Behaving as Expected: Public Information and Fairness Norms - Essay Example

Social Norms We all know that social norms are specific rules that define acceptable behaviors in any given society or group. These are certain feelings, desires, and thoughts that characterize repetitive behavior that can actually solve problems for an individual or individuals. In a typical situation, I was involved in what can be widely regarded as a violation of a folkway. In the activity, I engaged in an animated conversation with myself, and the process was repeated in two different contexts. The first context involved people who are close to me and the next context was involved total strangers. My behavior was a violation of the said folkway because repetitive behavior in my society suggests that conversations are always done between two people. This one was considered extreme because it even involved gestures, facial movements, and intonational contours. Normal behavior contradicts with my approach since people in my society are expected to always talk to other people. This is behavior the only kind of behavior in such situations that can result in meaningful and problem-solving tendencies (Bichierri and Chavez 169). Additionally, the society recognizes that face-to-face and/or conversations between people are the only way that our interactions can coordinate appropriately. People adhere to this norm within the society for a couple of reasons. In the first place, it is considered as the only avenue through which an individual can act normally. Secondly, previous benefits associated with the folkway have served to encourage the people to embrace the norm as acceptable in terms of behavior. It simply leads to the passing of information from one person to the other. The information may target two individuals or the whole community in terms of evident benefits. It is, therefore, inappropriate to engage in an animated conversation with myself. This is simply because it does not complete the intended circuit which has to involve another person or people in the conversation. The only acceptable form of conversation done by a single individual is supposed to be manifested internally in form of thoughts. Any conversation that involves gestures, signs, tonal variations, and facial expressions simultaneously is, thus, suitable for two or more people. Social functions associated with this norm, indicate that it is appropriate in solving problems that affect both the individuals and society. It guarantees a system of order and proper functioning in the precincts of reproductive social avenues. This is simply because an individual’s responsibility or action is normally equated with the relevant choice that he picks amongst alternatives (Bichierri and Chavez 172). The norm serves the social purpose of regulating interactions that humans undertake on a daily basis. For instance, people in a market are bound to benefit from person to person conversation since business is going to be completed. In this case, my action only applied the right skills in the wrong societal setting since it served no appropriate purposes, functions, and values. The first incident took part in a fast-food joint on the 26th of February in 2012. The fast food joint is famous for its exceptional delicacies; thus, it attracts customers’ from all walks of life. The customers include people from all social classes and the foods provided can be termed as suitable for both male and female customers. It is also important to note that most of my friends are also regular customers at the place and most of them were present during the incident. Workers at the joint are also familiar with my face even though we never communicated on a rather personal level. The premises offer a serene environment that caters for the needs of all its customers keeping in mind that they fill the place completely. With these, I mean that there are different rows of tables separated with parallel spaces for people to use when accessing the counter. The premise also has additional space on the first floor of the building, and this is where most people like to sit. It means that the spaces between the rows of tables are not usually occupied by many people and that is where the act took place. As I stepped inside the room everyone was busy eating or reaching for their food, and I could clearly see that those who were seated had a clear vision of my appearance through the adjacent mirrors. I knew that the action demanded some form of courage and resilience. This is because it was evident that I could either end up laughing or developing some sort of “stage fright.” I managed to control myself, thanks to my acting skills, and all this time I watched the reaction on people’s faces. I walked in and suddenly stopped as if I had stepped on something. I then started speaking to myself with gestures and all sorts of body movement. All the people could hear was laughter as I kept the conversation in incomprehensible tones. The movements matched with sounds produced in my laughter and everybody turned around to get a glimpse of what was happening. I could see familiar faces in the crowd, but I kept doing my activity while watching their reactions. The second incident was performed later on the same day. I took to the streets and it specifically involved people who did not know me. As I walked down a street that had very few people, I began making animated conversations with myself. I did not find the exercise as difficult as the first one since most people involved were basically strangers. I repeated the same kinds of gestures that characterized my first stint at the food joint. However, I had to repeat them frequently in order to cover a reasonable distance, and to also get some reasonable feedback from the people who watched me. The street had both male and female passersby and probably people from all walks of life. People around me reacted in different ways but the basic line in all this was that they had seen something extraordinary. They reacted in the way they did because they probably expected me to be speaking to somebody else. At first they seemed to be trying to locate the second party in the conversation and they found none their interest in the matter intensified. Fiends and close people were the most concerned, and the action seemed to shock them to the extent of losing their appetite. They felt as if they were part of the problem, and their sympathies were a major concern on my side in terms of feedback. Female customers were more concerned and saddened by the action, while male customers tried to be inquisitive albeit on the sides. Very few people dared to move closer to me since most of them were not sure of which action to take. Strangers were generally less concerned after the first stare as compared to friends. This is probably due to the fact that they could not trace the origin of the problem and my prior state of mental health. Friends were more concerned because they had already classified me as a responsible member of the social order in the community. They automatically expected me to adhere to such social norms. Those observing the situation were left wondering what they could do and there were practically very few options at hand. I could see my friends trying to figure out the best way to salvage the situation but they were all confused and sympathetic. Those who gained courage to move closer were definitely embarrassed and hesitant to be associated with somebody who had just violated a social norm albeit for unknown reasons. This kind of social control was external to me since it was observed by others while my acting skills left me unapologetic. I responded to the embarrassment on my friends faces by completely ignoring their presence, and to their tendency of avoiding me, by incorporating more animations that made me comfortable. Nevertheless, the kind of attention and reaction that surfaced resulted in feelings of discomfort and thus I had to incorporate other tricks to cover for the violation. The norm is applicable to all members of the society and only children and psychologically retarded individuals are permitted to engage in the same. Violation is not acceptable in any other group since it is effective in effecting social interaction in the community. Children speak to themselves because they have psychological systems that are not fully developed. The same applies to psychologically retarded individuals. The norm is used in passing messages, and doing normal business in the community (Bichierri and Chavez 175). Before violating the norm, I knew that I had an uphill task ahead of me and it probably required enough courage and guts. During the activity, I felt completely out of place, especially when I made my friends to feel embarrassed. After the exercise I felt remorseful and willing to reconcile with those who observe the norm. It was difficult to violate the norm because it could easily ignite negative reactions and forms of punishment from the public. During the exercise, I learnt that I could handle and manipulate social situations, and that social research requires total participation and practicality. In the study, I observed voluntary participation since I was not coerced into the research. Confidentiality and anonymity were also observed since nobody knew my intentions and the presence of this particular research. However, the tenet of informed consent was broken, since I was not briefed on the details of the possible outcomes and risks involved. However, through curiosity and resilience, I managed to overcome the difficulties. Works cited Bicchieri, C. and A. Chavez. “Behaving as Expected: Public Information and Fairness Norms,” Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 23.2 (2010): 161–178. Print. Read More