Choice of Norm

Norms are social rules that regulate behavior (Sharma & Malhotra, 2007). Societal norms carry sanctions imposed on violations. In conducting the norm violation assignment, I ate with my hands in a busy restaurant, in town. In ordinary food service settings, it is a normal practice for people to handle and eat food using the pieces of cutlery provided for such purpose. It is a rare and hazardous practice for people to use hands as the ultimate tools for eating and handling food. The restaurant is a public eating place popular with the middle class people. I chose a restaurant because it is a place where people are sensitive to hygiene and are likely to notice an obscure behavior. The idea was to order food and begin to eat without even cleaning my hands. In order to be safe food borne infections, I washed hands prior to entering the restaurant. I entered a restaurant and sat at a table, ensuring that I joined a table with people already. I then ordered a meal and began to eat without sanitizing my hand. I ate as I observe reactions in terms of facial expressions, discussions of disapproval, and condemnation.

Setting Description

The chosen restaurant is a popular place which serves main course meals and refreshments. It is a restaurant located in the central part of town and enjoys mass customer attendance. The layout of the inside environment is such that it provides a spacious, refreshing atmosphere, and, so, is an ideal environment for an assignment of this nature. It provides exceptional observation because of the enormous space. In times of main course meals such as early morning, lunch hour and dinner, customers flock the place. It is the busy nature of the restaurant that informed the choice. Restaurants are places that have managed security of customers. This was an essential factor of consideration. I did not want to practice norm violation in a rowdy environment. Settings of that nature can hurt an offender either physically or emotionally by actions of people who would disapprove of the simulated behavior.

Personal Reaction

Prior to conducting the exercise I was nervous because the behavior was against my beliefs and morals. I value social order, but then I was embarking on an action of social disorder. However, I was aware that I had a mandate to undertake and that the choice of norm violation I had was a sure way to elicit observer reaction. During the process, fear and regret took over, and, so, I was uncomfortable. The reactions inflated the feeling of discontent with my actions. After the exercise, I experienced relief because the torturous process ended. Comfort and relief was noticeable all around the environment. The exercise was embarrassing to me and the people observing the act of disregard to social norms. It was also unbearable to observe people stare in disbelief and leave the environment because of embarrassment.

Observer response

I joined a table with other customers in the middle of the feeding process. I got the food brought and started to consume food with “unclean hands’. Immediately, the person waiting on the tables requested me politely to use cutlery provided for the eating. It was observable from her tone of voice and facial expression that the scene was a potential embarrassment to the restaurant and customers. I informed her that was a habit and that I was uncomfortable using the provided cutlery. The people sitting next to me were also expressing discomfort. They stared at me, but could not say anything because they saw and heard the attendant discuss with me. I small child loudly asked her mother why I used hands to feed. Her mother, embarrassed, told her that the food I had did not require a spoon. Others stopped eating and were staring at me. Others ate fast and left while others left the food altogether and left the restaurant. I remained alone after all the members of the table left, and the shocking thing could not join the table. Those who sat at the table changed tables as soon as they noticed my behavior.

Conclusion

The prime lesson from the norm violation exercise is that the society operates under rules of behavior that create and maintain harmony. It is evident from the response that there are aspects of behavior that are unacceptable in society. In order to realize harmony, each member of society must observe social norms. Social norms have a foundation in social values and beliefs (Sharma & Malhotra, 2007). A violation of social norms creates disharmony, and, therefore, the society places sanctions on behaviors that constitute a violation of the norms.Society comprises interlinked relationships. The nature of the relationships determines sustainability of unity. Therefore, I learned that social unity is a function of the actions of individual actions.

It is essential that individuals ensure that their actions do not break linkages that create and protect peace in society.The norm violation assignment is an impactful way to learn social norms. It facilitates learning by experience. It provides an opportunity to observe the repercussions of individual actions consciously. Therefore, the assignment has been an excellent lesson for practicing social norms, in a simulated environment. However, students must apply it with caution. The choice of the norms to violate must not constitute breaking the law or causing harm to the society or the student. Therefore, the assignment requires creative selection of an exercise to perform.

Reference

Sharma, A. & Malhotra, D. “Personality and Social Norms”. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, 2007.

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