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Sociology - Breaking the Norm

 

            A norm is a set of rules and expectations by which society guides the behavior of its members. Sociologists say that norms are something that society forms. A norm is not short for normal, but it is something that we basically always do. Something that everybody does. A good example of a norm is going to a grocery store, and just keeping to yourself. A lot of people do that, even myself I just want to get in and get out. So if you would break that norm, you would say hello to everybody in the grocery store. And honestly everybody would be questioning why you were doing that, its so out of the ordinary for somebody random to just say hello to them in a grocery store. So for this project, my classmate and good friend Kevin, and I were going to violate a social norm. .
             The norm violation that my group decided to do was go to 3 different fast food restaurants, overdress, use table cloths on their tables, wine glasses, and basically just be really fancy about fast food. Normally when you would go to a fast food restaurant you would probably just wear jeans and a shirt. Fast food restaurants are not something we really prepare ourselves to go to. We just go to these places in whatever we're wearing, some people even wear their pajamas. We were not sure what we were going to get from this at all, I would even say that some of us in our little group were very iffy. But after the many restaurants we have gone to and done our little violation, I think we have a ton of information and fun moments that have happened in our time doing this. Now if I walked into a McDonald's or another fast food place, if I saw some people who have lit candles, or in our example fake lit candles, table cloths, plates, the works. I would think that they have a few screws loose!.
             Our first attempt was at McDonald's in Edwardsville IL. Kevin and I went in dressed up in suits, with our gear. While we were eating since there was only two of us, we decided to observe while we both participated so that we could each talk about how we felt about the time we were in there, and what we both observed while we were eating.


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