breaching A Norm

Bilandzic, Sukalla, Herrmann, and Kinnenrock (2008) have argued that “when people comply with norms, the norms become invisible—in this case social interaction functions smoothly, and social norms that are followed, of course, are not made explicit. In order to find out what norms are endorsed, it is more suitable to look at norm violations and the effects they have in the story’’ (p. 7–8). Thus, this activity will require you to violate a social norm that is taken-for-granted in society, and write about what happens in response to your norm violation.

Following Harold Garfinkel’s design, you are to conduct an ethnomethodological “breaching experiment.” The point of your experiment is not just to “act weird” in public. In this experiment, “the point is to deviate from a specific social norm in a small way, to subtly break some form of social etiquette, and see what happens” (openstax 2015). You will collect data, describe the collection process, and discuss your findings.

Part I – Data Collection

From this list, select a social norm to breach, i.e. break, as a part of your experiment.

Eat food with your hands or stand while eating (at home or at a restaurant)
Talk to someone only using the lyrics of a song (preferably a song they do not know)
Skip or hop on one foot instead of walking in a public place (grocery store, mall, campus, sidewalk, etc.)
When holding a conversation say “what do you mean?” after every statement made by the other party
Sing while in a public place so others can hear you
Stand close to people while having a conversation
Whisper or yell when talking to someone in a “normal” conversation
Sit down right next to someone on a park bench, at a table (in the commons, fast food restaurant, etc.)
YOU MUST SELECT YOUR NORM BREACH FROM THE LIST ABOVE

If you engage in a norm breach that is not listed above, you will receive a “0” for this assignment.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

You should not disturb any classes or students studying in the library or study areas/rooms when completing your norm breach.
If people become agitated, angry, etc. with you due to your norm breach, you may explain to them that you are completing an assignment for a college course.
Be cautious about doing this while you are at work. At the very least you should clear any norm breach at work with your employer/manager/supervisor/etc.
After selecting your norm, decide on the location where you will break this norm. You will note that some of these norms will need to be broken in a public place (restaurant, mall, campus, etc.). Before completing your experiment review the questions you will need to answer in Part II of this activity.

Once you arrive at your location, observe the way this norm operates in everyday life. Pay attention to details in order to understand how this norm functions to regulate some type of behavior. What is the point of the norm? Determining what the normative behavior is, and how others react (or fail to react) to this behavior will enable you to make a thoughtful comparison when you violate the norm. Take notes on what your norm is and how it regulates behavior in the particular setting you observed.

Next, violate the norm and observe the responses of others in that space. You may ask someone to accompany you to observe others’ responses. DO NOT VIDEO YOUR NORM BREACH. Be observant, as reactions might be slight (smirk, eye roll, quiet verbal response, laughter, etc.). Remember, the goal is not to gain a big reaction, but see what the “real life” reaction/sanction is, if any.

Finally, leave the space where you violated this norm (return to your car, go into a bathroom, etc.). Immediately take notes on what happened (these are called field notes). Describe the reactions of those around you. What types of sanctions were incurred for violating this norm? (see Chapter 7 in Ferrante) How did you feel as you violated this norm? Also, reflect on how this norm serves to regulate behavior in the social world.

At least five people should witness your norm breach. In other words, if you do your norm breach in front of only one person, you will need to repeat the process again with others.

Part II – Reflection

Write a 2-4-page paper in which you reflect on your norm breach (typed, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12-point font). Papers that are not at least two full pages will receive a “0.” As with all assignments in this course, you cannot quote material from any source in your answers; use your own words.

Start your paper by explaining norms. Write clearly enough that someone who has never taken a sociology course can understand. In your discussion make sure you address these concepts: culture, formal and informal norms, socialization, conformity, deviance, sanctions, and impression management. You should also discuss how norms regulate behavior in society, what the consequences could be for society if we continuously deviated from norms, and why deviating from norms can be positive for society. Do not use definitions from your book or any other source for any of the terms; use your own words.

Next, describe your norm breach in detail. What norm did you breach? Where? When? How many people witnessed the norm breach? How does this norm serve to regulate social behavior? What is the purpose of this social norm? How does this particular norm create order in society? What types of sanctions were incurred for violating this norm (see Chapter 7 in Ferrante)? Were these sanctions formal or informal? Remember, sanctions could be anything from laughter or a smile, to an irritated look, mumbled expletives, or a confrontation where someone yells. Why do you think people responded the way that they did?

Then, consider how social status may have impacted your norm breach. How did your class, race/ethnicity, gender, age, etc. (address at least two of these statuses in your answer) impact how people reacted to you, or how they perceived your norm breach? If you were a different class, race, gender, age, etc. (address at least two of these statuses in your answer), how would people have reacted differently, and/or how would they have perceived you/your norm breach differently? (Answering that your class, race, gender, age, etc. had no impact on how people reacted to you, or that being a different class, race, gender, age, etc. would not change perceptions is not an acceptable answer.)

Next, take a global perspective. Would the activity you engaged in be seen as a norm violation in another culture? Why or why not? Discuss a normative expectation in the U.S. that is not a normative expectation in another culture. Be specific.

Conclude your paper by answering these questions: How did you feel as you violated this norm (excited, scared, nervous, etc.)? Was it difficult to breach this norm? Why or why not? We all deviate from social norms; what norms do you breach in your own life? How does this experiment shed light on the power of social norms?