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Social Sciences
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English (U.S.)
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Topic:

Sociology Breaching Experiment Essay

Essay Instructions:

As I mentioned in class today, you will have a choice of two essay
possibilities for this next week. Please choose one of the following
two:
****FIRST POSSIBILITY: EXAMINATION OF A SOCIAL NORM****
This writing assignment asks you to identify some kind of social norm
and then examine that norm based on the seven criteria we talked about
during lecture. Here are those seven criteria:
1. To what extent is the norm known and recognized?
2. What is the mode of transmission? How do we learn about the norm?
3. How much have people internalized the norm?
4. How much and how often do we conform to the norm?
5. Does the norm apply to all groups?
6. Is the norm severely or lightly enforced?
7. What is the mode and consistency of enforcement?
Please be clear about what specific norm you have identified and then
examine that norm along each of those seven criteria. Your write up
should be between 800-1000 words. Submit your finished documents to
Canvas before 9am, Friday, October 19th.
****SECOND POSSIBILITY: BREACHING EXPERIMENT****
This writing assignment requires you to conduct a breaching experiment
and write up your findings.
The written document you submit must have two parts:
For the first part, I want you to describe your breach in as much
hard-boiled detail as you can. This is the "who, what, where, when" part
of your assignment. Who did what? What happened? Where did it happen?
When did it happen? How did it happen? In other words, how did you
create some trouble in a familiar scene of life? That's what you should
focus on here.
For the second part, I want you to (1) identify the social norm you
breached and (2) discuss how other people responded to your breach of
the norm. How did others sanction you -- or not? What kinds of tactics
did others use to let you know your behavior was "out of line" and/or
not customary for what is expected in that social environment? Why do
you think they used those tactics and not others?
The first and second parts of this assignment must each be between
400-500 words. That means the total length of this assignment = 800-1000
words. Submit your finished documents to Canvas before 9am, Friday,
October 19th.
Here is a link to an article that provides a tidy summary about the
methods and goals of breaching experiments:
http://wiredcosmos(dot)com/2012/06/07/sociology-in-action-the-breaching-experiment
**Remember, if you decide to conduct a breaching experiment, do not do
anything illegal. That is critically important, because a good breach
does not hurt anybody or do damage to property, etc, etc. Breaches are
done in the spirit of "serious play."**
**I also encourage you to review the assigned reading by Harold
Garfinkel, "Studies of the Routine Grounds for Everyday Activities." It
is available on the course website**

Essay Sample Content Preview:
Name
Instructor
Course
Date
Examination of a social norm
The main purpose of social norms in a society is to facilitate for order and anticipation. As such, behaviors considered as social norms should be generally acceptable. It is through such acceptance that people find it easy to comply. One of the social norms in the modern society is the need to avoid racist and discriminatory comments while holding a polite conversation. For a fact, the modern society is multicultural given the influence of factors such as urbanization and technology. In this regard, individuals should take not of how their words impact people from a different race or culture. With this knowledge in mind, such a norm should be and is extensively recognized. Besides recognition, people are required to be polite in their speech and steer clear of discriminatory comments.
This particular norm is transmitted through speech and writing. A person can comply to it by being polite in conversations, especially those involving people of different races. Consequently, one has to find alternative words and or expression to words that would have otherwise been interpreted as racist. Alternatively, a person can choose to keep quiet in a case where the words they would have said would be considered discriminatory. This norm could be observed when people are communicating through; holding direct conversations, speaking over the phone, responding to each other on social media and other writing such as mails. Conversely, it is taught in learning institutions, at home by parents of guardians and by organizations that are concerned with public education.
Most of the people have accepted this norm given that it addresses a concern that exists in the modern society. As much as discrimination and racism are negative aspects, they are an existing issue in the current society. For a fact, no one would like to be discriminated against. This provides the motivation against saying statements that could be termed as discriminatory in the midst of a polite conversation. In this regard, most members of the public tend to have this social norm at the back of their minds whether or not they are holding a conversation already. However, there are people who have never been affected by racism (or any other kind of bias) and thus, do not bother much about it. Although such people consist of ...
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