SOC 111: Introduction to Sociology:
Culture & Norm Assignment
Class,
For this assignment, you are required to write a 5-page paper (not including title &
eference pages) on the importance of following social norms in our culture.
Please use your best writing skills! Proof-read and spell check your paper, before you
submit the assignment. Your paper must be written in APA format, be at least 5-pages
in length and include a title page. Please note that references will be required. This
section will be worth 10 points. However, if any portion of the format is missing your
paper will be deducted the full -10 points.
Step One: Write and Complete the Assignment Paper - Required Information:
1. Briefly define the Sociological definition of social norms.
2. Discuss the differences between social norms and laws.
3. Discuss why following social norms are important in our culture.
4. Discuss why the social environment is important to labeling a social norm a
violation.
5. Discuss and explain social sanctions and how and why society labels those
individuals who choose not to follow societal norms
6. How do race, class, and/or gender affect social norms violation (others opinion of
it, and response to the violation, different sanctions that might be
ought against
different groups or person engaging in the same act)?
7. In your conclusion section of the paper describe:
a. What did you learn about societal norms and social control (informal and
formal)?
. What other observations can you make about social norms?
Culture and Norms Assignment Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the informal pressures to conform social norms
2. Understand the sources of internal/external social controls
3. Understand personal power in various social/environment settings
Note: Please be sure to follow the directions carefully; points will be deducted if you do
not. This assignment is created to help you understand the concept of internal/external
social controls.
The culture and norm assignment paper will be worth a maximum of 100 points and will
e due on the date outlined in the syllabus (end of the day). After the cut-off time of
11:59 pm the assignment link will close preventing submission of your assignment.
Please do not wait until the last possible minute to submit your paper. Remember that
late papers will not be accepted, no exceptions.
Culture & Norm Assignment Grading Ru
ic
Assignment Ru
ic for Grading: Below is the grading ru
ic for this assignment.
Please follow the assignment directions as well as use the grading ru
ic to complete
your assignment. Please follow the ru
ic and assignment directions to successfully
complete the assignment. Each section is worth a specified point total. Your paper will
e graded according to the grading ru
ic.
Grading Ru
ic Part 1: The paper is at least 5 pages in length, typed and double-
spaced. The paper follows APA guidelines including a title, headings, and a reference
page with at least 5 references as well as provides in-text citations. Please note that if
one or more of these requirements are missing you will be deducted the full -10 points.
Grading Ru
ic Part 2: The paper must provide the required information in full detail
and follow the required assignment directions and format: (90 points total).
• Definition - The paper provides a Sociological definition of social norms (5
points).
• Social Norms versus Laws - The paper discusses in detail the differences
etween social norms and laws (10 points).
• Culture and Norms - The paper discusses in detail why following social norms
are important in our culture (10 points).
• The Social Environment - The paper discusses in detail why the social
environment is important to labeling a social norm a violation or accepting
ehavior as normal (10 points).
• Social Sanctions - The paper discusses and explains in detail social sanctions
and how and why society labels individuals who choose not to follow societal
norms (20 points).
• Individual Factors - The paper discusses in detail how race, class, and/or
gender affect social norms violation (society’s opinion of it, and the response to
the violation, how different sanctions might be
ought against different groups or
person engaging in the same act)? (20 points)
• Conclusion – The paper provides a conclusion section of the paper describes 1)
What did you learn about societal norms and social control (informal and
formal)?and 2} What other observations can you make about social norms? (15
points possible)
**Please note that 10 points will be automatically deducted if the paper does not follow
the assignment formatting requirements such as providing title
eference pages, page
length, and the quality of your paper including organization, formatting and following
APA guidelines including headings and in-text citations.
Feedback will be provided via Blackboard.
