Observation Sheet
Researcher: NAME
Confederate: Steven (friend)
Observational time period: approximately 35 minutes
Norm Broken: reading an erotic magazine in a public transport
Page #_________
Assumptions – hypothesis – research question
“Norms serve a basic human social function, helping us distinguish who is in the group and who is an outsider” (Wang). Because norm breaking behavior threatens the society, it was assumed that during the observation and because of its’ sexual content, there would be several people, who would be willing to express their anger. The general mass was expected to keep silent, but to initiate visible responses; and approximately 10% of the subjects were expected not to notice the norm breaking activity at all.
The reader was expected to be seen by other passengers as the one predisposing power (Gerben A van Kleef); while the researcher, who was reading the adult magazine, was preparing for the “variety of negative emotional consequences, including feelings of guilt, sham, and disappointment in the self” (Gerben A van Kleef). Because of the stimulated “black-sheep-effect”, thee researcher was expecting to “evoke feelings of anger and blame” (Gerben A van Kleef), while the more positive reactions were expected to be observed within the younger passengers.
The following questions were raised before the observation took place:
If bus passengers could be less judging, considering that the reader was breaking the norm unintentionally?
If the threat of punishment would force the researcher to act more fairly to others (Zink)?
What emotional response would dominate, and if the nature of the response can be depended on generation?
Description of vivid individuals’ responses
Observation #1
A young White couple walked into a bus at Memorial Union & Howard way station. They were giggling and holding hands before they had reached their seats. As it was reported by confederate, they were discussing classes. It was assumed, that both studied at the University of Davis, since the guy had a back pack with a university pimp on it. Both were estimated to be of early twenties. The guy was wearing a bright blue T-shirt, black shorts and grey convers. The girl was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and jeans.
At first the norm-breaking activity was not noticed: the girl was expressing her option vigorously, using her hands to gesticulate as much as possible. The guy was listening, but was not involved into conversation, since he had not supported eye contact and at some point had put his cell phone out, offering to make selfy. That was the moment, when the guy noticed an adult magazine being read in few seats from where they were sitting. His first reaction was an obvious surprise mixed with a light pleasure, since his eyebrows rose for a second, and a frugal, but a vivid smile appeared on his face. He interrupted his girlfriend with his chin pointing to the magazine. The girl turned around too abruptly not to be noticed by other passengers. She pulled her lips up and rhetorically said “really?” to her boyfriend. None of them were shocked; however, both expressed clear interest for the person, who was reading the magazine. The couple was smiling and furtively exploring the reader. At some point the guy decided to take a picture of a reader. He was trying to do it so nobody would notice. Meanwhile, the girl was giggling and leaning towards so the camera was less visible. She was also looking around the bus, trying to notice others’ reaction, since her eyes were making few-seconds stops on passengers’ faces. The couple left the bus at the F & Covell Blvd, the guy grabbed girls’ hand, and before they stepped outside the bus, both took a look at the reader.
Observation #2
A seventy year old Mexican man entered the bus at the F ST & 6th ST and immediately occupied the seat. He had grey greasy well-combed hair. However, his clothes were tidy and properly ironed. Old-fashioned heavy thick glasses covered half of his wrinkled face. He was wearing a white well-fit buttoned shirt, brown linen trousers, which appeared to be slightly short as they did not fully covered the old man’s ankles. The trousers were clean and formal but worn out, so as his ancient dirty sneakers. The man was well shaved which, indicated careful preparation for an important meeting or event. When he got on the bus, the man was holding a brown leather suitcase.
