Social Norms/Institutions Assignment
Choose a social situation (a fast food restaurant, the cafeteria, a class, a
wedding, a funeral, the dinner table, the dorm bathroom, whatever...). Use
your sociological imagination to observe the way people are behaving.
Identify four behaviors and explain whether they are being carried out
because someone is following a social norm, or if they are being carried out
because someone is following an institutional rule. For example, I went to
Burger King and noticed a man cover his mouth when he sneezed. This is an
example of a social norm. I also noticed that an employee washed his hand
after he went to the bathroom. This behavior was caused by an institutional
rule that mandates that employees wash their hand. You must link two
behaviors to social norms, and two to institutional rules. Your
assignment should not be more than a page long. It must be typed and
handed in during the next class. YOU MAY NOT USE A NORM OR
INSTITUTIONAL RULE THAT I PROVIDED IN CLASS OR IN THIS
DESCRIPTION AS A PART OF YOUR ANSWER. Each answer will be
worth 1 point with a possible total of 4 points.
1 ASSIGNMENT BONUS POINT: For one bonus point, violate a social
norm and report on the reaction of those around you. To earn the full bonus
points you must explain the norm that you have decided to violate, explain
how you violated it, and then report on the response of those around you.
For instance: “In our society norms dictate that we do not burp loudly at the
dinner table. While at my cousin’s wedding this weekend I decided to
violate this norm. I burped very loudly just after the best man gave his
speech. Those around me reacted with icy glares and later my mom yelled at
me.”