social+norms

For this project, you must break a norm--i.e., not conform to a societal expectation. It is up to you what norm you break, you can do a behavior that is non-normative, for example, facing the back rather than front of a full elevator when riding it, or something that is non-normative among some smaller group of which you are a member.

You must break this norm in the presence of others (doing something alone is not societal) and it must be something that you don’t normally do (for example if you are a crazy dresser wearing something wild isn't going to cut it, you must push yourself here). Rules for norm violating.  Be safe. This rule trumps all other rules.  The behavior you choose may be non-normative across our culture or a small group (like your family)  You many not harm anyone, including yourself. This includes getting yourself in trouble. It also includes intentionally humiliating someone else.  You may NOT intentionally disrupt your other classes.  You may NOT break any laws  Only break one norm at a time. While violating the norm, act totally normally in every other way. Violating many norms at once simply makes you look like a crazy teenager, thus you aren’t really breaking a norm (people expect teens to act crazy sometimes).


 * Violation of these rules will result in earning 0 points (and possible disciplinary consequences with administration, long uncomfortably reflective chat with guidance counselors, your parents/guardians, etc.)

Do something THAT **YOU** wouldn’t normally do. Some students don't understand that **their** typical behavior might be out of the norm for someone else, but might be pretty typical for them. You will earn no points for behaving like yourself as that is not breaking a norm for you.

Try to be clever in your observations by looking for the non-obvious. Depending on the norm you choose to break, you may want to break the norm several times or consistently for a time period so that you can get a variety of reactions to report. **In your write up include and demonstrate knowledge of at least sixteen vocabulary terms from this chapter and underline them. It behooves you to not pick the most obvious ones that you already know. It also behooves you to use the terms correctly.**


 * This project is worth 16pts. You are not asked to provide evidence of your actions, but please turn it in printed out.**

Examples from the past include:

Break rules of social distance: sit down with a stranger at a restaurant even if other tables are clearly available, speak to an acquaintance at an unusually close distance, stand right next to another person in an elevator when only two of you are there, hold hands with a friend of the same sex, surprise a same-sex friend with a kiss on the cheek, stand too close to someone in line in front of you, ask someone to help you with something you can do for yourself. Go to a movie alone, and sit right next to a stranger when there is plenty of empty space (even better, engage the person in conversation and offer them snacks or eat theirs). Be unusually helpful: offer to help people at Best Buy, Home Depot or places where you clearly don't work, take things out of people's carts at Costco, buy a small present and give it to a barely known acquaintance, pass out nickels to strangers on the street. Break rules for eye contact: Make too much eye contact (stare) or too little, talk to others while looking at their forehead or ear, stare at strangers walking past on the sidewalk, blink excessively. Dress inappropriately: dress for a different season, dress too fancy or too casually. Break norms of social etiquette: cut into the middle of a line, ask someone you don’t know for his/her seat in a public place, randomly greet people as they walk into school with a handshake and a “good morning” Go to a restaurant, order and eat food in the wrong order: desert first, then dinner, finally an appetizer. Follow the norms of another culture: try bargaining for the price of something at Wegman's, bow to people or kiss them on the cheek to greet them, hand people things with two hands, look at the floor when shaking hands with someone....feel free to use the mall as your laboratory.