At first the old Mexican was ignorant towards other passengers and it even seemed that the heavy smelly odor of the old metal can and road dust did not bother him at all. He was just staring in the window as the landscape was passing buy. After a while he started looking around and checking on other passengers with curiosity, since he was not spending much time concentrating on any. It was assumed, that the old Mexican was thinking about his own business all the time. So when his glance fell on a young man, who was occupied with reading a magazine, the old Mexican did not notice anything strange or alarming. However, later on as he caught the disturbed glances of other passengers he looked at the young man again. WhenMexican noticed some kids and children in the bus sitting nearby, he swallowed in discomfort and intimidation. The aged man was desperately trying to catch the younger mans’ eyes by intentionally coughing several times and was waiting for any reaction; however, his ignorant and silent companion was occupied with reading the adult magazine, while listening to music, therefore the old man’s attempts were useless. Mexican man was feeling irritated and disturbed: he kept glancing at the reader, while breathing in and out heavily; the old man was also rubbing his hands all over again. At some point he decided to stand up from his seat and approach the young reader. The position and pose of the old man described his full determination and persistence to isolate the young man from kids and other audience of the bus: he placed his suitcase on the seat next to him, while using both of his hands to hold to the handrail being faced to the reader. It was assumed that the Mexican was counting it would take few moments before the busy reader would somehow react and get distracted from the magazine, but this never happened, the reader was still deeply entrenched with his magazine. The old Mexican took his seat but kept staring at the young man in disbelief for the rest of the road, sooner or later turning his glance to the window. When the reader and confederate left the bus, the old man was continuing his trip. He did not notice the expirimenrors leaving: his eyes were closed, perhaps, he fell asleep.
Observation #3
A young Black man of 25 years old entered the bus at Anderson Rd & Villanova Dr. He took some time to place his bicycle on the front rack of the bus. Because of his students’ back pack and some random penned notes on a right wrist, he was assumed to be a left-handed student. The young man was dressed into sport training sweat pants, a dirty t-shirt with an evidence of some stains, and black sneakers.
The man was walking towards one of the seats and immediately noticed the adult magazine. Uncontrolled he expressed surprise: his eyes went wide open, he opened his mouth a little, and even dropped a sound “wow”. Once reached his seat, he spent few seconds openly observing the reader and smiling. At some point he even leaned forward a little, to better check out the cover page. The student’s face expressed a cheeky grin, he looked around and met some counter looks of disapproval from other passengers. He shook his head from side to side, scratched his neck and took out a cell phone. The man dialed someone, the conversation was about daily issues, and the man mentioned, that he was going to be at the point of destination in an hour; he had also discussed the reader with his companion, noticeably lowering his voice when stating that the “guy is, probably, lost”. After he finished a phone conversation his face expressed nothing but ignorance for the reader and his magazine. The student lost interest in the proceedings and began watching a movie on his IPhone. Occupied with the plot and the humming of the bus, the student no longer was noticing either the neighbor, or his provoking magazine.
Observation #4
An Asian woman of late 30s- early 40s as was assumed entered the bus at Anderson RD & Russell Blvd. A kid of approximately 7 years old entered with her. The woman was a little bit over weight; she was wearing pink sweat pants, dark blue long slewed shirt and running sneakers. A little boy had yellow T-shirt, jeans shorts and sneakers on. Despite the fact that there were plenty of free seats at the bus, at first, they did not take any. The mother (as it was assumed due to her communication with the kid) was checking her cell phone with right hand, and holding to handrail with left one. The boy was holding to the corner of her pants. The boy was holding some toy in his hand.
The kid was bored, so he started looking around the bus and noticed a bright cover page of adult’s magazine. He did not understand the content at first, but as his glance stopped, he started checking out the cover page, turning his head accordingly. Then, his eyes opened wide, mouth opened. The boy pulled mothers’ pants and silently pointed at the reader with his finger. The mother turned to a boy with irritation: her forehead was creased; the corners of her lips were turned down. However, once she noticed the object of norm violation, she unintentionally, but noticeable shrieked. As soon as the bus made a stop, she grabbed her son on hands walked to the first doors and took the two first available seats to be as far as possible. She said something to the boy, and he was not turning around at all. The woman was turning around at least 4 times; she was giving the reader long looks with disbelief and contempt: her arms were crossed; she pouted and brought together eyebrows. Before leaving the bus at F ST & 14th ST the woman gave another short disapproval look to the reader, however, she did not concentrate long, but rushed to leave the cabin.
Observation #5
A white woman of middle 30s entered the cabin at F ST & 6th ST station. She was wearing black stretchy pants, bright green top and short grey jacket. She was holding a middle sized leather bag. She entered the bus cabin, sat down carefully and kept reading something on her tablet. Few minutes later she raised her eyes to the window and bit the upper lip for a second. It was assumed, that the woman was reading some educational material, since time after time she used visual distraction and was moving her lips as if repeating something. At some point she noticed the adult magazine: for a moment the woman froze, this lasted no more than two seconds, and then she blushed vividly. She tried to stop the flummox smile: the corners of her eyes pulled up; the eyes wrinkled a lot; she stretched lips; squeezed fingers and strained her shoulders. The woman turned to the tablet; however, it was difficult for her to concentrate: her eyes were not moving, which proved that she was not reading any more. She just kept staring at the screen. The woman no longer tried looking anywhere, but her tablet. One more time she turned to the reader, but her glance was covert and slight. It was assumed that he woman was trying to avoid the direct sights of other passengers, since her eyes were almost always looking bellow her chin. She left the bus at Covell Blvd & J ST looking down, but allowing herself to smile.
