Field Experiment: Violation of a Social Norm.
In this project, we were asked to violate a social norm in a.
public setting and make observations on what we saw and how our.
audience responded. The social norm that I chose to violate was.
simply that of common courtesy. I decided to go to the mall and.
walked around, bumping into random people and saying absolutely.
nothing in apology. I simply bump into them and keep walking as.
if nothing has happened. .
Norms are a very important part of society. In the book,.
norms are defined as "the specific expectations about how people.
behave in a given situation". Without norms, a society has no.
foundation on which to stand. It would have no, as the name.
promotes, normalcy. Norms are what make a society unique. .
Other concepts such as ethnocentrism also tie into how norms.
affect a society. People who are ethnocentric often compare the.
norms of their society with that of others and through this,.
determine that their own society is superior. In contrast of.
these ideas, I believe that all societies are normal according to.
their owns norms, not the norms of others.
In doing my experiment, I expect many different kinds of.
rections from people I encouter. I am not actually sure what.
kind of reactions to expect. There may be mostly strange looks.
and maybe some hostility due to the blatent rudeness of my.
violation. People might say excuse me and be surprised to not.
get an answer or any kind of reaction at all. I am going to the.
mall, so the kinds of people I encounter may vary. I predict.
that the major reaction will be a sense of confusion and self.
questioning as to why i didn't respond or how someone could be so.
rude.
I decided to do my research in and around the food court at.
Crabtree Valley Mall on Sunday, August 18. I chose this location.
because there is always alot of traffic and plenty of.
opportunities to be rude. The food court is right next to the.
arcade along with many other stores, so there are alot of people.
