Journal #1 – Due - “Breaching Experiment”
For this Journal, you are asked to question the “rules” of the social world around us, and you will conduct a brief study that highlights the importance of social rules in our everyday existence. As a participant observer, you will conduct an experiment that breaches a social norm or rule. Then you are going to observe how breaching the rule affects the behavior of the people around you. You are also going to observe how breaching the rule affects your own behavior and state of mind. We call this a breaching experiment.
You can do just about anything that would get people to take notice of your “odd” behavior that goes against group norms. The only thing you can’t do is physical harm to anyone or put yourself in danger.
You will write a 2-page paper that will briefly analyze the experiment and the norms and/or background rules that were violated. In the analysis, you must make sense of what occurred in your experiment. Read and apply the following sections of our text:
In your write-up, make sure you include:
1)Intro: Briefly, tell me what you did, and what is your sociological understanding of the way others reacted? Include a thesis statement. (1 short paragraph)
2)Methods: Briefly, give me a summary of what you did (methods section) and which method you employed.
3)Findings: Briefly write abouthow people reacted. Identify how many people were present, and their gender, race, and approximate age. Also, briefly describe the setting. (building or outside?) What were people’s reactions? Did different people in the group react differently? (1-2 paragraphs)
4)Analysis: Sociologically analyze the response of the other people in your experiment. You need to use material from the textbook to do this. You should analyze the response using the material on Chapter 2 (Culture, specifically cultural norms and values). Explain the importance of group norms according to our textbook, and identify which norms you might have violated. Then discuss what people’s reactions to the norm violation tell us about this specific culture (Ex: Did you stand to close to them? –What does their reaction tell us about the value of personal space in this social context?) (4-5 paragraphs)
5)Reflection on the ethics: Using the section of our textbook that discusses Ethics (P384), ask yourself, was this experiment ethical? Ask yourself, and for reflect on your answer, did you feel uncomfortable? Why? (1-2 paragraphs)
6)Conclusion: Restate everything very quickly and your done! (1 short paragraph)
If you cannot come up with any ideas, please take a look at these examples. Your experiment does not have to be extreme; instead think of the subtle ways that we follow norms everyday, and how we might violate those little rules. And please do not do a breeching experience that puts yourself or other people in danger.
Examples
1. Talk to yourself in a public place.
2. Stand or sit close to a stranger or stand far away from a good friend or partner during the course of an ordinary conversation.
3. Select an occasion -- going to class, going on a date, going to the library -- and dress differently than the expected "uniform." Treat your attire as absolutely appropriate to the circumstances.
4. Step onto an elevator, but stand facing the crowd (with your back to the door) for the entire ride.
5. Stare at someone for a prolonged period of time, or refuse to make eye contact with someone who is trying to have an intimate conversation with you.
6. While eating dinner with friends or family, break some of the rules we all follow subconsciously at mealtime (ie eat off of another’s plate without asking, eat very slowly or very quickly, talk on your cell phone at the dinner table, etc).
7. Cross gender boundaries. Buy a girly gift for a boy in your family or a boyish gift for a girl.