Norm Violations Research Paper

In this paper, I am writing about two norm violations I witnessed along with one norm violation I committed myself. To do this, I first had to learn what a norm was. “Norms are expectations of ‘right’ behavior” (Henslin, 2011, p. 49). To violate a norm is to go against what is considered right behavior. There are different types of violations. A folkway, for instance, is “a norm that is not strictly enforced” (Henslin, 2011, p. 51). While mores are “norms that are strictly enforced because they are thought essential to core values or the wellbeing of the group” (Henslin, 2011, p. 51). Norms are not the same everywhere. Behaviors that are considered right in the United States may actually be violating a norm in another country. Cultures play …show more content…
Although he is younger than I am, he is still considered an adult, at the age of nineteen years old. He and I were going into Albertsons to do some light grocery shopping when he decided to make the normal outing into an experience less boring and much more fun for him. Entering Albertsons, he quickly jumped onto one of the electronic carts the store provides, for older adults or people with disabilities to assist them while grocery shopping, and began driving around in it as fast as the electronic cart would permit through the aisles. I told him to get off the cart as I feared we would get kicked out of the store or asked to leave, but he refused to listen. He actually took it a step further by talking extremely loud while riding the cart and begging me to get more junk food. I was completely embarrassed as I watched others look at us funny, and I could feel their judgment. They expected me to correct his behavior since he was my family, and I was judged harshly as well. We were not thrown out of Albertsons, and I was grateful for this. I was certain we were only moments away from being asked to leave, but I quickly reprimanded him once we left and were no longer in public, scolding him for behaving that way while explaining how rude it was that he took something someone else may have needed. Without knowing it, I automatically gave him a negative sanction for his behavior. His violation was his …show more content…
They were not drastic like mores. However, each norm violation stirred up a lot of looks and whispers when committed. After paying attention, I realized there are violations every day and everywhere. It was extremely uncomfortable for me to knowingly commit a violation and I was surprised by this fact. I believe as we grow up and learn what behavior is expected from us, we actually experience guilt when we go against what we were taught. This makes our culture’s values and norms extremely powerful. There is actually a peer pressure aspect to it. We are pressured into behaving a certain way if we want to be accepted by groups. This is the power of social