Breaching social norms experiment.

Breaching social norms experiment.

Purpose: This assignment attempts to spur you to think critically about norms, deviance, and stigma by asking you to violate a norm in public. Why do people conform? What happens when they do not? Instructions: Break a norm in front of different groups of family, friends, and strangers. This can be accomplished in-person or online. Very important: Do not engage in any act which is dangerous, immoral or illegal. Clichéd examples: ordering dessert first at a restaurant, treating casual acquaintances like intimates (or vica versa), wearing inappropriate clothing, initiating conversations with strangers, sitting next to strangers on the bus when there are other seats available.

Breaching social norms experiment.

For best results, please: • Make sure to clear innovative ideas with me before executing them. • Write clearly. • Provide proper citations if necessary. • Adhere to the two-page maximum. I will not grade anything appearing on the third page and beyond. • Double-space. Single-spaced papers will not be accepted. • Follow all regular writing guidelines. I will deduct 5% for failing to adhere to the guidelines. Grading Criteria: 1. Key Terms: Make sure to use class materials to define the following terms at the beginning of your paper.

Breaching social norms experiment.

Failure to use class materials could result in a total loss of credit for this section (This means that I would like for you to use your book and the lecture slides, not the internet. I know where the materials are coming from, so I will not require that you cite the lecture slides and/or YMAY–in other words, I will not hold you accountable for plagiarism if you use material from class, but do not cite it). 1. norms (4 points) 2. social control (3 points) 3. informal and internal social control (2 points each) and 4. Stigma. (1 point) 2. Before you violate a norm, describe what you plan to do and what you expect:

Breaching social norms experiment.

A.) Describe your experiment. What will you do? When will you do it? Where will you do it? (3 points) B.) Explain why your experiment is a violation of a norm. (5 points) C). Make note of the two different groups that will witness your violation of the same norm. (5 points) D). Hypothesis: What do you expect bystanders to do when they observe your norm violation? Remember to phrase this in the language of our class by relating two observable variables together. Hint: Phrases like, “get mad” or “be annoyed” are not variables…Instead of using phrases like these, think about the key terms from this assignment (5 points)

Breaching social norms experiment.

E). Correctly identify your independent and dependent variables. (2 points) 3. The Report: (Choose either 3.1 or 3.2 below, not both. You must complete 3.3) A). (if at least some people reacted to your violation) Compare and contrast the reactions of these different groups using key terms. Why might these reactions differ? Why might they be the same? (5 points) B). (if neither group reacted to your violation) If your violation did not solicit attempts from bystanders to socially control you, consider

Breaching social norms experiment.

(1) why some norm violations may be met with stronger reactions than others and (2) whether there was something that you could do that would maintain the character of your norm violation, but increase the severity of bystanders’ reactions. (5 points) C.) Describe how you felt as a result of the norm violation. Do you normally exercise internal social control to keep yourself from violating your norm? Did you feel stigma? Will you violate this norm again in the future? 15 points) 4. Reflection: Apply your newly gained knowledge to your understanding of people that are different from you.  https://youtu.be/X-_wU_Xf19I?t=19

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