Alternative Norm Violation Assignment
1
EXAMPLE:
DO NOT COPY/PASTE
Culture and Social Norm Violation Assignment
How Violations of Social Norms Affect Society
[Student Example]
SOC 111
Professor Small
Wichita State University
Alternative Norm Violation Assignment
2
Sociological Definition of Social Norms
Social norms are the informal rules that govern behavior in groups and societies (Winter,
2018). This means that social norms are basically unspoken rules that regulate how a certain
individual should act in public. For example, if you are a boy you are supposed to primarily be
strong and athletic. Whereas, if you are a girl you are more closed off and shy. Even in certain
setting Social norms appear. For example, if you are at church you are supposed to act a certain
way. If you are in church the social norms are that you sit, stand, or kneel when you are supposed
to. While at church you are also supposed to be reverent to whatever is going on at the altar. If
one of these social norms is violated it could be frowned upon in a whole community. Even if a
oy is more feminine then people think they should, they will be weirded out and give the boy
negative attention.
Differences Between Social Norms and Laws
As discussed in the above paragraph a social norm is the informal rule that governs
ehavior in groups and societies. A law is a system of rules which a particular country
ecognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition
of penalties (Webster, XXXXXXXXXXThe main difference between social norms and laws is that with a
law, they are enforced and there can be serious consequences from
eaking a law, this could
include jail time or community service. There are about five other differences between a social
norm and a law. The first is obligatory, the norm in itself only marks the behavior, but if a social
norm is
oken, it doesn’t imply incu
ing crime unless it is a legal norm. The second is
provenance, social norms are established by the majority of a community. As for a law it is
established by the legislature and must be previously approved by Congress (Jean, XXXXXXXXXXThe
third difference is target. The law should apply to all cased without exception, whereas the norm
Alternative Norm Violation Assignment
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can be addressed to a specific group of people or to a very specific situation (Jean, XXXXXXXXXXThe
fourth difference is flexibility and change. Norms can be reinterpreted with certain ease. Laws
however require a procedure that can be complicated. The fifth and final difference is
consequences for non-compliance. For laws there will always be a sanction and these sanctions
are already determined prior to the non-compliance. For a norm it is possible for there to be no
preestablished punishment (Jean, XXXXXXXXXXHowever, for a norm the society or community may
have punishments for non-compliance behavior.
Social Norms and the Importance in our Culture
Social Norms are very important in our culture today. They frame what is morally right
and wrong. Human beings need norms to guide their behavior and to provide order in social
elationships. Social norms are also important to our culture because it helps us as an individual
to understand each other’s actions (McLeod, XXXXXXXXXXHowever, social norms are not always good
for the culture around us. For example, some people still believe that it is socially unacceptable
for two men to be ma
ied. This is a social norm for some people, and it is not co
ect. Social
oles are also very important to our culture. Social roles are the part people play as members of a
social group (McLeod, XXXXXXXXXXWith each social role you adopt, your behavior changes to fit the
expectations both you and others have of that role (McLeod, 2008).
Environmental Importance of Social Norm Violations
In the face of environmental issues, the problem starts with human behavior. When the
prevalence of anti-environmental behaviors is very high, it’s not recommended to create
messages that show the prevalence, but instead to depict images of what not to do (Sevillano and
Olivos, XXXXXXXXXXThere are two different types of behavior when it comes to environment. The first
is civic behavior. An example of civic behavior is littering. The second type of behavior is post-
Alternative Norm Violation Assignment
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environment behavior. An example of this type of behavior is energy saving in homes, species
conservation, and recycling. When it comes to environmental ads there are two types. One is
saying what people have done in the past and the other is telling people what not to do. When
people see what other people have done, they think it’s okay, but if they see that there is an
obvious behavior to portray, they will follow the second ad which tells them what not to do.
These are known as descriptive and prescriptive norms. Some ways to go about descriptive
norms are that you shouldn’t use these for anti-environmental behavior, take into the account of
the previous behavior of participants, indicate a goal, and clearly identify (Sevillan and Olivos,
2019). Some recommendations for prescriptive norms are to indicate the specific behavior
desired, ensure the co
ect understanding of the info provided, and add an achievement indicator
(Sevillan and Olivos, 2019).
Social