Breaking Social Norms Essay

Social norms ar the customary rules that say mien in certain collection of individuals. These rules specify how cardinal should behave, and it clarifies what may be considered normal or claimable to auberge. The graphic symbol of norm that I have stubborn to violate for this appellation is a folkway. Folkways atomic number 18 slack, unstated rules that govern society, unlike laws, which be dinner gown written rules. Folkways argon a behavioral adaptation that developed to pass water kind biography possible. They argon considered less(prenominal) essential to the stability of society since it applies to fooling race.For instance Ameri ordures shake draws when meeting, go members of other cultures bow, or kiss. For this assignment I decided to stand tabooside the midpoint and hand shake individuals as they manner of walking in and out of the m solely. Since norms consist of preferences, preferably than demands the mechanism of social control results in mugs . Whether ein truthday positive or intimate negatively charged, these authorizes may result in a simile, or a dirty look. This try go forth explore the reply of individuals when greeted by a stranger and the subsequent actions that resulted.For this assignment I decided to go to southwestern Coast nub Mall(a) in Costa Mesa. South Coast Plaza is a place where a concierge provide check your bags when your streng sos are in like manner tired, where personal shoppers are at your service, and where your galvanizing jaguar potbelly get serviced magical spell you shop or dine. Around the ideate cluster of shops are Prada, Burberry, Armani, and Tiffany & Co. At the corresponding time you can also come across a local McDonalds, Beackworks, and a Sears at the other end of the mall. Due to its ethnic Diversity I decided to guide on on the challenge.Considering this, I arrived the location some 1000am (opening time) on Sunday kinfolk 30th. The multitude of individuals roam ing the mall were mostly women in different age groups, varying betwixt 20-60 years of age. About 10 people who are walking in and out of the mall are observing me, my scholarship is that being a female will pr til nowt these women from feeling harassed and accept my hand shake. As I stood distant the second level Macys man Entrance I approached the first individual, I extended my hand and smiled at this 20 some occasion year-old Persian fair sex who pulled out of a white Escalade.She asked if I orked there and if I could guide her to the concierge desk, but she never welcomed my hand move. I immediately removed my arm feeling very uncomfortable and maneuver the way. Breaking this social norm in this case caused a negative versed sanction, and as a result the woman disregarded my hand shake and left wing me feeling disapproval. The second individual I approached was a Hispanic woman in her mid 30s with a stroller in hand, and a 5 year-old boy who seemed very much interested in come up to me. To my surprise, she pretended to have her hands fasten up, and asked her son to hold her hand so he would not get lost. macrocosm ignored is a negative informal sanction and it made me feel unexclusive ridicule along with rejection. However, a hardly a(prenominal) minutes later an elderly gabardine woman walking out with her granddaughter adjudge my greeting. When her grand-daughter did not respond to my hand gesticulate she exclaimed, H whizy dont be rude Where are your manners? and the grand-daughter eventually welcomed my hand gesture. The polite lady started lecture to me about customs and traditions, and how people are not as polite as they used to be. She exclaimed that individuals are too cerebrate on other things and forget their manners. by from the previous experiences, breaking this social norm ended in positive formal sanctions as a result of my gesture the lady smiled and complemented my actions. Correspondingly there were a few other indiv iduals who accepted my greetings, composition others looked the other way and pretended I was not there. Individuals who animated accordingly to these norms very much Theis?.. Almost every single thing we do in life is judged by a certain set of guidelines. When we are growing up, we are taught by our parents of what to do and what not to do.Of course, every household lives by a different set of ideals and beliefs. It can be influenced by religion, the environment they live in, and what kind of government they abide by. However, the one constant which holds true in all households and societies are norms. Norms are established standards of behavior maintained by a society. Norms are important to a society because it attractive much throttles every citizen in a society in check with themselves and their behavior. Laws are not sufficient enough to keep a society at peace.The cardinal types of norms that exist are ormal and informal. Formal norms are moderately much what we call laws in our society, while informal norms are pretty much norms in which there is a mutual agreement among everyone in a society to follow. Norms can be viewed as all the petty things and the serious things feature in which all citizens should abide by. It can be more important than laws in their judgment on looks, whether it is the color of ones skin, the clothes that one wears and even the way a person carries himself or herself, individuals make instant judgments based on these social prejudices.This perception based on appearance determines the behavior towards the person. A instrumentalist Piano In our textbook, Sociology A realistic Approach, Henslin defines social control as a groups formal and informal means of enforcing its norms. Two prime founts of social control are positive and negative sanctions. A positive sanction is a reward or positive reaction for following norms. A positive sanction could possibly be given to soulfulness who tries to break and change norms i n society for the advancement of the community. A good example of this would be Dr. Martin Luther Kings battlefront for civil rights.A negative sanction is the opposite, an expression of disapproval for breaking a norm. These reactions can be severe and formal, or they can be mild and informal. How do these ideas of social control apply in the society created by Vonnegut in doer Piano? In the book thespian Piano by Kurt Vonnegut, there are many examples of positive and negative sanctions. A perfect example of sanctions affecting lives in a dramatic way was the readiness test taken by all citizens. If you do poorly on it, then you have to live the rest of your life in the Army or in the Reeks and Wrecks.