Social norms can operate in both small groups, such as a circle of friends, or a large group, such as a national society. A social norm is one of the core concepts of sociology, and it refers to the behavioral expectations that a social group holds for its individuals.

Back in January I had the idea of doing a social experiment by breaking social norms and taking note of people's reactions. Go me! For example, there is an unwritten rule of how one should behave in an elevator.

After breaking the social norm I got to see many reactions which proved my hypothesis wrong and showed how conformity has a strong impact on society. A crazy character named Andrew Hales, a student at Utah Valley University, has put up a series of You Tube videos in which he — knowingly or not — does a classic Sociology 101 experiment called “norm breaching”: break a simple social rule and see how people react to you. One of the reasons why I needed to break this social norm is that I found it to be very interesting how he will proceed the conversation and his reaction to the story I am narrating.

I decided to break the social norm (unwritten) of not laughing unpredictably in unsuitable situations. My Breaking Social Norms Experiment It has been a very long time since I have posted anything new but I have been busy with breaking social norms, school, work, and dating. Sociology: Breaking A Social Norm essaysI have undertaken the task of breaking a social norm within the campus grounds. Folkways are informal, unstated rules that govern society, unlike laws, which …

I know, it’s totally ironic. I should have gone around to people asking them which school I should go to. The following ideas can help get your students started on their breaking social norms project. It is “proper” to face front, stand away from strangers, and not to look at others. These rules specify how one should behave, and it clarifies what may be considered normal or acceptable to society. I did this by laughing randomly during a quiet family meal and then during a family meal at my cousin’s house. Experiment on Reactions to Breaking Social Norms I tried to think what the early reactions of other people is and I think that it is a child who is looking for money to eat or live, so I think better reactions from older adults I predicted I would see. I figured what better setting to break a norm than downtown Atlanta at the Five Points Marta Station where there are a mixture of lots and lots of people to obtain reactions from. Also the fact that I wore pajamas on a date was breaking a social norm. The other reason was convincing my parents to the idea to violating a social norm that has been taught to me to conform to it from a very young age. Basically, a social norm tells you what you’re supposed to do in any given situation.

By standing backwards in an elevator I broke the social norm of standing facing the door and hence I became the odd one out.