EVALUATION OF A SOCIAL NORM

choose one of the following two:

****FIRST POSSIBILITY: EVALUATION OF A SOCIAL NORM****
This writing assignment asks you to identify some kind of social norm and then examine that norm based on the criteria we talked about during lecture. Here are those criteria:

1. To what extent is the norm known and recognized?
2. What is the mode of transmission? How do we learn about the norm?
3. How much and how often do we conform to the norm?
4. Does the norm apply equally to all groups?
5. Is the norm severely or lightly enforced?
6. What is the mode and consistency of enforcement?

****SECOND POSSIBILITY: EMERGING SOCIAL NORMS **** 
What new social norms have emerged as a result of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic?
Please identify at least two of them and describe how these new social norms affect our everyday lives. 
Do you think these new social norms will continue into the future? Why or why not?
Introduction to Sociology
April 10th, 2020
Slide  1
FIRST ESSAYS
Have been completed!
Slide  2
OUTLINE OF TODAY’S CLASS
I. The Sociological Eye and Social Order
II. Norms
III. Some Examples of Norms and Sanctions
IV. Thinking Systematically about Norms & Sanctions
V. ESSAY OPTIONS
Slide  3
I. The Sociological Eye
and Social Order
Slide  4
What  does  it  mean  to  think  sociologically?
Slide  5
Sociology  is  an  individual  pastime  in  the  sense  that  it  interests
some  people  and  bores others.  Some  like  to  observe  human  
beings,  others  like  to  experiment  with  mice.  The  world  is  big  
enough  to  hold  all  kinds  and  there  is  no  logical  priority  for  one  
interest  as  against  another.  But  the  word  pastime  is  weak…  
Sociology  is  more  like  a  passion.  Sociology  is  more  like  a  
demon  that  possesses  one,  that  drives  them  compellingly,  
again  and  again,  to  the  questions  that  are  its  own.  An  
introduction  to  sociology  is,  therefore,  an  invitation  to  a  very  
special  kind  of  passion.  
Slide  6
Some  Primal  Questions  of  Sociology
Who  are  these  people?  
What  are  they  doing  here?  
What  are  these  people  doing  with  each  other?
What  is  the  structure  of  their  relationships  with  each  other?  
Slide  7
THE  SOCIOLOGICAL  EYE
Slide  8
Slide  9
II. Norms and Sanctions
Slide  10
NORMS
• The  term  norm  is  widely  used  in  social  science   and  
humanities  disciplines  
• The  concept  of  norms  is  used  to  describe  the  “thing”  
that  makes  a  group  more  than  the  sum  of  its  individual  
members  
• Norms  help  us  understand  differences  that  exist  across  
human  societies  and  cultures    
• Norms  help  us  understand  how  social  order  is  produced  
and  reproduced  
Slide  11
NORMS
• Norms  are  a  societal  expectation,  a  standard  that  
governs  our  conduct  
• Norms  are  sentiments  that  are  shared  by  members  of  
the  collective
• Norms  are  like  patterns  that  we  hold  in  our  minds  that  
set  limits  for   our  behaviors,  thoughts,  feelings,  etc.  
• As  we  go  through  life,  we  learn  what  the  norms  are  
Slide  12
III.
Some Examples of Norms
and Sanctions
Slide  13
Norms  
in  
Action
Slide  14
Slide  15
Sanctions
Keeping  People  in  Line/Preserving  Social    order
Slide  16
Sanctions  are  mechanisms  of  Social  
Control  that  help  to  enforce  societal  
standards  of  conduct,  appearance,  etc.  
Sanctions  strengthen  and  reinforce  the  
normative  standards  of  society
Slide  17
Sanctions  (-­? and  +)  
Just  as  there   are   penalties   for   breaking  a   law,  
