Have You Ever Tried Standing Facing The Back Of The Elevator

Have You Ever Tried Standing Facing The Back Of the Elevator Or Sitti

Have you ever tried standing facing the back of the elevator, or sitting right next to a stranger on a bus when it's nearly empty? Have you ever gone to a restaurant and ordered dessert first, and then finished with an appetizer? Guys, have you ever had another man use the urinal right next to you when there were plenty of other urinals still open? How did this make you feel? There are many different norms/rules/standards of conduct that, though we may not always talk or think consciously about them, have been well established in our society.

Your job for this extra credit assignment is to think of one of these "unspoken rules" and break it. Once you've broken your norm, answer the following questions: 1) What is the social norm(s) you chose to break and why did you choose to break it? 2) What was the reaction of others around you while you were breaking the norm? 3) How did it make you feel to break the norm? 4) How do you feel about social norms in general?

Why do you think we have such rules in our society? Feel free to be as creative as possible (without doing anything dangerous or illegal that might get you into a fight or arrested). Some of my previous students have done a number of different things including facing the back of the elevator, lifting weights at the gym in a tuxedo, putting one's towel directly next to a stranger's towel at the beach, paying for groceries with all change, etc.. The body of your assignment should be a minimum of 2 FULL pages, double-spaced, with size 12-point font. Pape.. shorter than 2 pages can still earn partial credit. Accepted file formats include .doc . docx and . pdf

Paper For Above instruction

The social norms that govern everyday behavior are deeply embedded in our societal interactions, often operating implicitly to promote order and predictability. For this assignment, I chose to break the norm of personal space during a grocery shopping trip by paying with only coins and deliberately causing a slight delay at the checkout counter. This behavior was chosen to observe reactions from the cashier and other customers, as well as to reflect on my feelings throughout the process and the broader significance of social norms in maintaining social harmony.

Breaking this norm—paying with only coins—was motivated by curiosity about how rigidly these transactional routines are enforced and whether others feel discomfort or amusement. In the moment, I sensed a mix of embarrassment and amusement. The cashier initially appeared surprised, and some customers looked visibly intrigued or annoyed. A few people in line glanced at their watches or shifted their weight, indicating subtle social discomfort. Conversely, a few bystanders smiled or chuckled quietly, suggesting some degree of social tolerance or recognition of the act as harmless mischief.

This experience elicited a complex emotional response. I felt a slight embarrassment due to the unexpected nature of the delay and the attention drawn to me. However, I also experienced a sense of playfulness, as if challenging the implicit rules that govern transactional efficiency. It made me reflect on how much social norms influence our daily interactions and how deviations are often responded to with a mix of social cues that either reinforce or challenge the norm. The discomfort some felt underscored the importance of these norms in facilitating smooth social exchanges, while the tolerance from others highlighted societal flexibility.

Regarding social norms in general, I believe they serve as invisible frameworks that uphold societal stability. They delineate what is acceptable and what is not, often based on shared values and cultural understandings. These rules help prevent chaos by providing predictable patterns of behavior, reducing uncertainty and potential conflicts. However, they can also be restrictive or reinforce stereotypes, inhibiting individual expression or social progress. My experience demonstrated that although norms are deeply ingrained, they are not immutable; social contexts and individual attitudes can lead to either reinforcement or relaxation of these unwritten rules.

In conclusion, breaking a social norm during the shopping incident was both an enlightening and humbling experience. It highlighted the balance between societal order and individual agency. While norms serve crucial functions, occasionally challenging them can offer insights into their origins and limitations, fostering more awareness and, potentially, social change. Societal norms, therefore, are vital but not fixed, and understanding their role helps us navigate and potentially improve social interactions.

References

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