Social Norms And Its Effect On Society Essay

Social Norms And Its Effect On Society Essay
Society, without even saying a word, has given us rules and guidelines that we have to abide. Social
norms are rules or guidelines regarding what kinds of behavior are acceptable or appropriate within
a culture. They are so embedded within our daily life that often we do not notice them. Because
norms are so ingrained within our society, deviation of social norms can lead to be ostracized or
even arrested depending on the situation. Violating norms, like promoting hate message about poor
people, in society can be explained through the functionalism theory. Norms are essentially
unspoken rules of conduct given by society. These vary and evolve not only through time but also
vary from one age group to another and between social classes and social groups. (Becker) It is
important to understand how norms dictate our society because breaking any norms can lead to a
negative sanctions Sanctions are punishments or rewards one receive when you either abide by a
norm or violate it. (Carl, 54) Different types of norms call for different level of sanctions. There are
three different types or levels of norms: folkways, mores, and taboos. Folkways are informal norms
when violate have lax consequence. An example is picking your nose in class. While it seen as un–
hygienic, the sanction for this violation is less severe. The next level of norm is mores. Mores have a
much greater value attached to it. Mores distinguish the difference between right and wrong, while
folkways draw a line
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Is Deterrence Effective And Efficient?
Is Deterrence Effective and Efficient?
Joshua A. Barlow
Anderson University
Abstract I will discuss the nuances of the deterrence theory and whether or not it's a viable form of
preventing crime. The reason we have laws and punishments is to deter people from committing
crimes. Deterrence is an inherent concept within criminal law. Many believe that people will commit
crimes regardless of deterrence and therefore efforts to deter are in vein. I will delve into Cesare
Beccaria's view on deterrence and whether he thought it was practical for decreasing crime. I will
talk about deviance and what makes a person deviant. I believe deviance has a direct correlation
with deterrence. Lastly I will determine if deterrence is indeed efficient and effective or if it has no
effect.
Law, crime, and the concept of deterrence have existed simultaneously for thousands of years. Since
Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden crime has been a prevalent aspect of society and
always will be. Ever since there has been crime and as long as crime exists there will be efforts to
deter people from committing crimes. Deterrence relies on fear and doubt to dissuade a person from
committing a crime. However, does deterrence work? Many people think that deterrence does not
work and tend to follow the logic of the rational choice theory. The rational choice theory says that
everyone makes calculated choices based on the risk and the potential reward (Siegel, 2011).

Structural Functionalism : A Complex System
Structural functionalism views society as a complex system and focuses on different contributions to
social stability. Structural functionalism attempts to explain why society focuses the way it does by
targeting relationships such as race, religion, law etc. Each member of society fulfills certain
functions to meet the needs that contribute to society's stability and survival known as norms. Race
provides an important way of understanding various parts of the social process. When social
institution such as race, that provides meaning and stability in the social environment seem different
or begin to change society is left confused and disorganized. Race marks individuals as different
therefore, causing confusion throughout society. An example of this is racism. As with racism, when
a group appears different it requires a longer process of integration into the group. This causes
dysfunction within the group. Race and ethnicity are related to biological and sociological factors as
with sex and gender. Race is the socially constructed category of individuals who share biologically
transmitted traits that a society considers important. Even though all humans belong to the same
biological species they are labeled by traits such as skin color, facial features and hair textures.
Ethnicity on the other hand, is simply a shared culture heritage. These labels are created around
common ancestors, languages and religions that provide distinctive social identities. The correlation

The Cultural Expectations And Rules
Norms
A norm is something that is standard in society. Within sociology, it is specifically the cultural
expectations and rules that a person within the culture is supposed to uphold. Norms tell an
individual how they should behave within a certain situation. According to Saul McLeod of Simply
Psychology (2008), people are expected to behave in a way that is not random. Norms are social
standards that are agreed upon by a society so that members of a culture do not deviate into areas
that others would consider abnormal and wrong. Also norms vary by culture, so one culture that has
an agreed upon and socially practiced norm may vary from another culture that does not do the same
thing and instead has different norms. Each culture's norms differ based on beliefs and customs.
Norms are a general category of social rules. Taboos, laws, mores, and folkways are all norms. A
taboo is something that a culture forbids. Laws are strictly enforced formal rules by the government
or social powers within a culture. A more is a norm related to morals; what is deemed right or not
within a particular society. Also folkways are customs that are socially accepted, but are not strictly
enforced. Following norms are important because an individual is only socially accepted if they
follow the set norms.
The norm that I violated is a norm within American culture. It is a violation of a norm to clip your
toenails when around a group of other individuals within this culture. This norm is

Deviance Theories Paper
Deviance Theories Paper Different theories have explanations for deviance and crime. Deviant
behavior can be defined as positive or negative. The following discussions will provide greater
insight as to how and why society defines them as such. Deviance is Socially Constructed Deviance
is socially constructed, meaning societal norms define what deviance is. Societal norms are defined
in three categories: folkways, mores, and laws (Sumner, p. 11). Folkways are defined as traditions,
mores are defined by their social disapproval, and laws are defined by their social sanctions
(Sumner, p. 11–12). These three are societal norms that rule the lives of the people within it. As a
result, certain behaviors are labeled deviant, which lead the people ... Show more content on
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In her article, Hendershott states that moral law originates in God (Hendershott, p. 48). This notion
of natural law is considered to be a part of the absolutist perspective, which I also disagree with.
Stating that God is who made all the moral rules eliminates the responsibility of society. Society is a
crucial factor in the establishment of morals, since it is also the institution in which people practice
them. Stating that morals are absolute disregards the fact that morals vary from culture to culture,
society to society. For example, our society is becoming more accepting of homosexuality. To my
understanding, religions such as Christianity, disapprove of homosexuality, deeming it sinful in the
eyes of God. Despite this disapproval, society is breaking this moral by being accepting of
homosexuality. If God were the absolute creator of morals, the acceptance of homosexuality would
not exist. Thus, society is a major institution for the establishment of these major shifts on morals.
Generalizing the entire perspective on deviance in regards to one being, God, reinforces my
disapproval of the absolutist

