Gender Norms Within The Workplace

A social norm is a behavior accepted and expected by society. We learn social norms from feedback, called sanctions, we get from our peers and elders. A sanction can be positive or negative; if it is positive it is a sort of reward that encourages the behavior and if it is negative it is a sort of punishment meant to discourage the behavior. For example, when children fart in public they break the social norm and are scolded or negatively sanctioned by their parents with yelling or are bullied by their peers. However, if the child were to hold a door for someone else they receive a positive sanction of that person’s thanks.

Social Norms is a part of everyday life that is used by everyone. Norms means many different kinds of behaviors. They are usually known as the most common fad that people are doing however, if someone does not do it they do not fit in. Social norms set up the way people think of others and why others judge. They usually work by saying if one is normal or abnormal.

In our society we have a number of society norms that we abide by. For example, there is an unwritten rule of how one should behave in an elevator. For example, it is proper to face front, stand away from strangers, and not to look at others. When a social norm is broken people may respond with alarm, humor, fear, irritation, or an array of other emotions. When you think of a norm, you are probably thinking about being normal. But in psychology terms, norm means, a standard or representative value for a group. The norm that is more common to people is a social norm. Meaning expectations about what behavior, thoughts, or feelings are appropriate within a given group within a given context.

Norms are behaviors or rules that set forth what is expected of us as people and as a society.

A norm is a behavior or unspoken rule that society has deemed as normal or acceptable. Those who do not follow the norms of a group may be shunned or looked at as different. The norm I will be violating for my project is asking people that I am unfamiliar with to do something simple for me. It is not common for a stranger to ask another stranger to do something that they are seemingly able to do. This norm acts as a mechanism of social control by keeping people from talking to those who are unfamiliar. It also puts forward the idea that we should be able to do all simple tasks ourselves. To break this norm, I am going to wear tennis shoes with one of the laces untied and ask strangers passing by to tie my shoe for me.

Norm violations are a form of actions that do not seem right to some people. Let’s say that you are in a public place, you are expected to act respectful and normal. Norms describes the expectation of a behavior. (James M. Henslin) One can perform a norm violation by doing the opposite of that, like invading personal space. There can be different reactions to violated norms which sociologists call sanctions. (Henslin) Mores, folkways, and values revolve around norms as well.

In our society we have a number of norms that we abide by. For example, there is an unwritten rule of how one should behave in an elevator. It is “proper” to face front, stand away from strangers, and not to look at others. When a social norm is broken people may respond with alarm, humour, fear, irritation, or an array of other emotions. When you think of a norm, you are probably thinking about simply being normal. But in psychology terms, norm means a standard or representative value for a group. A social norm is some sort of an expectation that our society has that is deemed normal by that society; they tell us which behaviors, thoughts, or feelings are appropriate within a given

“Social norms are rules and standards that are understood by members of a group, and that guide and/or constrain human behavior without the force of laws” (Steg, 2013, p. 154). Social norms have two areas or types they fall into. Injunctive norms are considered behavior that is approved or disapproved and descriptive norms are described as behavior shown by the members of a group. Individuals follow social norms for the rewards involved and the individual wants to avoid rejection and ridicule from societal members. “Social norms can exert a powerful influence on pro-environmental behavior through normative and informational influence” (Steg, 2013, p. 162). Behavior is influenced through normative and informational influences, also moderator variables that may decrease or increase the strength of the influence. Moderator variables contain the size of the group in question, the salience of the norm, if the group is considered an in-group, and the individual personal norms. “A wide variety of research shows that the behavior of others in the social environment shape individuals’ interpretations of, and responses to, the situation, especially in novel, ambiguous, or uncertain

A norm is defined as expectations, or rules of behavior that reflect and enforce behavior.(Henslin, 2009) When people are in public settings we expect individuals to behave in a certain way. For example when standing in line to see a show or to purchase an item we expect everyone to stand in a single file line. We expect individuals to wait their turn as they proceed to the front of the line. Another expectation or norm is we expect individuals to have dinning etiquette when eating in restaurants. We expect people to dine using the proper utensils. I thought about this example as I was pondering for an observation to perform. I decided that I would take a chance and visit a well respected restaurant in my area and break the norm

A social norm is based on shared rules or laws that shape a group, like to be courteous at the dinner table. The formation of social norms is common and usually found in groups of people large and small for example, in a small group of five if three of them share an opinion then the other two people in the group have a very high likelihood of sharing the opinion of the majority, even if they don't actually agree they will even act like they agree to conform to the norm. This behavior can be seen in a much larger scale when you look at the U.S.A or any other country that has unspoken rules about how to act and when and where to say certain

Social norms and deviant behaviors are important to society. These standards of behaviors are principles for society’s members to follow and to find their own thoughts and beliefs. Social norms can vary due to societies all over the world and the cultures that lie within them. The norms are known as the principles or rules that are expected by others in various types of social situations. These situations can vary from walking downtown to going to a formal dance.

Great discussion, you gave some good examples of gendered workplace norms. Piggy backing off your observation you made as a paralegal that most of the male attorneys operated as a litigator while most of the female attorneys work in family law. Speaking from my personal experience I preferred a female attorney to represent me during my divorce proceeding. In delicate situations I think some male attorneys may be a bit too aggressive. This aggressive behavior could be taken out of context and made into a male verses female conflict, which may not be in the best interest of a male seeking divorce. Being that in most divorce cases the women usually has the upper hand. Therefore having a female attorney may level the playing field because she can

Norms are the agreed‐upon desires and principles by which a society aide the conduct of its individuals in any given circumstance. The general public makes up its own guidelines for conduct and chooses when a rule has been damaged and what to do about it. As we know, standards change on a consistent basis. For instance, if you ask a stranger if you can cut in line. If they ask why is the need for you to cut everyone else, just reply and say you do not want to stand in the long line. Or try yelling when talking to a person and in mid conversation change it and whisper the entire conversation. While conducting an experiment I will try and break a norm and it will be paying for someone’s coffee when not expected.

During our lecture, it was stated, “ The norms we develop for the sake of practice are justified only to the degree that they solve the problems we presently face.” “If that doesn’t work, we have social reconstruction to make it better.” Within the American, and German sociological traditions, how are norms developed, upon which grounds is a norm considered socially and morally acceptable? Do people obey norms because what they consider a norm makes the society a “good society”. George Herbert Mead for the American Tradition, believing in adapting, and Max Weber for the German

Norms are essentially unspoken rules of conduct given by society. These vary and evolve not only through time but also vary from one age group to another and between social classes and social groups. (Becker) It is important to understand how norms dictate our society because breaking any norms can lead to a negative sanctions Sanctions are punishments or rewards one receive when you either abide by a norm or violate it. (Carl, 54) Different types of norms call for different level of sanctions. There are three different types or levels of norms: folkways, mores, and taboos. Folkways are informal norms when violate have lax consequence. An example is picking your nose in class. While it seen as un-hygienic, the sanction for this violation is less severe. The next level of norm is mores. Mores have a much greater value attached to it. Mores distinguish the difference between right and wrong, while folkways draw a line