Description
Activities:
Consider Cultural Norms that you follow and help govern your interactions
Decide upon a cultural norm that you are willing to violate and do not already regularly from below.
Pour the milk in first before the cereal while with others at the breakfast table.
Sing loudly while using public transportation
Introduce yourself to each person in a crowded elevator
Ask a stranger or acquaintance if you can cut in line. If asked for a reason initially respond that “I Don’t feel like waiting”
Talk to somebody else in an adjacent bathroom stall. You could ask if they can spare a square of toilet tissue.
Take a bite of food off of one or your friends dinner plates without asking.
Say “I love you, too” when a stranger says thank you.
When asked to leave a name at a the coffee counter or restaurant give them the name of a famous and polarizing figure like “Donald Trump” or “Nancy Pelosi”
You may decide upon a different cultural norm to violate but it MUST meet the following criteria:
Maintain the safety of all individuals in the area.
Be consistent with the University Honor Code and Standards of Ethical Conduct
NOT disrupt a class or public event
NOT break a law or threaten others
NOT damage other people’s property
NOT involve sexual behavior or sexually explicit speech
Reflect on your experience and answer the following questions:
What cultural norm did you violate?
What was it about violating that particular norm that interested you?
What is the function of the cultural norm you chose to violate?
What was the reaction of others and how do you think they felt?