Breaking the Norm, Research Paper Example

Normally, it is polite not to stare at strangers and it is considered an invasion of personal privacy if one holds eye contact for too long. The time considered appropriate when staring or holding eye contact is depicted by the situation surrounding the action. For instance, if a stranger is adorning a unique behavior then it is alright to look but not stare for a short while. Accordingly, when talking to a person, it is appropriate to hold eye contact. However, when these norms are practiced in a different setting, they can be intimidating, annoying and rude and can draw different reactions. I was walking down the sidewalk and decided to maintain eye contact with everyone who passed by. I did this to a point when the person goes right by I turn to look at them. Habitually, one is expected to hold eye contact for a second or two with strangers. I would hold eye contact with them from the moment they notice am looking at them to the moment I get my next target which could stretch to a minute or more.

Very few people ignored me. Most of them let me know exactly what they were thinking about my behavior both non-verbally and verbally. Some people smirked uncomfortably and shook their heads when they got past me; others asked me what my story was which was really funny. Some more snorted angrily, others stared right back at me and some discussed how weird I was while a few gave me the finger.

With every reaction I got, I experienced a different emotion. When I was staring out, I was really nervous. I expected an adverse reaction but after the first two stares I settled in. For the people who gave me non-verbal sanctions most were hilarious. The experience was fun and I felt like the behavior looked natural.

In my experience, people conform to avoid sanctions that come with breaking the norms. For instance, long stares and an extended hold on the eye contact is viewed as an invasion of one’s private space and it makes the delinquent to get really uncomfortable and in some cases, it might draw a sever sanction from them. There are measures that the society might take on the norm breakers that may not be very friendly such as nicknaming the person based on the norm he/she breaks which can be really intimidating.

Some norms are beneficial, for instance, driving on the left side of the road not only prevents accidents from happening but it also saves lives. On the other hand, some social norms can be harmful since they may perpetrate violence. For instance, norms associated to gender that allow men control over women could lead to rape cases or even physical brutality being meted on women by the men. Social norms that deal with how people relate to each other in public are really refreshing since they protect us from people who could intimidate us with annoying behaviors, hence creating a habitable and friendly environment.

If social norms didn’t exist, social life would be full of uncouth, unbearable, annoying, amazing, funny and weird happenings. For instance, picking one’s nose in public would be annoying and uncouth. On the other hand, watching how people react to the lack of social norms would be funny and weird. For instance, when I was staring at people, some who were not victims were rolling over.

Works Cited:

Wilson David and O’Gorman Rick. Emotions and actions associated with Norm-Breaking event, New York: Binghamton University, 2003.