Assignment 2 Social Norm Violations
In this paper I will be discussing two norm violations I witnessed, and one I committed. When I first
received this assignment I had to get familiar with the terminology and understand what different
types of norms there are. Norms are expectations of "right" behavior for a person to follow in
society. Society created social norms to provide a guideline for members of society to follow. If we
lived without these rules it allows people to not be accountable for their actions. Social norms are
ideas or ideas that are expected for society members to follow. Each culture, and subculture has their
own social norms to follow. According to James Henslin, (2015)(2015) "Values are the standards by
which people define what is good and bad, beautiful ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I am dishwasher at a local restaurant and I have to work with another dishwasher each shift. Two
weeks ago I showed up early for my night shift and proceeded to start washing dishes. Exactly at
five o'clock my coworker arrived and started drying dishes and everything was going fine. After
fifteen minutes I finally saw my something on my coworkers neck. He had bright pink lipstick on
the right side of his neck and it was in the shape of lips. I caught my self staring at him for a couple
of seconds then continued working. I found the fact he chose not to wipe the lipstick off his neck to
be really odd, but just ignored it. I did not feel as though it was my job to sanction him and tell him
to clean the lipstick of his neck. I knew that he would not have been receptive to me chastising him,
because he is older than myself. However, my shift–leader would give him a negative sanction. Our
shift– leader, who was also his sister told him to go clean up his neck. This was folkway norm
violation, because my coworker having lipstick on his cheek did not prevent me from continuing to
work. The reason he was sanctioned is because his sister found it to be unprofessional for him to
knowingly walk around with lipstick on his neck.He took being sanctioned by his sister as a joke,
and immediately did as he was told. In society its common for people to be reserved and to check
their appearance before entering the

Social Deviance Chapter Summary
In chapter seven, the book starts off by talking about deviance. Deviance is define by William
Graham Sumner as a violation of established contextual, cultural, or social norms, whether
folkways, mores, or codified law. I have always thought of deviance as a sly person who bends the
rules in a wrong way. The example from the book of deviant behavior was a drag queen. Drag
Queens display deviance because they go against the everyday norms. In the society we live in, it is
not perceived as normal to dress in clothes of the opposite sex. Drag Queens do just that, they are
men who dress in womens clothing from head to toe. All societies practice social control, which is
the regulation and enforcement of norms. Sanctions are one was to enforce norms. They are a
consequence, positive or negative, of the way one exhibited a norm. Positive sanctions come when
one conforms and abides to a norm and a negative sanction come when ... Show more content on
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There are many ways one can perceive deviance. Sociologist, Emile Durkheim, views dicance with
the help of her functionalism theory. He believes deviance is a necessary part to a functional society.
Deviance can challenge the way one views a certain topic or actions. Never have I thought of
deviance as necessary. Usually deviant people are thought of as troublemakers in society. Karl Marx
has his own view on deviance which involves the conflict theory. Conflict theory views deviance as
a problem in society. Marx did not touch on deviance often but he establish the way many conflict
theorist think and view different topics. He thought deviance came from inequalities in wealth and
power that arise from problems in the economic system. Another conflict theorist, C. Wright Mills
thought deviance came from the ability of those in power to define deviance in ways that maintain
the status quo. He thought those in power were elite and tried to maintain that

Commercial Gym Norm Violation
Analysis of Commercial Gym Norm Violation All across the world we see various cultures
interacting in differing ways. The United States is no exception to this observation. The fluidity of
these societies is made available by the foundation the society is set upon. These aspects of the
community not only form the society, but the people themselves, and it also affects how they
function on a daily basis. Folkways are examples of an aspect of which a society is comprised.
Folkways are socially approved and traditional norms or standards of everyday behavior (Sociology
Dictionary). Therefore, seemingly normal actions we do on a daily basis, such as: not eating dogs or
cats, not wearing white to a wedding, or wearing black to a funeral are all ... Show more content on
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This action is not supported by the vast majority of the people there and I received a negative
sanction for it in the form of ridiculing. As I have gone to this gym for a while and had made a few
friends they came up to me laughing since they knew I was joking. However, if they had not been
there I surely would have been talked about and ridiculed as I performed other exercises. The
middle–aged Latino, out of shape man did not make eye contact me and continued to his routine.
This could be because of his insecurity or because of his high self–confidence that it was not even
worth his time. Nevertheless, he made no effort to make contact with me, even eye contact from that
point forward. Folkways, mores, values, are what allow for us to fit into mainstream society, or
whichever group those aspects belong to. Otherwise negative sanctions could occur as a result.

E. A. Ross Social Strain Theory
Strain theories, as we noted, study the question of why some people violate norms–for example, by
committing crimes. Social control theorists are interested in learning why people conform to norms.
Control theorists take it for granted that drugs can tempt even the youngest schoolchildren; that
truancy can lure otherwise good children onto a path of academic failure and lifetime
unemployment; that petty fighting, petty theft, and recreational drinking are attractive features of
adolescence. They ask why people conform in the face of so much temptation and peer pressure.
The answer, according to social control theory, is that juveniles and adults conform to the law in
response to certain controlling forces in their lives. They become criminals ... Show more content on
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He is not, however, the first scholar to examine the extent of individual social control and its
relationship to delinquency. In 1957, Jackson Toby introduced the notion of individual
"commitment" as a pow–erful determining force in the social control of behavior. Scott Briar and
Irving Piliavin extended Toby's thesis by advancing the view that the extent of individual
commitment and conformity plays a role in decreasing the likelihood of devi ance. They noted that
the degree of an adoles–cent's commitment is reflected in relationships with adult authority figures
and with friends and is determined in part by "belief in God, affection for conventionally behaving
peers, occupational aspirations, ties to parents, desire to perform well at school, and fear of material
deprivations and punishments associated with arrest." Briar and Piliavin were not entirely satisfied
with control dimensions alone, however, and added another factor: individual motivation to be
delinquent. This motivation may stem from a person's wish to "obtain valued goods, to portray
courage in the presence of, or to belong to, peers, to strike out at someone who is disliked, or sim–
ply to get his kicks." Hirschi was less interested in the source of an individual's motivation to
commit delinquent acts than in the reasons people do not commit such acts. He claimed that

