Option 1: Breaking Norms Outside of class, conduct an experiment where you break a norm and analyze people's reactions. For example, wear something typically associated with the opposite gender or eat something unusual (or unusually). Your norm violation may not break any rules or laws, or potentially cause harm to you or another person. You may have to conduct your act of deviance several times or for an extended period of time to get enough material for the assignment. Your paper will have 5 parts: 1) An introduction discussing the importance of norms, their place in society, and how they relate to concepts discussed in lecture including culture, culture shock, values, morals, taboo, folkways, mores, etc. 2) Description- what norm did you break? How did you do it? When did you do it? Where? Who was around? 3) Reactions to your act of deviance 4) Analysis – Why did they behave the way that they did? How did their reactions make you feel? 5) Conclusion - tie the results of this experiment to what you learned about norms and sanctions. Were the results as you expected? Why or why not? Why do people conform to norms? For this topic, you must have a minimum of 3 academic sources, which you should list on a works cited page (not included in the page limit). (Check YouTube for ideas!)Paper Option 2: Communication For this paper, you must attempt to communicate with others in a public or social setting without using written or oral language. In your experiment, you will not be able to talk or write for at least 30 minutes, but you need to impart a message to someone else. This paper will have 5 parts: 1) Introduction- what are ways in which people communicate? What is the importance of language? How is language used in society? How does language relate to the other concepts discussed in lecture, including gestures, symbols, etc.? 2) Description- Where did you conduct your experiment? Who was around? What did you do? Without language, how else are you able to get your point across? 3) Reactions- How did others react? How did you feel? 4) Analysis- What did you learn from this experience? What do the experiences of Genie, Victor, and other isolated children teach us about the importance of communication? What is the role of language in culture?
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