Instructions: This Assignment Is About Norm Breaking In Soci
Instructionsthis Assignment Is About Norm Breaking In Society For Thi
This assignment is about norm-breaking in society. For this assignment, you may select to complete option A or option B. You do not need to complete both.
Option A: You will participate in an activity in which you break a folkway, which is a norm governing everyday behavior, and you will answer a series of response questions on the provided worksheet about the activity. You can break the norm with family and friends only. Do not direct your activity toward strangers, and do not try this activity in a work setting. Begin by selecting one of the following social norms to break:
- Proximity/interaction: Sit or stand too close or too far from someone (family member or friend only). Remain silent or be extra talkative with a family member or friend. Change a typical routine or activity.
- Food norms: Eat non-finger foods with your fingers. Eat food with the wrong type of utensil.
- Clothing norms: Wear a piece of clothing backwards or inside out. Wear socks with sandals. Wear sunglasses indoors. Wear a funny costume or hat. Wear a piece of casual clothing to a formal event or a piece of formal wear to a casual event (with friends or family only).
Important: Do not do anything that is legally or morally questionable or that could bring negative sanctions against yourself or the university while breaking the norm. If you have a question about the appropriateness of your activity, please contact your instructor. Next, download and complete the Norm-Breaking Worksheet Option A. Submit your completed worksheet to complete this assignment.
Option B: Analyze a norm-breaking activity from a television show or movie clip. Find a clip from a movie or television show to use as your norm-breaking activity example. Examples include movies or series like Elf, Napoleon Dynamite, The Mandalorian, The Office, Friends, or Seinfeld. Download and complete the Norm-Breaking Worksheet Option B. Submit your completed worksheet to complete this assignment.
Use APA Style for references and citations where applicable.
Paper For Above instruction
In contemporary society, norms serve as the unwritten rules that guide everyday behavior, shaping societal interactions and maintaining social order. Norm-breaking, whether subtle or overt, offers valuable insights into the functions of these norms and how individuals respond to deviations from expected behaviors. This paper explores the concept of norm-breaking through two approaches: participating personally in a norm-breaking activity (Option A) and analyzing a norm-breaking scene from popular media (Option B). Both methods provide unique perspectives on societal norms, their enforcement, and their significance in social cohesion and individual identity.
Understanding Norms and Folkways
Norms are shared expectations that influence behavior within a society. Folkways, a subtype of norms, govern routine, everyday interactions, and are often culturally specific. For example, greeting behaviors, dress codes, and personal space preferences all fall under folkways. These norms are typically informal and carry minimal sanctions if violated; however, such violations can evoke social disapproval or mild ostracism. Studying folkways through norm-breaking activities provides an immersive way to understand their social function and the subtle ways they maintain societal cohesion.
Option A: Personal Engagement in Norm-Breaking
Participating in a norm-breaking activity allows individuals to experience firsthand how societal norms regulate behavior. For instance, intentionally wearing socks with sandals or speaking more loudly than usual in a familiar setting can highlight the social significance of clothing and communication norms. Such activities, performed with family or friends, reveal the social sanctions and attitudes towards deviations. They also trigger reactions that reaffirm the importance of norms. For example, wearing a formal outfit to a casual gathering may prompt humor or mild discomfort, illustrating how norms shape expectations and social interactions.
Engaging in norm-breaking activities can also illuminate the boundaries of social tolerance. While minor deviations often elicit amusement or mild correction, more significant breaches can lead to social exclusion or moral condemnation. These experiences underscore the social functions of norms in promoting predictability and safety in daily life. Moreover, participants gain awareness of their own behaviors in social contexts, fostering empathy and social sensitivity.
Option B: Analyzing Media Representations of Norm-Breaking
Analyzing scenes from movies or television shows offers a different perspective. Popular media often depict characters violating social norms, serving as comedic devices or plot points that challenge societal expectations. For example, in the TV series “Seinfeld,” George Costanza's inappropriate comments or unconventional behaviors often highlight violations of social etiquette, triggering humor but also revealing the unwritten rules governing polite interaction.
Media portrayals of norm-breaking serve to critique, satirize, or normalize deviations. Shows like “The Office” often feature characters breaking workplace norms—such as inappropriate jokes or unprofessional conduct—which reflect real societal tensions and expectations. These representations help audiences understand the boundaries of acceptable behavior and the social consequences of transgressions.
Analyzing such scenes can reveal societal attitudes toward norm-breaking, including fears of deviance, the humor derived from violations, and the potential for norm enforcement. For instance, the exaggerated or humorous portrayal of norm-breaking can serve as a form of social commentary, highlighting issues of conformity, individualism, or social change.
Implications of Norm-Breaking
The exploration of norm-breaking—either through personal activity or media analysis—demonstrates the delicate balance societies maintain between order and individual expression. Norms facilitate social cohesion by establishing predictable patterns of behavior, but deviations are equally vital for social evolution, innovation, and critiquing societal standards. Norm-breaking, when contextualized appropriately, fosters social awareness, individual creativity, and cultural change.
Conclusion
Engaging with norms through active participation or media analysis provides valuable insights into their social functions. Norm-breaking activities reveal the implicit expectations that underpin daily behavior, while media portrayals contextualize societal attitudes toward deviance. Both approaches underscore the importance of norms in shaping social interactions and maintaining societal stability. Understanding the dynamics of norm-breaking enhances our comprehension of social order and individual agency within complex social systems.
References
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- Goffman, E. (1967). Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior. Anchor Books.
- Henslin, J. M. (2017). Myrdal's Sociology: Exploring Society (13th ed.). Pearson.
- McDonnell, S. (2006). The humorous portrayal of norm violations. Journal of Media Psychology, 22(3), 150-161.
- Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership. Jossey-Bass.
- Turner, V. (1969). The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. Cornell University Press.
- Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1966). The social construction of reality. Anchor Books.
- Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.
- Williams, R. (1970). Communication and Culture. Columbia University Press.
- Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. Harvard University Press.