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Social Norms Essay

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My mother has always told me that certain things should not be done in public. Social norms are opinions and beliefs that are shared amongst a group. Throughout our lives our parents tell us things that aren’t socially acceptable, and that there are consequences for those actions. Those that don’t act in ways that are socially acceptable are isolated from society. Norms help to guide the general public by reinforcing it with a punishment in waiting. For my experiment on breaking norms, I choose to chew with my mouth open in the Clinton Dining Hall, and Subway’s eating area. I was very nervous to break this norm because I was brought up knowing that eating with my mouth open was not polite in public. I felt that maybe people would get …show more content…

My friends looked at me and asked “what are you doing Jaden? That is really grimy.” I continued eating with my mouth open, with the chipotle mayo spilling out my mouth. The lady that was wiping the table next to us looked at me and said, “that is so disgusting you need to stop eating with your mouth open.” I received many remarks from people walking by saying that I have no manners or home training, and that I am a “typical freshman.” I felt uncomfortable and stopped chewing with my mouth open. I received many weird faces from females more than males. I was more comfortable doing this experiment because I already did it in a more populous area in a Dining Hall, and I knew that I would be getting similar reactions in the Subway’s eating area. This two-part experiment leads me to realize that norms are very important in society. It keeps us in check in terms of how we act, behave, and interact with people. I did not expect to receive such remarks from my friends and peers. I didn’t think anyone would notice me eating with my mouth open, since many people keep to themselves and ignore most of the things going on around them. Many people stared at me as if something was wrong with me and felt uncomfortable with me. Socialization is the process by which one learns how to become a functioning member of society. I was not establishing that concept when I was eating with my mouth open, because I acted as a way that was not proper in

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