Social Norm Analysis
The society we live in is full of rules. These rules are sometimes laws that the government enforces
on us, but there are other rules as well, the unspoken ones. Even though these rules are unspoken,
the majority of individuals follow them without question. Every culture, group, and person has
values. These values are what individuals use to define what is "desirable or undesirable, good or
bad, beautiful or ugly" (Henslin, 2015, p. 49). The "rules" people use to reflect these values are
called norms. Norms are the "expectations that develop out of a groups values" (Henslin, 2015, p.
49). When individuals either follow the expected norms or decide to step outside of the so called
"box," bystanders begin to form sanctions. Sanctions can be negative ... Show more content on
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A few of my friends and I decided to get together for lunch one afternoon, something we typically
do when we're all in town. After arriving at the quaint cafe in the market place, my friend decided to
order a flatbread pizza. When we all received our food, the friend that had ordered a pizza proceeded
to retrieve her knife and fork from her napkin to begin eating. I thought this was odd of course;
typically when someone orders a pizza they eat it with their hands. In order to continue my
observations of the social norm my friend had just violated, I continued to watch the reactions of my
friends and the people around us. My friends began sharing glances and giggles as a couple at the
table next to us began whispering (well really talking only somewhat quietly). The couple said, loud
enough for me to hear, "Does she think she's fancy because she's using a knife and fork to eat
pizza?" Followed by a few laughs. I maintained to keep my mouth shut and continue my
observations. One of my other friends finally blurted out, which humor in her voice, "Why on earth
are you eating your pizza like that?" My friend had a puzzling look on her face until she looked
down at her knife and fork. She then proceeded to tell us that she always ate pizza with a knife and
fork because she hated having greasy hands. Her explanation made perfect sense, but what she did
was still considered strange. My friend really only violated a folkway. Eating pizza with your hands
isn't a core value our society regards as important, but it is an expectation we

Deviant Behavior: Violations Of Social Norms
Everyone in today's society has participated in forms of deviant behavior whether they're aware of it
or not! Deviant behavior refers to violations of social norms. Norms are behavioral codes or
prescriptions that guide people into actions and self–presentations conforming to social
acceptability. American sociologists, William Sumner (1907) formed three types of norms:
folkways, mores, and laws. The behavior I partaken in is considered to be Mores. Mores is based on
norms that would generate social condemnation. Individuals who usually violate mores may be
considered wicked or bad and potentially harmful to society. To a certain extent some acts would be
considered deviant depending on who commits the act or who feels they have been harmed ... Show
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In Chapter 11 of Constructions of Deviance Social Power, Context, and Interaction the
constructionist stance is discussed. Society has constructed the idea that cause everyone around me
or anyone who slept with the same gender once to classify myself or others as bisexual! Deviance
can be seen as "socially constructed". Everything in the world, is socially constructed. We create and
construct meaning of things in our society to determine what is deviant. People only understand the
world based on words we categorize that we create and share with one another. Labeling theory
ignored definitions of deviance and social control policies. According to pg. 106 (Alder & Alder
2011). Activists for gay rights and gay people demanded that homosexuals should be viewed as
"political minorities", instead of deviants. Sociologists are constantly debating about labeling
theory's ideas about how social control is operated and affects my identity and others who are
labeled as deviants' No matter under what circumstances good or bad Sociologists believe that
people who are classified as deviant are lower class and more than likely to as "deviant" in society. I
really hate how society has to label everything and everyone just because they feel it's necessary to
do

Breaking A Social Norm Essay
Social Norms can be defined as expectations, or rules of behavior, that develop out of values or
morals. Someone's values can be defined as their idea of what is desirable in life. People develop
expectations of what is the right way to reflect these values. When norms are violated people are
usually shocked and form sanctions from the norm that is being broken, either positively or
negatively. For this paper I was required to violate a norm. The norm I decided to violate had to do
with personal space.
I decided to go walk around Bakersfield College and sit next to people who were sitting alone and
ask them how there day was going and try to start a conversation. This usually does not happen and
when it does it can be classified as breaking ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
My norm violation would not be close to committing a more because this would be a more extreme
norm violation. People who violate society's most important rules are violating the most important
mores. Violating one person's folkways can be violating another person's mores. A taboo refers to
breaking a norm so strong that it brings extreme sanctions if violated. When someone violates a
taboo the person is usually judged to the point where they are unfit to live in the same society as
others. The norm violation that I committed was not as extreme and would not be defined as taboo
or as serious as breaking a social

Non Deviant And Conforming Acts
Starting the day one is born, their life choices and path begin to form through the process of
socialization. Beginning with their family, environment, social class, race, and many other factors,
ideas and opinions are generated that will affect their future actions. The actions displayed will be
judged by the society that surrounds the person and will be generalized as either a conforming or
deviant act. When one conforms they are following society's norms and face little opposition, but
when one is deviant, society makes it known that the action is not normal and defies the proper
behavior. Through the process of socialization, people learn society's expectations and norms. To
separate deviant and conforming acts, society applies sanctions to actions deemed as deviant. In
one's early childhood, their parents are the main factor of socialization. They apply sanctions or
encouragement to actions in order to usually teach one to conform. The influences from other people
regarding one's socialization is referred to as differential association. Differential association
continues throughout the education process with influences from teachers and the social institution
itself. Rules the education system sets and the ways teachers enforce the rules directly affects one's
ideas of conformity and deviance. Although education is supposed to teach a person knowledge and
promote individualism, it also has a hidden curriculum that can socialize a person to act a certain
way or follow

Values, Norms, And Norms
Throughout life, in any society we develop a sense to conform and adjust to our surroundings but
why? Our values in our society determines our norms and why we do the things we do. I recently
sought out to break these social conformities that violated the values, and norms we hold as a
society. Every society is different and, in every society there are different and similar values, norms,
sanctions folkways, and mores. Breaking them up and analyzing them we began to understand why
these terms and values are so important to us. To understand why we have a sense of conformity, we
must first understand value. "Values are used to learn people's culture, ideas, and what they want out
of life (Henslin 49). Every culture has similar and different values. "Norms are the expectations a
group develops concerning the 'right' way to reflects its values" (Henslin49). An example of a norm
would be personal space and speaking quietly in certain places such as a library. When norms are
violated people often begin to question the person's sanity and well–being based on how extreme the
norm violation was. Every other weekend I venture to most of the Goodwill's throughout town. I
decided that I would violate the norm of personal space. I would wonder through the aisle and
slowly make my way to the person I choose to conduct the experience. When I got close enough I
would act as though I was browsing through clothes, or I was really interested in the items I was
looking at to act as though I

Body Modification, Folkways And Mores
Body Modification, Folkways and Mores Our book defines sociology as, "the systematic or
scientific study of human society and social behavior, from mass culture to small groups and
individual interactions (Ferris)." So, quite literally sociologists study individual, group and cultural
behaviors and actions as a way to assess society as a whole. Body modification is any alteration to a
person 's body from its natural state. Practices of body modification include but are not limited to
piercings, tattoos, scarification and implants. Individuals engage in body modification for health
benefits, cultural expectations and the ever changing standard of beauty. Sociologist are interested in
studying body modification because by researching the types of body modifications individuals,
groups and cultures engage in, in specific areas they will can better understand society. With social
imagination sociologist can connect body modification to social folkways and mores in a given
society. Social imagination allows connections to be made between what people believe is an
individual choice, want or desire to social standards and norms. Sociologist may also find body
modification interesting because they can study how societies such as the United States can
influence the different cultures within the society. United States societal norms are easy to get
wrapped up in especially with cultural imperialism planting seeds of what beauty is. United States
though created of many cultures and

