What society deems as normal varies amongst all societies therefore social context or the “external reality formed by interactions between individuals”[1] is arbitrary. Going against the norm or expectations for behavior in society, can result in either positive or in my case negative sanctions. Sanctions are either positive and rewarding or negative and punishing reactions received from others in response to certain behaviors while norms are “expectations associated with roles”[2]. All in all, norms are the expectations and behaviors that the majority of us assign to spaces and statuses. My norm violation takes place in my biology classroom and the surrounding halls in the biology building. In my biology classroom, there is not much
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Social control is by no means tangible, but has a binding effect on most, if not all of our lives -- from behavior to actions. I was anxious for the time leading up to my norm violation. I was anticipating all the possible negative sanctions I could receive so I could foster up the courage and confidence to disregard those negative reactions. However, in actuality, people’s reactions did bother me and made me feel uncomfortable. I did not want people to think of me differently or strangers to think I was awkward or not normal. For a moment, I contemplated on telling every person I came across during my norm violation that I was acting for a sociology assignment. I wanted to tell everyone that I do not act this way in real life. In a way, I wanted to assert my master status of “normal Emory student” over the temporary “running but not actually running huffing puffing girl from biology class” …show more content…
In The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Goffman states an important argument that others appropriately react in response to an initiated behavior, actions that a person displays. Heflin expresses a similar argument in Eating Your Friends is the Hardest in his concluding thirteen “sociological lessons derive[d]”[5] from the Andes tragedy. Heslin’s sixth point was that “anyone who suggests such changes is likely to be seen as a threatening deviant. Shock, horror, or ridicule may be the reactions, and -- for persons who persist on a disorienting course -- shunning, ostracism, and violence may result”[6]. I had indeed received the negative sanctions or punishing reactions, in response to my norm violation. However, these reactions are justified and arguably appropriate according to Goffman and Heslin. Initially while reading these articles, I understood what the writers were saying, but I did not truly internalize their respective
Social control is by no means tangible, but has a binding effect on most, if not all of our lives -- from behavior to actions. I was anxious for the time leading up to my norm violation. I was anticipating all the possible negative sanctions I could receive so I could foster up the courage and confidence to disregard those negative reactions. However, in actuality, people’s reactions did bother me and made me feel uncomfortable. I did not want people to think of me differently or strangers to think I was awkward or not normal. For a moment, I contemplated on telling every person I came across during my norm violation that I was acting for a sociology assignment. I wanted to tell everyone that I do not act this way in real life. In a way, I wanted to assert my master status of “normal Emory student” over the temporary “running but not actually running huffing puffing girl from biology class” …show more content…
In The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Goffman states an important argument that others appropriately react in response to an initiated behavior, actions that a person displays. Heflin expresses a similar argument in Eating Your Friends is the Hardest in his concluding thirteen “sociological lessons derive[d]”[5] from the Andes tragedy. Heslin’s sixth point was that “anyone who suggests such changes is likely to be seen as a threatening deviant. Shock, horror, or ridicule may be the reactions, and -- for persons who persist on a disorienting course -- shunning, ostracism, and violence may result”[6]. I had indeed received the negative sanctions or punishing reactions, in response to my norm violation. However, these reactions are justified and arguably appropriate according to Goffman and Heslin. Initially while reading these articles, I understood what the writers were saying, but I did not truly internalize their respective