Breaking the normal in subculture

Individuals are socialized by their culture to accept certain norms, practices, and behaviors as normal. Normalization often functions invisibly except when what is normal is challenged. Choose one of these behaviors that is “normal” for your subculture, and decide in which way you will break it. Ideally, you should not simply do something that is random or “crazy”, but something that someone in your subculture is not supposed to do, but that someone within an alternate subculture is supposed to do. In other words, choose to do something that is not normal for you, but may be normal for another person. What social norms did I interrupt? How are these social norms related to social order? How are these social norms reinforced or internalized? How did others respond to my behavior? How did I respond in turn? What elements of formal or informal social control came into play in your experience? Would someone who did this every day experience discrimination in our society? Would you be able to explain to someone from another culture why these social norms exist? What is their function in our society? Who benefits and who does not benefit from this system of practices?    

Sample Solution