Social Norm Violation, Essay Example

Social norms are generally rules that a particular group uses for demarcating appropriate and inappropriate attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors. These rules may be implicit or explicit as per the group’s definition. It is always apparent that failure of an individual to stick to the laid down rules is what group terms as a violation of social norms and mostly leads to severe punishments, with even extremes of exclusion from that particular group. Some types of norms include Injunctive Norms, Descriptive Norms and Subjective Norms (Cialdini, 2007; Cristina, 2006).

I happen to be a staunch church member in my locality and a truly devoted member who adheres to the rules of the church and strictly abides to the Bible (Holy Book). One Sunday, I had attended church, and our pastor was in the preaching session where everyone was attentive to his word. Then came time for prayers and we all went dead silent to hold a moment of silence as the pastor requested. In a flash, my phone called “fuck you pick up the phone.” I did not remember to switch off the phone when entering the church and to my amazement; my cousin had changed the ringtone without my consent. It was a horrific moment as I rushed into my pocket, to switch off the phone as it kept calling the same nasty words. Everyone was agape, the whole congregation and the pastor were all eyes on me.

At first, I was shocked too, I tried reaching my pocket but my hands were shaking. However, at last I managed to switch off the phone. It felt ashamed because I knew no one would believe me that I had not set the ringtone. With the honor bestowed on me by the people of the church and the pastor himself, I had to excuse myself as I wished the earth to crack and swallow me. The distance to the door that is only six yards seemed like a mile because I only wanted to find myself out of the church.

I had previously requested people who came with phones to church to switch off because it had grown to be  terrible habit and disruptions of the church proceedings and here I am, not only disrupting the proceeding but primitively presenting abuse at the altar. The pastor had also commented on the same, and everyone was requested with honor to leave phones at home of simply switch them off when in the church premises because it is a holy place and requires divinity and focus.

Everyone was left amazed because they could least expect me to have such a ringtone of all others, which is why I could not stand getting back to church again. After the service, I was deeply ashamed of everyone who came to me regretting everything that happened but I knew that he or she could not believe me. Everyone talked miserable about me commenting badly on me and most of my friends talked behind my back. All was on my mind was that they thought I was a hypocrite and a looser who had no sense of direction.

I certainly have never thought that I could occur on me, but I came to realize that not everyone who violates such norms is guilty. My advice would be to give the person first a chance to explain himself and give him a second chance to rectify the mistake done.

Reference

Cialdini, R. (2007). Descriptive Social Norms as Underappreciated Sources of Social Control. Psychometrika, vol. 72, no. 2, 263–268.

Cristina, B. (2006). The Grammar of Society: The Nature and Dynamics of Social Norms. New York: Cambridge University Press.