Integrating Social Norms

It is often rare to apply one’s ability of observation. In countries such as the United States, many citizens have become oblivious to their surroundings, and consequently the people in them. Throughout the duration of this assignment, I was made aware of this social structure, and how I have become a part of it. Most of us do not intend to compose the masses, but are conditioned from birth to refrain from deviating. This process has integrated social norms into our lives, including standards regarding race, class, and gender. The scavenger hunt challenged the concepts I have been raised to believe and encouraged sociological imagination. When understanding gender, I noticed a blatant division that I had been blind to in the past. In one specific store, certain products geared towards women for cooking were separated from those marketed towards men for recreational barbecues. Additionally, …show more content…
When faced with social interaction, we have deemed it unacceptable to directly question someone on their financial situation. We merely assume their circumstance as a result of their clothing and choice of venues. When observing the citizens of the city, I immediately associated business attire with a higher class, while assuming those with a plethora of belongings were homeless. These associations have become so integrated into our mentalities that they have become our nature. Socialization has been essential to our development. Historically, its absence has induced a limited sense of self and an increased likelihood of deviance. We have depended on norms and conformity to achieve a sense of acceptance. Accordingly, any action outside of these norms has been disregarded and criticized. Without regulation, we have felt incapable of functioning as a productive society Deviance has lead us to a state of confusion, and thus we have deemed it