Norms and Standard Expectations in Different Societies - Essay Example

At times I never cease to wonder why some people purposely display certain behaviour that is disgusting in public. Many at times, I have often witnessed youths, particularly males who have a tendency to drop their pants in public. As I am going to discuss in this paper, I find this behaviour unpalatable since it is against the norms and standard expectations in different societies in as far as the aspect of dress is concerned. Indeed, each person has a right to choose any type of dress he or she may desire at any given time. In our modern societies, people can either wear casual or formal pants that should fit their waists. When these pants are properly put on, a person looks presentable and dignified when he walks around or even in the public. There are different sizes of pants such that individuals have a wide range of choice to select clothes that would fit well on their bodies. However, I often see some young males who have a tendency of dropping their pants especially when they walk in the public. This behaviour is so disgusting since it leaves their undergarments and part of their body exposed. To a certain extent, one might be forgiven to say that any person displaying such behaviour is semi naked. Essentially, we put on clothes to cover our bodies so that we may appear presentable when we move around. However, this practice of dropping pants deviates from our societal norms and it is often condemned by many people in different sectors of the societies. This practice is common among high school students as well as other young adults. However, it our schools, our teachers emphasise that we must properly dress so that we may appear presentable. Dressing properly also gives us dignity which helps us to be admired by the other people who see us. In the same vein, we also tend to appreciate people who are formally dressed. There are also other people who display this disgusting behaviour of dropping their pants. I am strongly convinced that adults should be role models in our respective societies so they should always try to dress properly when they move around. One thing that boggles my mind is that you find a person wearing a belt on the pants but at the same time dropping them. Why put a belt then if you want to drop your pants? I have often tried to ask myself this question but I could not get a convincing answer. I have also tried to ask one of my colleagues who also have a tendency of displaying this disgusting behaviour but he too has been evasive in the answers he gave. As such, I came to the conclusion that this kind of behaviour is created by people who just want to show off out of nothing. These people want to draw the attention of others for bad reasons. This is the unfortunate part of this behaviour since it is criticised by different people in different sectors of the society. Parents in particular often urge their children to dress properly so that they may appear presentable. My personal research about this kind of behaviour has indicated that people who engage in such practice have a strong link with gangsterism. In most cases, people who view themselves as gangsters often display a certain kind of behaviour that is not readily accepted in different societies. Such people like music like rap. I would like to believe that there is nothing wrong with rap music as long as people listen to it with good intentions. It is actually a good form of entertainment and is very popular around different parts of the world. However, there are some people who want to create a cult that is associated with rap music and this often resembles hooliganism. Some miscreants in the society often want to associate with this type of music. They also wish to create their identity through the way they present themselves in public particularly the way they dress. Hooliganism is a problem in different parts of the societies since it destabilizes peace and tranquillity in those areas. The youths who often display the behavior I have mentioned above are also associated with criminal activities. The juveniles who tend to drop their pants are often caught in the storm of drug and alcohol abuse since they often think that it is the way of life. I have also realised that these youths are school dropouts and they lack parental guidance. This is the main reason why they display deviant behavior in their respective societies because they want to create a certain identity. In fact, they want their presence to be felt wherever they go. Unfortunately, these youths want to create fame out of bad behaviour. This does not give them the fame they crave for but attract criticism from different people who also view this kind of behaviour as disgusting. I also find it a bit challenging to communicate effectively with such kind of people. I have noticed that the youths who display this kind of behaviour speak with a deep accent that is often difficult to understand. The reason is that they call themselves niggers and this behaviour has its roots from African Americans. The group of people I have described above can barely communicate using formal language since they have a strong orientation towards slang. This language is not realised as official in different areas which makes such people difficult to understand. Indeed, one has to listen carefully when talking to such people in order to understand what they would be trying to say. Essentially, communication is about creating meaning from the messages that have been exchanged by two or more people. The element of associating gangsterism with communication defies logic since the goal may not be achieved. Meaning is lost because people who are not conversant with slang often find it difficult to understand what is being said by other individuals who use it as their official language. The other thing I have noticed is that the youths who display such behaviour deliberately distort the pronunciation of certain words to fulfil their interests. This I think, they do it to portray themselves as distinct from the other members of the society. In other words, they seek to normalise bad behaviour through the way they communicate. Some codes used in the language they use are nonexistent and this makes the situation a bit challenging. These youths often prefer using signs and other forms of non verbal communication if you engage them in a dialogue. Apparently, their sign language is a bit different from the other signs that are used by different people when they communicate with others. The youths I have described above are different from other people in many respects. Though these differences may be subtle, they significantly contribute towards the way they are perceived by other people in their respective societies. In spite of the fact that I despise the behaviour displayed by people who drop their pants, I somehow compensate for these feelings when I communicate with them. When communicating with these people, I always try to display a positive attitude and treat them as equal. This helps them to be cooperative unlike in certain scenarios where other people openly show some form of disgust against the way these individuals communicate. In order to understand each other in a communication situation, it is important to show respect for each other so that mutual understanding can be created between the parties involved. I also try to be polite when talking to people who are often viewed as miscreants in society. This will also help them to be respectful and cooperative in any form of dialogue they are involved in. I can also state that despite the fact that I do not like the behaviour displayed by the group of people that I have mentioned earlier, I listen to them whenever I engage them in a discussion. I have realised that not all of them are bad as we always think. Some of the just drop their pants for the sake of funny and they do not attach any connotation to that kind of behaviour. These are good people and you can actually engage in a meaningful discussion with them. All the same, one should be a good listener in order to communicate effectively with anyone. I therefore take my time to listen to what these people say. I have realised that some of them talk sensible things and it is only that they want to portray themselves as difficult people. At least I would be mollified if I discover that the person I am talking to just behave the way he does for the sake of fun. Some of these people just want to be radical but they know the societal norms and values that shape their culture and ultimately behaviour and I have come to understand them quite well. I also try to imitate the way they speak if I have important information to share with them. At times it is good to imitate a person if you realise that he or she does not seem to understand what you are saying. There are some people who belong to this group who want to create their own culture thereby pretending that they do not understand their mother tongue. When I am in such a situation, I try by all means to try to speak like them so that we can be able to exchange some important information. The other strategy that I use when I communicate with such people is that I try to take my time in order to observe the way they use their sign language. The best way to learn something from the other people is through observing the way they interact with others. I strongly believe that sign language is used in different ways by different people. Therefore, I have taught myself to first observe other people as they use signs in order to grasp the meaning of what they would be trying to say. In order to understand different types of non verbal communication used by different people, one should understand their background. I always try to establish the background of such people when I communicate with them. Over and above, I can say that I am often disgusted by the behaviour that is deliberately displayed by other people in their communities. We all come from different societies that have norms and values that ought to shape the expected standard behaviour of all the members. However, for reasons better known to themselves, some people deviate from these expected norms and values and go on to display behaviour that is disgusting. As I have explained above, I am disgusted by the behaviour of people who drop their pants when they walk in public. Though this behaviour cannot be ruled as illegal, it is just irritating since the people who display it are after creating a certain identity that deviates from their societal norms. All the same, I am not very bitter about such people since I often try to make an effort to engage them in a meaningful dialogue. Read More