This assignment requires the student to identify and break a social norm, pay attention to their own and others’ reactions, and reflect on what they learned about social norms.

Effects of Breaking a Social Norm                                                         
Give some thought to the social norms influencing your current behavior.  Identify one that you will break.  Be sure that you do not pick one that will cause harm to you or someone else and DO NOT break any laws. Let me repeat that, “DO NOT PUT YOURSELF OR ANYONE AT DANGER AND DO NOT BREAK LAWS.”  Some examples of social norms that students have violated are sitting with strangers at the same table at the food court in the mall, men wearing lipstick and nail polish, singing happy birthday in the elevator, etc.  After you have decided what social norm you will break, pick a couple of situations which you will break this norm.  These should be situations where other people will witness your behavior.  The kind of situations you pick will depend on the norms you choose.  Pay attention to your feelings and reactions just prior to breaking the norm, how you feel while you are breaking the norm, and also after you are done.  Pay attention to the reactions of other people around you as you are breaking the norm.  Some students have found this easier to do if they have a friend with them who knows what is going on as they break the norm. 
What social norm did you decide to violate?  Why did you pick this norm?
Describe how you felt just before you broke the social norm, during and after violating the norm.  Did you bring a friend with you?  If so, how did affect your reactions to breaking the social norm?
What were the reactions of people around you?
What did you learn from this project about social norms?

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