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For this assignment, do the following:

Research norms found in other cultures or periods that would be considered deviant in our culture today. Then, break 1 of our society's expected norms by performing a behavior that is common in another culture or period.
Please be sure to perform deviant behavior, not criminal behavior.
The following are some ideas to get you started:
Bowing instead of shaking hands
Dropping in on a neighbor you have never met for a visit
Being in the personal space of someone with whom you are talking
Slurping your food loudly
Riding in the front seat of a taxi
Avoiding making eye contact while speaking to someone
Wearing a minimum of four layers of clothing (for women)
Pushing all of the buttons when riding in a crowded elevator
Teasing and spraying your hair excessively
Then, write a paper to respond to each of the following assignment questions. Your response to each question should be 1–2 paragraphs, and as appropriate, they should be supported with examples and information from your textbook and intellipath®.
What norm did you break, and where (or when) would this behavior be considered normal?
How did breaking this social norm make you feel? How did people react to you?
What is the relationship between deviance and crime? Discuss why laws formally discourage certain acts while other behaviors are informally discouraged but not labeled illegal.
In your opinion, if someone commits a deviant act but no one is around to see it, is it still deviant?

1 Answer

2 votes
One norm that is commonly practiced in some Asian cultures but may be considered deviant in Western cultures is bowing instead of shaking hands as a form of greeting. In Japan, for example, bowing is a sign of respect and humility and is commonly used in various social situations, whereas shaking hands is not as common. In Western cultures, however, shaking hands is the norm for greetings.

Breaking the social norm of shaking hands and instead bowing when meeting someone made me feel a bit awkward and out of place. People's reactions varied, from confusion to amusement to outright disregard. Some people simply looked at me quizzically, while others laughed or joked about it.

The relationship between deviance and crime is that deviance refers to any behavior that goes against social norms, while crime refers to behavior that is deemed illegal by a society's laws. Some behaviors may be considered deviant but not illegal, while others may be both deviant and illegal. Laws formally discourage certain acts because they are deemed harmful to individuals or society as a whole. Other behaviors may be informally discouraged but not labeled illegal, such as talking loudly on a cell phone in a public place.

In my opinion, if someone commits a deviant act but no one is around to see it, it is still deviant because it goes against the established social norms of a society. However, without anyone around to witness the act, there may be no immediate consequences or reactions from others.
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User Art Shendrik
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