Broken Norm Experiment
The Broken Norm
Introduction
A folkway violation is the action of violating the adaptation of normal behavior in society. They are
not laws with the list of things that you can't do, but they are actions that you would not expect to be
common. I couldn't think of any ideas on folkways that I wanted to violate. It then hit me when my
daughter wouldn't let me concentrate. I immediately thought to myself that I needed space. It came
to me that I could try to invade a person's personal space as my sociological experiment. My goal in
this sociological experiment is to get in my younger sister's personal space as much as I can and find
any reaction that she could give off. In this document I will share information on the violated
folkway that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I was expecting to get uncomfortable because one thing about my sister is she doesn't like when
people get close to her. Even the thought of a close family member sitting too close to her bothers
her. My sister is 15 years old and has come to stay with me for the summer. My sister is an ongoing
person and we don't hide secrets from each other. I thought that because we grew up with each other
and have become so comfortable that it would be harder to make her mad or even uncomfortable. To
begin with the experiment, I went into my sister's room and woke her up knowing she hates being
woken up from deep sleep. Although she woke up angry, she still continued to go on about her day.
About an hour later, as she was eating her breakfast I would lean in closer to her and she would pull
away from me. She told me to not get so close to her. To heighten the reaction I would receive, I
chose to ask her a bunch of questions of how the eggs were, if the food was good, if she needed
anything etc. She didn't say too much of it at first but she did give me a strange look. The expression
on her face appeared as if she was wondering why I was asking so many questions. She didn't seem
to be bothered too much because she did laugh. As a result of me having to go to work I didn't
continue to write more notes on her reaction that

What Makes Our Society Very Diverse?
We live among many different types of cultures which is what makes our society very diverse. Each
culture is very different and they each have their own values and norms. Values meaning, "the
standards by which people define what is desirable or undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly."
(Henslin, 2015, p. 49). Each culture has its own expectation of behaving being a norm, meaning
"expectations of "right" behavior." (Henslin, 2015, p.49). When someone breaks a norm they may
receive a negative sanction of disapproval but if someone follows the norm they may receive a
positive sanction of approval. In this norm violation project, I witnessed many sanctions. Sanctions
which are "either expressions of approval given to people for upholding norms or expressions of
disapproval for violating them" (Henslin, 2015, p.49). When I observed for two norm violations
being committed I seen both folkways and mores being violated. I personally violated a folkway
which is "norms that are not strictly enforced" (Henslin, 2015, p49). Mores are "norms that are
strictly enforced because they are thought essential to core values or the well–being of the group"
(Henslin, 2015, p49). My first observation took place at Kern Medical Center I had taken my mother
to the hospital because she had not been feeling good that day. When we arrived we checked in and
sat down in the waiting room. Everything and everyone seemed to be going on with their day very
normally. It wasn't

The Consequences Of Social Norms In The American Society
In a public setting and in society in general, there are certain rules that are followed unconsciously
by people. People are unaware most times that they control and manipulate their behavior to fit into
a certain societal setting. While it is perfectly normal to sing along and dance to music in the privacy
of the home, it is frowned upon to do such behavior in public. These rules that people tend to follow
unconsciously and consciously are referred to as social norms. Social norms vary from culture to
culture. In some cultures, like Japan, slurping food is a sign of enjoyment and is welcomed in a
public and private setting. However, in America and other societies, slurping food or eating with
your mouth open is completely unacceptable. Norms can be broken down into four categories:
folkways, mores, taboos, and laws. The social norm that my partner and I chose to breach was a
folkway norm. Folkway norms are behaviors that society deems as acceptable and unacceptable
behavior such as manners and etiquette. Breaking a folkway brings no serious consequences like
breaking a law. In our experiment, we decided to violate dining etiquette. Ashely and I realized that
it is perfectly acceptable to consume food on the ground if it is at a park or the privacy of the home
and even when most people are participating in the same behavior. It is, however, strange and
unusual to see people dining as if in a picnic in a public setting where furniture, such as tables and
chairs are offered.

Folkway Norms In Our Culture
Norms are constantly changing and different in every culture. Norms are usually unnoticed in our
society. There are folkways and mores norms. Folkway norms specify proper behaviors and are less
violent and just rude which are stated was "weak". Mores norms are "stronger" norms which
violates more demands. We're taught wrongs and rights while we're kids like sneezing into your
elbow and using manners. Other things are just common sense like facing forwards the doors in an
elevator. In our culture standing backwards in the elevator is not normal. People walk in and turn
around to face the door. For this assignment, I decided to break that norm. I was leaving a doctor's
appointment and had to take an elevator down to the first floor. I was about to turn around like a
normal human but I remembered this essay and thought it was the perfect opportunity with an
elevator full of people. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I know I felt awkward, I can't imagine how she felt in front of me. She actually did scoot over a little
bit. If someone stood facing me I would also try to turn a little bit to avoid eye contact or accidental
body touching. I think everyone else realized what I was doing and had kind of confused looks on
their faces. To make it even more awkward I stared around the elevator just observing the people.
The woman did react the way I would've by turning away a little bit, I think I would've tried to
ignore the person by just looking down at my phone and praying that the elevator ride would hurry
up. After the first few moments I felt the eyes wonder off me and everyone minded their own
business including the woman next to me even though I could still feel some weird tension. It's
interesting to observe people, everyone had their own thought about me standing and staring the
way I

Violation Of Norm Analysis
The location for this violation of norm, it was at the Palmetto General Hospital, the day it was
Saturday, July 8, 2017. The age of observers were more on the 40 and 50s, also the race of the
observers was Hispanic and black people. The social status I would say middle class. The sex of the
observers was a combination of both male and female; in addition, the observers were civilians and
doctors. The mood of the observers in most of the rides I did with my partner Edith Jacamo in the
elevator were loud people were talking; just a few persons were quiet. The way I started to violate
the norm was by waiting that most of the people get into the elevator including my partner, and then
I was the last one in get into the elevator. The elevator was full, so I placed myself in the middle of
the door facing the people and most of the people were facing where I was. Personally, I did not felt
weird neither bad about doing something different from the rest of the observers. I think because
their reaction, it was not what I expected about it, I was expecting a big shock of breaking the norm.
When I was waiting for my partner, I was thinking in how the people will react and I was expecting
that at least one person will ask me or tell me something about it. I was a little ... Show more content
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In one ride that I did, most of the observers were so busy at their phones that they did not even look
at me at all including nurses and doctors. I guess that technology is getting an impact in some
experiments that make people indifferent to some norms by the effect that they are busier in their
phone rather than be aware of what it is going on around them. There was only an old woman
probably on her 60s that my partner and I noticed she was looking at me and trying to figured out,
why I was doing the opposite of the rest of the people that was inside the elevator, but she never say
anything she was only observing at

