Break a Norm Experiment Essay
In a sociological context, deviance describes actions that are in violation of the socially accepted norms. Deviance can be a crime against a formally enacted law and violation of social norms that are prescribed informally. Deviance is a cross cultural activity as all the cultures contains a set of the prescribed norms and accepted behavior in them. In this experiment, I have chosen to deviate from the social model of personal space. It is known in history that the personal space is one of those social norms that are very important for interactivity, and which should be respected too. A zone of physical proximity exists, which allows people to experience a great deal of contact when with others. Upon breaking into this zone, it becomes socially awkward for such people, one breaks their space, especially if one is a stranger. I have therefore decided to break this norm for its easiness to break and the dire need for the experience that comes with the action.
There are multiple ways through which a person can invade other people’s personal space. This includes but is not limited to intentionally touching people who do not now, reaching out to touching people’s children intentionally, standing very close to people they do not know, or even leaning to strangers, making them uncomfortable. In all the actions, one ends, making the other person unconformable as their personal space is already invaded. In my case, I stood very close to a stranger at the bank. This was intentional, so I was too close to him such that there were some contacts between his body and my body. I could feel that he was uncomfortable with the manner of reaction that he exhibited. He looked auspicious, and within a few minutes, he broke from the queue and left the bank.
I feel that I violated the personal space rule as such violation would be the only primary reason as to why the man felt uncomfortable and resolved to move out of the bank without carrying out the transactions he intended. It is a clear indication that the person felt his space norm violated in a way that is unusual and suspected I had a wild idea with my actions. In this case, the best way for him to evade such an act was to move out. I felt terrible about my actions when the man moved out. It got me thinking about how I would feel I a stranger comes too close to me in such away. I confirmed that the feeling would be bad as such attempts are made if someone is up to something the other is unaware of. It can attract security emergencies, and I was lucky the man had not thought of attracting security attention.
In such a situation, the appropriate behavior would be keeping an acceptable distance from the other person. A range that would ensure that the bodies would not come into contact and that the other person does not end up thinking ill of me. To prevent such an action from a person invading other people’s personal space, such people should create some invisible barrier that would stop the other individual from coming too close. While that would be implemented by avoiding of an eye contact, we were in a queue within the bank and I had the intention to invade it.
The most sociological theory applicable in my case is the Durkheim’s theory of deviance. According to Emile Dukheim, there are several functional roles that leads to defiance in any society. This basic functions for deviance include, the need to establish the boundaries on what is right and what is wrong, the upholding the societal norms by declaring what is right and wrong behavior, upholding of morality because people tend to understand other peoples beliefs when such happens and defiance can be a result for the need for a social change. One might decide to deviate from a social norm at an invent to determine if it can be socially right to do it or not.
This theory can be useful in the understanding of my break norm experiment as the experiment was a trial to establish how me or the other person would feel when their person space is invaded. In this case, the experiment wanted to establish other people’s believes about such an action. And, just as per the theory, the deviance of norms can for the need to create social change, i was able to establish that my behavior was wrong and opted no never do it again.
In conclusion, society is usually a very complicated system, and it would not be possible for people to ensure self-orientation without norms guarding them. That is precisely why behavioral patterns are explaining the expected behaviors. These social norms are, therefore, an integral part of society as they regulate societal expression. In the even explored in this experiment, it is proven that the social norms are there to guard and give respect to one another, as well as create a socially acceptable environment.