Norms - Human Relations Assignment
Serious Norm Quotes that Need to be Addressed Before I Attempt to be Funny:
"A lot of kids are bullied because of their ual identity or expression. It's often the effeminate boys and the masculine girls, the ones who violate gender norms and expectations, that get bullied." - Dan Savage
"Human rights will be a powerful force of the transformation of reality when they are not simply understood as externally defined norms of behavior but are lived as the spontaneous manifestation of internalized values." - Daisaku Ikeda
"We've been playing games since humanity and civilization - there is something primal about our desire and our ability to play games. It's so deep-seated that it can bypass later-day cultural norms and bias." - Jane McGonigal
Norms.
That one word where nothing is right, nothing is wrong, they are all okay. The basic description of norms are just the normal things that a person does everyday. These things are normal for that person.
My norms - probably not what you could call normal.
My day begins pretty bland. I wake up, take a shower, procede to fall asleep in the shower, wake myself up in order to get out, get dressed, and get myself to the child prison they call a school.
They say they want to educate us - stuDYING, calKILLus, and then math in general is just... NO.
Most of my day is spent half paying attention to the teacher, and half reading my wonderful fanfiction about hot Korean idols.
Look.
At.
Them.
They.
Are.
Gorgeous.
In a nutshell, my day is just procrastinating and then rushing to get my homework done like a squirrel on PCP.
To other people, this might be frowned upon heavily, but it's my way of doing things, my norm, so it can't be wrong.
While I, and most people, know what norms are in a basic form, most of us do not know that there are several types of norms. These include: formal norms, informal norms, folkways, and mores.
Formal Norms: These norms have, more than likely, been written down and specify strict punishment for people who violate these norms. The most common formal norms are laws. Donald Black, a sociologist, stated that laws are simply "government social control". This means that they are enforced, and we have to follow them, simply because we know that something bad will happen to us if we don't. It's enough of a persuasion for us to follow laws. Other examples of formal laws are college requirements and even card game rules - because they are a specific set of rules that we must follow.
I don't know how I really view formal norms. Of course, they are norms because they are part of the way we live and we don't really know any different. The only problem I see with it is that in some laws and rules that we follow, there are so many loopholes that people can find so they don't have to follow these formal norms. Like a card game, people bend and twist the rules either so they can play the game better or just because they don't like the way it's played. What I'm trying to say is that even though a formal norm is written, it doesn't nessasarily have to be followed because there is always that one person who thinks they are the God of everything. Go away - no one likes you. Formal norms are definitely a must, so I'm happy they are around.
Informal Norms: Informal norms are norms that are understood but not written down like laws are. An example of an informal norm is state of dress. Most people know that for a job interview you will have to dress nicely. It's not written that you have to anywhere, and there's no punishment - but most would think for something as important as a job interview, you'd want to look good. Informal norms also take place in school. Say someone comes in looking like this:
.....Yeah.... There's no rule against it. The biggest punishment is that the other kids will probably make fun of them or something of that nature.
I personally like informal norms a lot. It's funny because it's like we're being controlled by some higher power yet don't know how. It's like "I want to wear sweatpants to that interview," but then your brain is like "LOL sorry not acceptable," and then you change your outfit because you KNOW. Of course, some people just don't care about these informal norms and will go out into society looking liked someone mauled them.
Never go to Wal-Mart after midnight.
Norms are also classified by their importance in society. They are called mores and folkways.
Mores: Mores are norms that deal with the welfare to society. They are where the morals and principles of people thrive and multiply. Mores are very important to the society and obediance to follow the mores is demanded. If the mores are violated, or not followed, the person or persons can face extreme punishments. Most people have strong mores against things such as child abuse and murder.
This translated to me as mores are your morals and principles. These have to do with norms because we are normally against child abuse and murder. Some people have different beliefs, morals, and principles. If you don't follow these norms, then that's fine - because no one is going to punish you. It just might be looked down upon.
Folkways: Folkways are norms that follow people's everyday behavior. Folways are said to help shape people's every day behavior. Society doesn't take folkways as serious as mores and they raise very little concern if they aren't followed. One example is walking up on an escalator that's going down. It makes us question the person's behavior, but doesn't result in a jail sentence or a fine.
I think folkways are kind of like the things we do just because what our mood, personality, or typical behavior is like. Referring back to the escalator, I can see someone who likes to have fun or someone who likes to be a bit mischevious doing that. They all depend on a single person's personality.
Norms aren't always followed, nor are they expected to be.
Norms differ between generations. For example, my grandpa, as a child, would get up early, work, go to school, come back home, work his off some more, eat, then go to bed. Then, it would start all over - that was his norm. He looks at children in elementary school and kindergarten and is already shaking his head. He thinks that their norm will be ditching school, not getting work done, not respecting their parents, and other disrespectful things. People's opinions of others change if they see you acting differently than they used to as a kid, or even now. Another example is that my dad never missed a day of school. He was smart, did his homework, got straight As through high school and college - and he gets mad at me when I can't meet those same standards.
Another norm that people don't think about often is marriage. Of course it's the norm - men and woman have been getting married for centuries. When on the topic of same marriage, however, people usually go against it. It's new, and not a norm - and people have been taught by society and other influences like church and religion that that kind of marriage is wrong. I don't know - I accept it just fine, because my norm is not judging anyone for who they love or what is apparently "wrong" or "right".
Sorry, I was getting off topic - it's something I get heated about. >_>
Interesting norm that I LOVE cuz... I find it cute - but you might not... skip over if it starts to bother you...
In Korea, public displays of affection between guys and guys wearing make up is actually a norm there. Koreans are naturally affectionate - that's their behavior and nature. I think it's cute because they aren't afriad to hold, say, their best friend's hand or hug them in public. Same goes for the girls.
Yeah.... so - that's just the norm there. This is what makes my day happier, actually. If they came the United States and acted like that, people would either ignore them or completely destroy them. Most people here probably aren't used to actual public displays of affection between guys, so it might be strange for us to see it.
For the last part of my blog, I would like to introduce you to my internet norm~!
asianfanfic.com where I stalk hot Korean idols
Hyperbole & a half - a blog site created my a hilarious woman named Allie
Youtube, the center of everything magical
Pinterest - the land of the diabetes
AND MORE ASIANFANFICS.COM~!
...and then the rest of my day looks like this ---->
I'll always stick by my norms...
Which is probably why I'll never be an actual adult. I'll be 25 and ready to accept my fate of never having an actual life. It will consist of paying off college loans and creating blog posts.
Wonderful.
Bibliography
http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/social-norms-teenagers-13303.html
http://www.siena.edu/pages/3273.asp
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/sociology/culture-and-societies/cultural-norms
https://www.inkling.com/read/sociology-richard-schaefer-9th/chapter-3/norms-and-values
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