Deviance As A Violation Of Social Norms
Deviance:
The term deviance equates to an act of unacceptable and intentional behavior which violates
currently accepted cultural norms. "In sociology, deviance describes an action or behavior that
violates social norms, including a formally enacted rule (e.g., crime), as well as informal violations
of social norms (e.g., rejecting folkways and mores)" (wikipedia). Essentially, deviance can
ultimately be compared to treason, in this perspective, timing is a critical aspect. That is to say, what
may be considered deviant by today's standards may be a norm in the future, likewise what may
have been considered a treasonous act (e.g. American Revolution) may now be considered patriotic.
Consequently, deviant actions can be mala in se or mala ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
By this realization, Goodwin, not only challenges our elected officials into moral action, he
challenges the American public as a whole. His logic is supported by historical evidence and moral
reason.
Seventeen years after the United States Senate rejected two articles of impeachment against
President Bill Clinton, America is getting a mulligan. It's getting another chance to prove we really
are a nation of laws, that rich and poor, powerful and weak – and the Clintons – stand equal before a
blindfolded Justice. (Goodwin)
The first test Goodwin presents is to the Government, more specifically the FBI Director James
Comey and his agents. Goodwin begs the question, will the FBI submit to Governmental influence
and pressure or fulfil their dully appointed duties and treat Clinton's case the same as any other? His
second test challenges America on the whole and will consequently come to fruition in November of
this year during the election. "Assuming Clinton never has to offer a defense to the e–mails and
server beyond the tortured lies she's told in public, Americans must decide whether she, like her
husband, is too big and popular for ordinary standards of

Essay On Social Norms
Social Norms One of the main ways in which society functions is based on social norms, which help
regulate the actions that people will carry out on a daily basis. Social norms can be learned as part of
someone 's culture or can be influenced by authority such as a government. Examples of the
different types of norms could be walking on the sidewalk, sitting during a class and going through a
green light. Norms will change over time as society grows and times change, but social norms will
sometimes be conflicting with one another when the environment or people change. As stated by
Eric Jorrey 's PowerPoint slides, norms are "a society 's established standards of
behavior–"appropriate" ways to behave–widely shared and understood" (P. 8). ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
However, for this project, I violated that expectation in order to gain a reaction from others and test
how social norms can be violated in our society. Social norms are the basis for human behavior and
explain the difference between those who conform to the norm or those who violate it and become
deviant, therefore showing how these affect society. Before engaging in deviant activity, there were
things to consider about the reactions I would receive from the subjects. My hypothesis about the
reaction that I would get from my different behavior was that the people I interacted with would not
respond, thinking that I was a person of least importance and just simply chose to bother them on
that day. I also hypothesized that by engaging with people who were not too familiar with me I
would progress any negative judgements that they had in their mind prior to our interaction. Another
reaction I made a hypothesis about was that the subjects would try and give a response more or
equally as confusing as my own. I gained knowledge about situations like these from being a
bystander in the group that I worked with. This is because of my unfamiliarity with how they
interact and how they communicate with friends as opposed to strangers, in which I noticed a
significant difference. However, I also noticed some present the same

Deviance Essay Sociology
Deviance as a sociological term does not mean perversion or depravity, deviance is exhibiting
behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society. When on the
topic of deviance, we are discussing the violation of social norms. Social norms are the rules that a
group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. These rules
may be explicit or implicit, meaning they are either expressed clearly or simply implied indirectly.
There are many different causes of deviance, willingly or unwillingly. When talking about deviance,
a person can get a deviant identity in many ways. You can look at it in terms of physical or
behavioral characteristics. When people acquire a deviant role, it is common to be viewed in a
negative way by many people. One cause of deviance can be viewed through the labeling theory
which attempts to explain why people are viewed as deviants, delinquents, bad kids, losers, and
criminals, while others whose behavior is similar are not seen in such harsh terms. It looks at how
people become labeled as deviant or accept that label. In theory, though everyone may be doing
things that appear ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This theory suggests that our connection to members of society leads us to systematically conform
to society's norms. In other words, our family members, friends, and peers attempt to lead us to
follow the mores and folkways or our own society. Rather than focussing on deviant control, the
control theory focusses on why deviance is not done more often. Driving forces that lead us to
behave well when maintaining social bonds are attachment, commitment, involvement and beliefs.
Reputations are created within communities which create a reason for people to compel to the social
norm of society, and follow rules or laws created. When people become involved in their
community, doing harm to it as a deviant could be doing harm to them as

American Culture Sociology
American culture has been referred to as a "melting pot." Different cultures have added their own
distinct aspects to society, making America a diverse country. Despite the plethora of cultures,
certain norms, mores, and folkways are evident in American society. These ideas are vital to the
function and stability of America. They provide guidelines for what is acceptable and not. In
virtually every society, there are people who engage in deviant behavior and do not abide by the
values that the rest of society follows. Theorists have debated if people are socialized into acting this
way and if it is a social or personal problem. The sociological study of culture focuses on norms,
mores, and folkways.
Norms, folkways, and mores from American society
What differentiates American society from other societies is the rules and values that they follow. In
sociology, these are called norms. Norms govern our lives by showing us how to behave in a certain
ways. Codified norms turn into laws. One such norm is to shake hands when meeting someone.
Another norm is when using public transportation, to give up his or her seat to someone who is
elderly, disabled or pregnant. William Graham Sumner was one of the first American sociologists to
distinguish between norms and folkways. Folkways stem from norms that most often are done
unconsciously, and emerge from repetition. They are vital to society, are flexible, and do not
provoke strong public responses if broken (Sumner, 1906, p. 1).

