Explain How Norms Affect People's Lives

The subtle but accepted social norms can be categorised neatly into two categories; folkways and mores. While both of these are informal social rules; folkways carry almost no punishment, although, mores are rules that when broken reap heavy consequences. The study of social norms is best done under the symbolic interactionalism lens. Symbolic interactionalism allows us to look at society on a micro level, meaning, we are able to focus on individuals, particularly, emphasizing verbal and physical gestures and how we interpret them.

Jim Shepards “Project X” primarily takes place at FS high school where its culture centralizes around continuous hectoring, and insensible mentors, while assembling mortality. The school ironically hopes the best for students, which diversely characterizes a place of bullying, inconsideration, and animosity towards oneself. These aspects of the school is what primarily motivates Edwin and Flake to execute a horrendous response to their pain, and partake in a school shooting. Bullies at FS is what predominantly characterizes the school, and is one of the main factors that influences Edwin and Flake to conduct a Columbine-style massacre at the school. It has become a social norm at this high school to bully other students without motivation,

Janie finds out that her second attempt to marriage does not give what she desires, and it is only in her “condemned” marriage that Janie finally achieves her true love and happiness. After marrying Jody, Janie was deceived into thinking she was living a high-class life, but in reality was confined even more in this marriage than her last one. Janie is not allowed to participate in any town events that are ruled as un-lady like by Jody. On the outside, Janie is restricted to the general store or the house, but in those times she would constantly question why she was not able to behave like a man. It is only when Janie marries Tea Cake, a man younger than her, that she achieves her quest of finding true love and subsequently her happiness.

In addition to self-indulgent superiority complexes, a consumerist society also imposes social conformity. The green symbol claims “the way to live righteously is to enact one’s vignette with as much energy as possible, and oppose, as fiercely as possible, those who undercut the proper enactment of the sacred vignettes.” Individuals were created for “the sole purpose” to propagate consumerist messages; their ability to conform determines their right to live safely. Similarly capitalist societies with rampant consumerism believe individuals must earn housing and food through work. This mindset assumes social assistance breeds inefficient, dependent individuals and claims they deserve to suffer for their incompetence.

Ethnocentrism occurs when one culture comes into contact with another. It the evaluation of one culture based on preconceived ideas that have derived from the customs and traditions from one’s own culture. William Summer, an American sociologist, believes that an ethnocentrism is “A view of things in which one’s own group is the centre of everything and all others are scaled and rated in reference to it” (Sorrells 2013). This phenomenon can have detrimental outcomes; such as stereotyping and prejudice both of which may hinder intercultural relations and assimilation therefore impacting on societal cohesion.

For my second experiential learning assignment, I decided to break a social norm while going out to eat with my family at a restaurant: granted this is something I have a habit of doing but the reaction I got from my dining mates was particularly interesting this time. To give a little bit of background of the setting I was in at the time, I was with my mother, younger brother, and my mother’s friend at a restaurant in DC for my birthday dinner. The restaurant was crowded, but not many people were paying attention to what we were doing. The behavior I decided to break was dipping my fingers in the container caramel was in and then proceeded lick my fingers after doing so. I choose to break this social norm because one, the caramel sauce was really good, and two I was testing to see if my mother would say anything: normally on my birthday she lets me get away with

In order to be accepted in the current social society, you must follow a certain set of norms throughout life. Social norms are the unwritten rules on behavior that are expected and established opinions on what is appropriate and what is not. People who do not follow these instilled norms may be casted aside, judged, or suffer a consequence. Society’s expectations have dictated what normal human behavior is that people conform to as a way of life. These norms, however, are not set in stone, so they may be challenged.

For our group and our shared love of food we figured that a social norm that had something to do with that would be perfect for us. We decided that the norm to drive through a drive thru needed to be tested. Why should cars be the only ones with the fast access to fast food at their convenience? We believed that people should be able to walk through the drive thrus if it is more convenient for them.

When people do not follow social situations moral actions will become less and less common. The worst parts of human nature will begin to appear, commonly accepted manners and politeness will likewise not be observed. Social conventions are what keep typical polite and civil society working and are the foundations upon which we interact with one another. They are the unspoken rules of society and everyone is expected to follow them. When they are not observed it can be disconcerting at best and violent at worst.

A few summers ago some of my cousins, aunts, and uncles went on a road trip. We traveled to California, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado in the span a month. While all these states are in the same country, they all have different social norms. When we went to most places people new almost right away we were from the south. One lady told us she knew we were from the south, because of the jewelry we were wearing.

Social norms are rules that have been ingrained in society and people for hundreds of years. These societal rules can be anything from not talking to strangers on the subway to wearing weather appropriate clothes in public. Yet, when these societal norms are broken, the observers, as well as the person who destroyed the norm, are affected. Societal norms play in large role in how a person conducts him or herself when interacting with others. When deciding what social interaction, I would break, I wanted to do something that would be easy for me to fully commit to without facing too much embarrassment.

Norms are behavioral expectations in a society that dictate how people act in a given situation. In the United States, it’s common for people at a restaurant to leave distance between themselves and strangers. While, in Germany, it’s common for people to choose to and sit down with strangers. What is central to understanding this difference is realizing norms vary from society to society. It’s socially acceptable in Germany to interact closely with strangers, as seen in Figure 2, while Americans see it as an invasion of someone’s personal space, resulting in the man sitting alone at a table, capable of seating three others, in Figure 1.

There are many times when I have been in situations where I could think sociological, but I did not until my first sociology class, which happens to be this one. Because of this, I have reflected on situations and circumstances from the past and concurring everyday life. These examples include being on an elevator, coming to college and meeting new people, having interviews with people of higher power, watching movies, such as The Breakfast Club, Sociologically, norms can be defined as shared expectations or unwritten rules. They can be Mores, which is right versus wrong, or Folkways, meaning polite versus rude. Norms govern behavior, collective, and includes sanctions.

Moreover, the definition of face has been widely debated. I intend to discuss the most salient issues related to the concept of face as it applies to the study of politeness. Goffman’s version of Face Goffman (1967:5) defined face as being: The positive social value a person effectively claims for himself by the line others assume he has taken during a particular contact.

In Portugal, as a sign of greeting men and women kiss each other on the cheeks. Men shake hands. When the closer friends who are happy to see each other get together, they accompany vigorous handshake greeting by slapping each other on the shoulder or back. When people say goodbye to each other the same ritual is repeated, though a handshake and a pat on the shoulder can be less vigorous. Now we can see the tendency of spreading of these rules and traditions of the family and friendship over business establishment.