Conclusions – Findings - Summary
There was no united simultaneous opinion of the entire passengers at any moment during the observation: no everyone’s approval, disapproval or indifference. The observed group’s representatives had always been having different perception or no perception regarding the Norm-Breaking event. The collective accusation of a norm breaker was absent. The following assumed reasons were identified:
The intensity of new passengers entering the bus on each stop was low. This factor could create a strong diversification of response levels: while the early comers had already accepted the situation, the secondary passengers could be distressed, and the new comers would spend some time before noticing any disorder.
People were too diversified by gender, race, occupation and age to have a feeling of common social bound, especially because of the limited and short time frames of groups’ existence.
During the analysis of observation results the Symbolic Interaction Theory was used: majority of the passengers expressed anger or disapproval in a same way by showing their desire to deny the norm breaking activity and get all protected about it (the body language expressed disturbance and unwillingness towards the magazine reader. Positive responses were distinguished as those, which did not negatively affect the researcher-reader, and included subjects’ shame, smiles or any supportive comment. All of the reactions were made due to passenger’s individual social cognitions, including stereotypes and established schemas.
Answering the initial questions:
It seemed that bus passengers did not find the norm breaking activity intentional, however, they responses were not influenced by that. It is assumed, that the reason of strict judgments was the sexual content of the reading material.
The threat of punishment did influence researchers’ performance: time after time, the reader was closing the magazine and placing it horizontally, which made it less visible for others. This behavior occurred with kids and the old Mexican man.
It was noticed, that elder passengers were more stressed with the event, while the younger passengers tended not to notice the even or to express “positive responses”.
Reference list:
Zink, C. (10th of June, 2008). Why the Brain Follows the Rules. Scientific American.
Retrieved from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-the-brain-follows-the/
Gerben A. Van Kleef. (8th of April, 2015). The social dynamics of breaking the rules: antecedents and consequences of norm-violating behavior. Science Direct.
Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273834235_The_Social_Dynamics_of_Breaking_the_Rules_Antecedents_and_Consequences_of_Norm-Violating_Behavior
Wang, S. (3rd of May, 2011). Under the influence: How the Group Changes What We Think. The Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved from: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704436004576298962165925364
Sociology 002 S-16
Norm-Breaking Research Confirmation Sheet
ID#______________________________________________
TA_______________________________________________
Research Paper Due:
Paper Topic/Title: Norm-Breaking Research
My intention is to break a public social behavior norm in a sexual contest. I am going to be reading an erotic magazine in a public place and make sure it is noticed by others.
My plan is to use public transport as a location for the observation. The reason of such decision is that it will allow me to have a closer interaction with the subjects of my observation. Public transportation allows entering others’ personal space, which I am willing to do. Not only public transportation allows getting closer attention to your person due to the closed environment, but it also provides an observer with diversified subjects to be studied. I am expecting my subjects to be of different age and generation, gender, ethnicity, and social class. Moreover, the traffic peak hours will be considered for the observation to be conducted, since it is assumed, that the majority of the subjects will be stuck within the occurred circumstances, not being able to leave or change their position, or ignore my performance.
I am going to stress subjects’ comfort zone by attentively reading an adult magazine, and sometimes, paying additional attention to the pictures, using comments out loud, sights, involved facial expression, etc. I am expecting to receive very emotional feedbacks like unhidden surprise or irritation expressed with uncontrolled non-verbal communication. I assume, that some passengers may be trying to interact with me in order to express their concerns, that is why, I am planning to be wearing headphones as well.
I am planning to attract one assistant in order for the proper notes to be taken. This person will be present in a public transport during the observation process. This person will be responsible for taking notes on subjects’ response and, perhaps, recording video. After the observation I am going to take some notes myself regarding the facts, which I will witness, as well as about my personal feelings due to the broken social norm.
T.A. Approval: Yes _____ No _____ Modification Needed _____
T.A. Comments
