Norms and Ethics
Norms and ethics are a collection of laws and principles that direct behavior in a community and are frequently unspoken. They are quiet in the sense that they are frequently not codified and are frequently perceived by society as a natural way of going about its business. These norms are significant in a culture and they impose limitations on some actions and conduct that are seen to be directly governed by them, such as moral conduct, appropriate gender roles, and conceptions of leadership and respect (Cnx.org).
The Dress Code Norm
The norm that I will violate is the that of dress code and attire whereby I shall wear heavy clothes in summer. Ordinarily, people tend to wear light clothing during summer since there is plenty of sunshine and in certain instances, there are episodes of heat waves that have devastating effects on the society, especially the elderly individuals who tend to succumb and die of the excessive heat. On young people, the situation can become unbearable and necessitate a dive into a nearby body of water for relief. Dress code is a vital part of society in that it helps identify the society, in certain cases it can be an indication of unity within the society, and it is often an indication of the feelings of an individual as a means of expression. The last point on the dress code being a means of expression is particularly important in this case since it can help indicate the mental state of an individual, their type of occupation, health, and their aspirations. From this perspective, the dressing code acts as a means of social control due to its ability to its perceived ability to indicate the sex of an individual along with the several factors mentioned in the preceding section.
Reaction to the Violation
When I put on heavy clothing in summer, it shall be immediately noticeable especially considering that everyone else shall be struggling to get rid of the heat from their bodies. Several people shall associate it with a mental disorder such as schizophrenia, others will view it as crazy, there is also a section of individuals who shall see it as a comic stand and finally there are those who would assume that I have some sort of illness that makes my body temperature drop such as a cold. Every one of these reactions is going to be at the first site, however, once the individuals learn that I am all right and that I simply have done the said act out of will, then most of the people shall settle on the idea that I am crazy.
The Observers
I shall break this norm while at my place if residence and thus the observers shall be the members of community who live around my house and those at the shopping Centre that I get my milk from every day. This means that approximately 5o individuals a day shall see my norm-breaking activity and possibly react to it.
Reactions from the Community
I wore a pullover over my shirt in summer and strolled the streets as well as played about normally. I basked in the sun as usual in order to get vitamin D through the exposed skin of my hands and legs. The first people to notice were the neighbors, especially when they saw me basking, however, none of them commented out loud. Regardless, I could clearly see some of them stare a bit and others laugh at the situation. The case got even more interesting while taking my stroll to the shopping Centre where some individuals, especially young people openly asked me to take off the pullover. Some would look at me and point to the sky as they passed, one person stopped to ask me in a jovial manner as to whether I was not feeling the heat around. Penultimately, the shopkeeper also commented by simply asking whether I was all right. Finally, my family members openly criticized the move and termed it illogical, in fact, my parents sought to find out whether I was normal and all right.
Feelings and Difficulties
While I was violating the dress code norm, I felt uncomfortable due to the hot sun and sweaty armpits. However, this was only during the first few minutes and after about an hour, the hotness became bearable. Psychologically, however, I felt outlandish, which was exacerbated by the looks and comments of disapproval from my family members and the surrounding community. These feelings, particularly the latter were due to the ingrained norms in an individual’s brain on what the society has raised them to believe is the proper means of behavior, from this standpoint, a departure from this approved means of operation set me apart from everyone else and thus I felt isolated and much like a spectacle. The difficulties I encountered during the assignment were in the form of the stifling heat and the constant questions from the family members whom I had not informed of the assignment. Finally, I learned that norms exercise social control through learning and can be altered with changes in society and can be departed from when necessary with the downside of attracting attention and seeming like a spectacle.
Works Cited
Cnx.org. What Is Sociology? n.d. Web. 12 May 2017.
