Thursday, February 11, 2010

week 3, question 2

I have witnessed a violation of group norm on many occasions. My close group of friends tend to mingle with other groups all of the time. For instance, I have grown very close to my sister boyfriend and his friends over the past year or so and sometimes have my group of friends come over his house from time to time. When this happens there tends to be some norm violation by my group of friends when it comes to his group norms. For the most part depending on who’s group setting it is, the foreign group tends to have an internal obligation to conform to the “home” groups norms. When it comes to say beerpong, my group of friends play one way and his group plays another. My group tends to adapt to that norm for the most part. But when a specific rule such as rebuttal throws come in, my group tends to disagree and a violation of a norm comes into play making it somewhat uncomfortable.

2 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading your post. When I came across this section in our textbook I did not think too much of the subject. After reading your blog, I started thinking of the different scenarios I have witnessed a violation of a group norms. It seems I have seen this just as many violations as I have members of groups confining to the norms. Most of the time, violations arise due to the simple fact of individuality. For example, the scenario you gave. The “new” group did start to confine to the previous groups norms. However, when a problem presents itself the groups tend to not see eye to eye. It just goes to show you how different minded people can be.

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  2. RileyGirl,

    I can see your point that it can be difficult to be put in a situation where your friends conform to what it "their set of norms". I think that in many situations people face this all the time. I have found in past group experiences people choose to settle with what they are used to and being put in a new environment with a mixed group of friends can be uncomfortable. I have a close group of friends that I have been friends with since high school, so for about 6 years now. We all hangout together and when new people are introduced into the group it seems that they feel uncomfortable and choose to separate themselves from the rest of our group. This is their "norms" separating from ours. This then causes a violation because we do not agree upon things and people feel obligated to leave.

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