Deviance Theory and Drug Use
Theories of Deviance Applied to Drug Use
Since the dawn of society there have been people whose behavior differed from the rest of society.
There are many different theories and perspectives on why people do things like abuse drugs, and
although we my never have all the answers, sociology still help us to understand the problem better.
In order to understand the theories of deviance, and apply them to drug use in our society one must
first understand what deviance is. Alex Thio defines deviance as "an act that is considered [ ] to be
a violation of some social rule" (448). Social rules that delineate how individuals in a society should
behave are called norms. There are two types of norms: mores and folkways. Mores are strong
norms ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Symbolic interactionists would look at the problem in one of three ways. A follower of the
differential association theory might say one sees other members of one's subculture abusing or
dealing drugs, and they learn to perceive that as normal (Houts 2). The labeling theory suggests an
individual may have been labeled a drug addict and experienced a change in his or her self image
and became a drug addict, or because he or she were given that label were denied some
opportunities, and had to resort to that life style to survive (Flory 2). Not only do these theories help
us determine the cause of drug abuse, but also it's effect on society. Conflict theorists would say that
drug abuse creates a chance for lawmakers to exploit the poor. For example, crack, a substance
primarily abused by the poor, has harsher punishments and controls on it than cocaine, a substance
abused more often by the rich. Power theorist would call attention to the fact that African Americans
and Latinos have a higher percentage of imprisonment than whites for possession of a drug that
whites use more than African Americans and Latino's combined (Houts 2). Functionalists on the
other hand would draw attention to its benefits. Drug abuse creates jobs for people in the field of
law enforcement. Drugs abuse creates a means of educating the young, and helping maintain
conformity in society. Drug abuse also benefits those using it by giving them a safety valve

Society's Guidelines And Standards
Each society establishes its standards in order to work properly. Those expectations define on how
its members should and not behave, and how to relate to one another. Society's guidelines and
standards are referred as norms. Norms vary among different societies and even groups within
societies may vary. Heslin indicates, "...values are the standards by which people define what is
good and bad, beautiful and ugly"(2015, pg.49). Accordingly to their values, different settings and
countries call for different norms. In the manner in which we are to behave in a theatre contrasts our
behavior at a party versus the way we are expected to act a church. Based on the society's priorities,
some norms are unwaveringly enforced whereas lenient with ... Show more content on
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While the man broke a folkway, the woman broke a more, since she may face worse consequences
than the man. Both committed the same violation, but the degree of the negative sanctioned was
increased for the woman. This reveals how society views men and women when it comes to their
public decency and how weighted it is for women to uphold this value than men. Folkways may
even be mores for other cultures. In America, it is common for political leaders and other authority
figures to point as they speak. At times, pointing at strangers and whispering may indicate a
folkway. However in other countries, it is considered extremely rude regardless of the occasion; as
in China, you are to point with an open hand. The cultural difference influenced and altered the
norm, ultimately affected the result of the sanction. Sanctions can reveal favorable behaviors as
well. Positive incentives, from smiles to monetary rewards, can encourage certain behaviors. For
example, scholarships and some form of financial aid are incentives to encourage high school
students to strive for higher education.
Society arranges these standard norms to reflect their core values. As a whole, members intend to
not violate them on a constant basis. I observed violation happen more often than what I anticipated
and I realized how assimilated I am to the norms. For example, my first observation was at my non–
denominational church. From

The Four Elements Of The Four Aspects Of Nonmaterial Culture
Nonmaterial culture refers "to the invisible and intangible parts of culture; they are of equal or even
greater importance than material culture for they involve society's rules of behavior, ideas, and
beliefs that shape how people interact with others in the society and with their environment"
(Ballentine & Roberts, 2015:82). Though we cannot touch nonmaterial components of our culture,
they permeate our life and are instrumental in determining how people think, feel, and behave
(Ballentine & Roberts, 2015:82). Nonmaterial culture is complex, comprising of four main
elements: values, beliefs, norms, and language (Ballentine & Roberts, 2015:83). Moreover, these
four elements are expressed in an ideal and real culture (Ballentine & Roberts, ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Infants learn language through their caregivers. In the process they acquire important part of culture
(Ballentine & Roberts, 2015:88). Ballentine and Roberts (2015:88) state that infants have the ability
for developing language since the human voice box, tongue, and brain makes speech biologically
possible. Language is the most important component of nonmaterial culture, members of the society
transmit culture from generation to generation through language (Ballentine and Roberts, 2015:88).
Language helps members of the society to communicate with each other and to clarify rules or
norms that may be misunderstood by the members of the society (Ballentine and Roberts, 2015:88).
Moreover, language makes life simple in a sense that one can interpret objects through language that
may not have been understood without it and it simplify communication and interaction among
members of the community (Ballentine and Roberts,

Norm Violations : Social Observation And Behavior Essay
Norm Violations: Social Observation and Behavior Yajaira Llamas Bakersfield College Introduction
to Sociology: CRN 31959 2 March, 2016 As human beings we live in a society in which we have
rules, morals, values, and behavioral expectations. These are some of the things that we as humans
have to be able to function as a society, and for our society to be less chaotic. Therefore, we have
norms in which help us have a better understating in what is expected of us and our behavior.
According to Henslin (2015) he states that "norms describe those expectations that develop out of
groups values" (p. 49). What it's meant by this is that our values and what we believe in shape up
our expectations of one another's behavior, and what we categorize as being right or unethical. For
example, when we meet a person for the first time it is expected of us to properly introduce
ourselves, and to properly great that person, whether if it's by shacking their hand, a hug, or a kiss
on the cheek. This is something that we have expectations on when meeting someone new, and just
by this simply gesture we can give the expression that we have and education and that we have
manners. In our daily lives we come across different situations and different norm violations. We are
programed by society to act a certain way in different situations and environments. We come across
many different people each day, and that is when the norm folkways plays a role in some of our
daily lives,

Swing Kids
Swing Kids 1. Hamburg, Germany. 1939. The main character, a young, German man named Peter
Muller, was very traumatized by what the Nazi's and Gestapo (the terrorist political police of the
Nazi regime founded by Hermann Göring, whose purpose was to persecute all political opponents of
the Nazi regime) did to his father. Over the course of the movie, Peter went through a change; he
saw his father in a new light, and realized what really mattered in the world around him. Peter's
father was a violinist and professor at the university. He spoke out against the expulsion of the
Jewish professors and the entire Nazi movement. Because of this, one night, in the middle of dinner,
he was taken away by the Gestapo. He was brought back home ... Show more content on
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A change was also seen in Thomas. Like Arvid, Thomas was an extremist. He began as a die–hard,
live to party, swing kid then changed into a die–hard, "we are superior", Nazi. Thomas was the
rebellious type, because of the way his father treated him. He wanted to rebel against, and get back
at his father because his father thought of him as a misfit that would not amount to anything. His
father hated Hitler and the Nazis and always spoke out against them, although only while in the
comfort of his own home. As time passed and Thomas was exposed to more and more of the Nazi
propaganda he began to believe it. He reported his father (they were required to report to their
superiors anything someone did or said that was against the regime or Hitler), which more than
likely meant death or torture for his father. He said also, "Arvid was a cripple He didn't belong,"
after Arvid's death. Thomas had turned into a Nazi. 2. A subculture is a part of society that has
different ways of doing things that stray from the dominant or mainstream culture. It can sometimes
be described as a stereotype. Its members have little commitment to the category. A subculture is
different from the dominant culture, but is not necessarily seen as bad, and is generally seen as
"okay" with the rest of the dominant culture. It's members still function as a part of

