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Your task is to intentionally violate an accepted norm in a group to which you belong. This group can be a group that you have close relations with, a group of acquaintances, or even a collective of strangers. But when you do this norm violation, you must do it in the presence of the other people in this group and they must see you do it. Also, you are not permitted to warn them beforehand. However, you should probably explain to them after you observe their reactions that you were purposely violating a group norm for a class project. Hopefully you’ll all be able to laugh about it afterward.
< < For example, you might wear very non-normative clothes to class or dinner with friends. You might begin to eat your meal in front of people while standing, or respond to a question with a nursery rhyme. You might greet people or return others’ greetings in a different language or with random hand gestures. You might argue a point with other people who all disagree with your point. You might ride in an elevator with your back to the door, and even start a conversation with the others in the elevator. Try to be creative, but be sure to do this in a way that is safe and that won’t get you in trouble. For example, disrupting a class, breaking the law, or saying hateful or prejudiced things would definitely be unacceptable. < < Once you’ve broken the norm and observed others’ reactions, you can explain to them what you were doing. However, be sure to break the norm long enough to elicit a reaction from others. Your one- to two-page paper should include the following: < < 1. Just before you violate the norm, record your thoughts about your expectations, emotions, etc., on paper. < 2. As soon as you can after you’ve violated the norm, record how you felt as you were doing it. What were other people’s reactions? < 3. Did you feel great pressure to stop doing what you were doing, or did it feel fun and liberating? Why do you think you felt this way?