Breaking A Social Norm

Per Macionis (2016), social norms are the rules and guidelines that a society uses to influence the behavior of its members. Norms are not written down on paper, rather they are behaviors taught to children first by parents, teachers and other authoritative figures. However, as children grow older, their peer group becomes the main deciding factor of what behaviors are acceptable. As someone who has always tried to adhere to the norms I learned as a child, the idea of deliberately breaking one was a little difficult to adjust to at first, then I realized not only could it be educational, it could also be fun. The trick was to find a norm that I could break that would not be dangerous to me or anyone else. It also could not be too outlandish because I didn’t want to end up in the funny farm. It was when I was making my Costco grocery list that it hit me – it was the perfect experimental proving ground I needed. As I was thinking about how …show more content…
The woman kept apologizing, even when I assured her that I was all right. Finally, she let me go, stating that I needed to be more careful. At first, I was rather amused and grateful by how the woman was so concerned when she ran into me. Her parting shot to me about my being more careful, however upset me. I avoided other people and objects by turning my head continuously left and right, yet this woman, who was looking straight ahead, ran into me. As I stood there, contemplating ending the experiment, an older man stopped and asked me if I was all right. He then did something unexpected. He suggested that when I was in very crowded areas, I make beeping noises, such as a horn. As I resumed my trek to the grocery area, making beeping noises to advertise my presence, so there would be no accidents and turning my head, right and left, I noticed something rather strange. The reaction my antics elicited seemed to depend on how stage of person’s