The Subculture Of Street Art
Tyler Matas Matas 1
SCL191SC
October 6, 2014
Cindy Chivsen
The Subculture of Street Art
In today's society street art has managed to reach every country worldwide. In the film "Exit
Through The Gift Shop" a film by a street artist named Banksy that tells the story about Thierry
Guetta a French man who lives in Los Angles that falls in love with the subculture and films the life
known as graffiti or to some people that love it, it is known as street art. Thierry shows the different
artist and ways he explains how the subculture of street art is taking over and how the art is being
looked at in the wrong way. Street art is on its way of being a huge new worldwide trend as it is on
its way of becoming a mainstream culture. Graffiti to artist is not a term anymore, as the culture is
now referred to street art it means something to the people that is now becoming a mass popular
culture. Thierry Guetta a man who was happy with is comfortable living vintage clothing store was
getting introduced to the new world of street art that his cousin the "Invader" brought him in to
when he travelled to France.
In the world of street art most artists try to keep themselves anonymous. Thierry got to introduce
himself with many artists. For example, Shepard Fairey who was a very well–known artist that came
from the skateboarding scene who knew Thierry's cousin Invader. Invader then takes a trip to visit
Thierry in Los Angles and goes to meet with Shepard Fairey. Thierry
Matas

Sociology And Its Effect On Society
Sociology is the study of people and understanding the development of social construction; the
constraint that institutions impose on society, and individual's behaviors and reactions to defying
conformity. The study of sociology, defines defying constraint as deviance; an action or behavior
that violates the reflection of social norms, through the opposition of policies. Policies are set by
institutions that restrain an individual to adhere to expected standards under the supervision of the
law and by social guidelines. Understanding deviance, involves the comprehension of the regulation
of social norms, and the history behind the culture that set the functions of deviance and allowed the
foundations of ethnocentrism to socially influence society. Deviance functions to; define the morals
of right and wrong, assert social solidarity, diffuse tension between social groups, and to promote
change socially. Deviance is constant within society, affirming ethnocentrism; the belief that one's
own culture is superior to others. The culture and power of one group can define normalcy and set
penalties for deviating from an expected set of actions and behaviors (Adler and Adler 2010;
Cannity 2014b; Cannity 2014d). Social norms are behavioral guidelines that direct individuals to
conform to preconceived responses and reactions that are acceptable and appropriate to the culture
of the society. Sociologist, William Sumner identified forms of deviance that are distinguished
between three

Folkways Or Social Norms Dictate Our Society?
In day to day life, we stand in lines, we drive on the right side of the road, and just the expectations
of people around us. We do this because standing out or getting punished in society isn't something
most people want to do. Norms dictate our lives, but what exactly are they? Folkways, or informal
rules, are not a big deal to violate, but you are expected to follow. When a folkway is broken, like
cutting in line, it is not a big deal. Besides a few angry people at you, you will not go to jail, or be
punished. Mores, are formal, and when violated can be punished. When a more is broken, like
driving in the wrong lane, you are probably going to receive a citation or go to jail. While I preferred
not to receive a citation or go to jail, I decided to break a folkway. As a Sergeant of Narcotics
Investigation for my sheriff's office, I am happy to wear a t–shirt, with BUD tactical pants, and an
outer vest that I only throw on in case of an emergency or when I am in the field. I decided to wear
my old patrol uniform, a big no–no for members of investigation, as the Uniform Patrol are thought
to be "Inferior" to the investigation ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This uniform is a staple for the Uniform Division, which is normally seen as rookies, since we all
start out in the uniform division, or people who just are not smart enough to become an investigator.
I personally disagree with this, since some people prefer it over investigation, but almost everyone
has this view at the agency I work with. I am not seen as just an investigator, but a supervisor, so I
was interested in how I would this would be viewed by my team. I drove to work, strangely feeling
like I was inferior. I drove to the meeting wondering, how I would be

How Are Crime And Deviance Related?
Review Questions
1.What is crime? Crime is a human's actions that violate laws of a country, state, or city. A law has
to be present and broken in order for an act to count as a crime.
2.What are three different types of norms? Given an example of each. Three different types of norms
include, folkways, mores, and deviance. Folkways are everyday ways of doing something. For
example, waiting in line for the bathroom at a concert, rather than just cutting in line to use it first.
Mores are norms that have shared assumptions of approval and disapproval. For example, not taking
money from someone before asking is a more. Deviance is an act that violates society's norms. For
example, pressing multiple floors on an elevator instead of just the one you need.
3.What are surveys used for in criminology? What type of information do they collect? Surveys are
one of the most common research methods used in criminology. Surveys are used to gather
individuals opinions about issues on crime. They are also used to self–report a crime that was not
called into the police.
4.What is actus reus? Actus reus is the actual act that person is accused of. In order to be convicted
there must be evidence to support the accusation, that the person broke the law.
5.How are crime and deviance related? Do they represent the same actions? Crime and deviance are
related in some areas. Both crime and deviance are noted as violations of societies norms. Some
forms of deviance are crimes, but they do not

Norms, Morals, Values, And Behavioral Expectations
As human beings, we live in a society in which we have rules, morals, values, and behavioral
expectations. These are some of the things that we as humans have to be able to function as a
society, and for our society to be less chaotic. Therefore, we have norms in which help us have a
better understating in what is expected of us and our behavior. According to Henslin (2015) he states
that "norms describe those expectations that develop out of groups values" (p. 49). What it's meant
by this is that our values and what we believe in shape up our expectations of one another's
behavior, and what we categorize as being right or unethical. For example, when we meet a person
for the first time it is expected of us to properly introduce ourselves, and to properly great that
person, whether if it's by shaking their hand, a hug, or a kiss on the cheek. This is something that we
have expectations on when meeting someone new, and just by this simple gesture we can give the
expression that we have an education and that we have manners. In our daily lives we come across
different situations and different norm violations. We are programmed by society to act a certain
way in different situations and environments. We come across many different people each day, and
that is when the norm Folkways plays a role in some of our daily lives, since Folkways are routines
or casual interactions with people around us. Whether if it is by not saying bless you to the person
that sneezed, or not helping