there  are   penalties  for  breaking  strong  social  
norms.  
While  there  are  penalties for   breaching  
strong  social   norms,   there  are   also  rewards
for  upholding  strong   social   norms.
Slide  18
Why  do  sanctions  matter?
They  help  preserve  the  social  order.  
They  re-­?constitute  the  social  order.    
Slide  19
IV. Thinking
Systematically about
Norms and Sanctions
Slide  20
Let’s  think  systematically  
about  norms  and  sanctions
Slide  21
Variety and  Intensity of  Norms  and  Sanctions
(1) To  what  extent  is  the  norm  known  and  recognized?  
(2) What  is  the  mode  of  transmission?
(3) How  much  and  how  often  do  we  conform  to  the  norm?
(4) Does  the  norm  apply  equally  to  all  groups?
(5) Is  the  norm  severely  or  lightly  enforced?
(6) What  is  the  mode  and  consistency  of  norm  
enforcement?  
Slide  22
Going  to  college  after  high  school
(1)To  what  extent  is  the  norm  known  and  recognized?  
(2)What  is  the  mode  of  transmission?
(3)How  much  and  how  often  do  we  conform  to  the  
norm?
(4)Does  the  norm  apply  equally  to  all  groups?
(5)Is  the  norm  severely  or  lightly  enforced?
(6)What  is  the  mode  and  consistency  of  norm  
enforcement?  
Slide  23
Being  kind  to  elderly  and  children
(1)To  what  extent  is  the  norm  known  and  recognized?  
(2)What  is  the  mode  of  transmission?
(3)How  much  and  how  often  do  we  conform  to  the  
norm?
(4)Does  the  norm  apply  equally  to  all  groups?
(5)Is  the  norm  severely  or  lightly  enforced?
(6)What  is  the  mode  and  consistency  of  norm  
enforcement?  
Slide  24
Dating  somebody  of  approximately  same  age
(1)To  what  extent  is  the  norm  known  and  recognized?  
(2)What  is  the  mode  of  transmission?
(3)How  much  and  how  often  do  we  conform?
(4)Does  the  norm  apply  to  all  groups?
(5)Is  it  severely  or   lightly  enforced?
(6)What  is  the  mode  and  consistency  of  enforcement?
Slide  25
Talking  Positively  About  the  Dead  
(1) To  what  extent  is  the  norm  known  and  recognized?  
(2) What  is  the  mode  of  transmission?
(3) How  much  and  how  often  do  we  conform  to  the  
norm?
(4) Does  the  norm  apply  equally  to  all  groups?
(5) Is  the  norm  severely  or  lightly  enforced?
(6) What  is  the  mode  and  consistency  of  norm  
enforcement?  
Slide  26
Can  You  Think  of  Other  Examples?
(1) To  what  extent  is  the  norm  known  and  recognized?  
(2) What  is  the  mode  of  transmission?
(3) How  much  and  how  often  do  we  conform?
(4) Does  the  norm  apply  to  all  groups?
(5) Is  it  severely  or  lightly  enforced?
(6) What  is  the  mode  and  consistency  of  enforcement?
Slide  27
V. ESSAY OPTIONS
Slide  28
Essay  Option  #1
Identify  a  Social  Norm  and  Evaluate  it  
along  these  dimensions
(1) To  what  extent  is  the  norm  known  and  recognized?  
(2) What  is  the  mode  of  transmission?
(3) How  much  and  how  often  do  we  conform  to  the  
norm?
(4) Does  the  norm  apply  equally  to  all  groups?
(5) Is  the  norm  severely  or  lightly  enforced?
(6) What  is  the  mode  and  consistency  of  norm  
enforcement?  
Slide  29
Essay  Option  #2
What  new  social  norms  have  emerged  as  a  result  of  the  
Coronavirus/COVID-­?19  pandemic?  
Please  identify  at  least  two  of  them  and  describe  how  
these  new  social  norms  affect  our   everyday  lives.  
Do  you  think  these  new  social  norms  will  continue  into  
the  future?  Why  or  why  not?  
Slide  30
Your  essays  will  be  due  
9am,  Friday,  April  17th