Norms, Morals, Values, And Behavioral Expectations
As human beings we live in a society in which we have rules, morals, values, and behavioral
expectations. These are some of the things that we as humans have to be able to function as a
society, and for our society to be less chaotic. Therefore, we have norms in which help us have a
better understating in what is expected of us and our behavior. According to Henslin (2015) he states
that "norms describe those expectations that develop out of groups values" (p. 49). What it's meant
by this is that our values and what we believe in shape up our expectations of one another's
behavior, and what we categorize as being right or unethical. For example, when we meet a person
for the first time it is expected of us to properly introduce ourselves, and to properly great that
person, whether if it's by shaking their hand, a hug, or a kiss on the cheek. This is something that we
have expectations on when meeting someone new, and just by this simply gesture we can give the
expression that we have and education and that we have manners. In our daily lives we come across
different situations and different norm violations. We are programmed by society to act a certain
way in different situations and environments. We come across many different people each day, and
that is when the norm folkways plays a role in some of our daily lives, since folkways are routines
or casual interactions with people around us. Whether if it is by not saying bless you to the person
that sneezed, or not helping

Relativist Definition Of Deviance
As I have been constantly reminded throughout the duration of this course, deviance can have many
definitions. For the purpose of this paper, I will used the relativist definition: deviance is behaviors
that illicit a definition or label of deviance. However, behaviors or acts are not inherently deviant.
They become so when the definition of deviance is applied. So the focus is not on why individuals
violate norms, but instead how those norms are constructed. Norms are rules of behavior that guide
people's actions (Inderbitzin, Bates and Gainey 2015:3). They are society's rules of appropriate
behavior. Norms are generally broken down into three categories: laws, mores, and folkways. Laws
are the strongest norms backed by official sanctions or a more formal response. Mores are "moral"
norms that may generate outrage if broken. And folkways are everyday norms that do not generate
much uproar if they are violated. My act of deviance was to wear a pajama set with slippers and to
carry my sock monkey around with me to all of my classes. As simple as my act may seem, I
actually several norms. The first norm is that you normally wear pajamas to bed, and every day,
casual clothes to class. The second norm is that you wear slippers around your house and have
different shoes you wear out. The third norm is that stuffed animals are owned by small children. All
of my norms are based off the value of conformity. It makes people uncomfortable when someone
deviates, so that's exactly what

These Differing Responses Can Be Explained Via Sociological
These differing responses can be explained via sociological reasoning. Such reasoning would
include acknowledging an individual's comfort level, their relationship to me, the norm violator,
their traditional opinion of where it is appropriate to have a picnic, and their views of whether or not
they feel it is appropriate to acknowledge my norm violation as a positive or negative form of social
deviance. A sociologist would relate and explain differing responses by highlighting the how an
individual's sexual orientation, personal religious beliefs, culture, lifestyle, worldview or gender
identity influence their individual thoughts and responses to the social environment in which they
live, providing a proper methodology by which to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Personally, I found my behavior to be acceptable, as it pertained to myself and did not directly harm
those with whom I associated, and promoted an overall positive experience of meeting new people.
Despite outside responses, my internal responses remained predominantly unchanged. When
specific negative social sanctions were directed my way, specifically in the form of slight frowns or
disapproving looks meant to restore social order by condemning my behavior, I simply carried on
with what I was doing, refusing to break from my demonstration of deviant behavior and
acknowledging their negative responses. I would acknowledge certain informal sanctions at times,
specifically if they were verbal comments or particularly vehement facial expressions, in the form of
making eye contact, smiling directly at them, and then continuing to eat or talk to other friends who
had stopped by to chat and reinforce my behavior with positive sanctions in the form of
compliments. Therefore, as most social sanction were unofficial, my responses were predominantly
nonverbal, especially toward negative social sanctions. Positive social sanctions were equivalently
expressed via verbal and nonverbal communication, thereby garnering higher verbal responses from
myself in the form of thanks or continued conversation regarding other social and educational topics
(ie: weekend experiences or course work). Observing and responding to these social sanction
regarding

Personal Narrative: My Norm Violation
As my norm violation I chose to alter the way we are supposed to be dressed and look in public as
society says. I walked around the marketplace in a backwards low cut shirt, backwards ripped jeans,
one blue shoe, one red shoe, and a bright pink wig. First, I went into the yogurt store and everyone
was staring at me with blank expressions and kids were laughing. As I walked over to get my
favorite mango yogurt an old man jokingly asked if I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this
morning. I told him no, I just liked to wear my cloths this way and that this was my natural hair.
After I left the store and started walking around the water fountain, girls my age were pointing,
giving me dirty looks, and some were laughing as they whispered in each other's ears. Guys my age
looked confused when they ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
While washing my hands next to a complete stranger I heard talking coming from one of the stalls
and it seemed like the voice was being directed to one of the stalls next to it. Listening closer, I
heard a lady from one stall ask the lady in the one to the left of hers if she could pass her a roll of
toilet paper after she was done using it because the stall this lady was in didn't have anymore.
Kindly, the woman agrees and gives her the roll of paper. As I continued washing my hands and
minding my own business the woman next to me seemed to have been bothered by the woman
asking for toilet paper. The lady pushed up her nose and made a "nasty" face as if she were
disgusted. On her way out she left yelling, "It's a public bathroom you don't get what you want."
This made no sense to me but I could tell this person was bothered by what was asked and didn't
like what had happened. This norm can be considered a folkway, which are norms that are not
strictly enforced because not many times out of our lives are we told not to ask people in public
restrooms for toilet

Social Norms In Society
We live in a society of expectations. These expectations subconsciously shape our mannerisms on a
day to day basis. Stemming from these controlled mannerisms are social norms. Social norms are
the traits that have come to be typical over time because they have been shaped by our surroundings
and our everyday interactions. When a norm is broken, society reacts by entering into shock. In a
social experiment, I tested the reaction of society when I broke a social norm. For my experiment, I
violated a folkway. I went to get my hair cut at my normal salon. This salon is an upscale, boutique
blow–dry bar and salon. There were many women in there who were getting their hair done. I have
been going to that salon for years, and have come to know all of the employees and stylists. I had an
appointment with my regular stylist who has cut my hair ever since I was little. I usually always go
for a trim of about an inch and a blow–dry after. This time, when my stylist asked me what I wanted,
I looked her in the eye and said, "take it all off." I was asking her to shave my head completely. The
reaction of the people in the salon was one of shock. My hairdresser at first, looked at me and
laughed as if I was joking. I then had to say, "no really, take it all off." This is when she started to
look panicked. She then began to question me, "are you sure that is what you want?" "Why don't
you give yourself some time to think about it?" I reassured her that that was what I really wanted,

Social Norms And Its Effect On Society Essay

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