deviance

[Sparx]

today in sociology we had to do a group project out on campus. we were supposed to, in a group, do a deviant act and watch reactions that others had towards us.

my group of about eight people got in a single file line and followed around people who were walking by themselves. and they got really upset. like they would start walking funny, or turn around and go a different way, or sit down. and the people who saw us would just stare, or point, or try to ignore us.

well for monday, i have to do a project by myself where i practice social deviance and write about the responses. i'm pretty sure i'm going to do something in walmart, or another large store like that, because there are a lot of people to watch, and a lot of opportunities to follow people.

the rules for both assignments were that i cannot cause lasting emotional or physical harm to anyone, i cannot do anything illegal, i cannot do anything that would get my professor fired, i cannot disrupt a class (like singing christmas carols down a hall way or walking into classes i don't belong in and laying down in the middle of the floor.)

i've got a few ideas, but what would you guys do? have you ever done this assignment?

 

[::Snow_White::]

Hm. Sounds like a cool project. I think I'd probably do something where I would talk aloud to myself. Maybe pretend I had an imaginary friend.

 

[Disney Princess Elli]

I'm not quite sure I get what you have to do exactly..
Like could you just go up to someone and start talking gibberish to them?
That'd be a good one xD

 

[imabrat]

Does it have to be towards someone? IE, "discreetly" following someone around. Or can it be social deviance in general, like picking your nose (really going at it) in the middle of a store?

ETA: I like Kayla's idea, but I think some might chalk it up to mental illness.

 

[Sparx]

I'm not quite sure I get what you have to do exactly..
Like could you just go up to someone and start talking gibberish to them?
That'd be a good one xD

you could definitely do that. i think one group in my class did.

another idea i had for a group project would be to ride the campus bus system (we have four bus lines on campus, that all go different places and run all day) and sing songs like "row row row your boat" or "mary had a little lamb" in a group, and see what people did.

 

[Sparx]

Does it have to be towards someone? IE, "discreetly" following someone around. Or can it be social deviance in general, like picking your nose (really going at it) in the middle of a store?

ETA: I like Kayla's idea, but I think some might chalk it up to mental illness.

it has to be something noticeable and you have to be doing something, you know? like you can't glue a quarter to the ground and hide and see what people do to get it off, because in that situation you're trying to make them be deviant in how far will they go to get the quarter. does that make sense?

one of the examples she gave us was a girl who put on a bikini and got a lawn chair and sunbathed in the middle of february in walmart parking lot. she wasn't doing anything to anyone, but still breaking a social norm, so it counted. does that make sense?

 

[DramaQueen]

Wow! That's a crazy project...sounds like my theatre class from last year! lol

I can't think of anything off the top of my head, here's a website with 'pranks' you can pull @ walmart http://www.owensworld.com/pranks/read.php?id=4

I'd say some of them are definitely acts of social deviance,

16. Ride a display bicycle through the store; claim you're taking it for a test drive.

52. Turn on toys that make noise or talk at random intervals, and leave them in strategic locations.

82.Stand next to a mannequin and pretend to be a mannequin too. Try to hold the same position for as long as possible. (not sure if that counts as 'devant behaviour' but it'd be hilarious and i used to do that all the time when i was little)

What did other groups do when you did your group ones (i'm just curious hehe)

And do you have to provide proof that you actually did this? Or is it just a report on how people react? Do a lot of people in your class have a problem with this assigment? I know most people don't really like to put themselves out there quite in this fashion! lol

 

[Sparx]

Wow! That's a crazy project...sounds like my theatre class from last year! lol

I can't think of anything off the top of my head, here's a website with 'pranks' you can pull @ walmart http://www.owensworld.com/pranks/read.php?id=4

I'd say some of them are definitely acts of social deviance,

16. Ride a display bicycle through the store; claim you're taking it for a test drive.

52. Turn on toys that make noise or talk at random intervals, and leave them in strategic locations.

82.Stand next to a mannequin and pretend to be a mannequin too. Try to hold the same position for as long as possible. (not sure if that counts as 'devant behaviour' but it'd be hilarious and i used to do that all the time when i was little)

What did other groups do when you did your group ones (i'm just curious hehe)

And do you have to provide proof that you actually did this? Or is it just a report on how people react? Do a lot of people in your class have a problem with this assigment? I know most people don't really like to put themselves out there quite in this fashion! lol

we don't have to provide proof, but we do have to write a written report over reactions. (and you can kind of tell when people are making something up if the reactions don't match what you'd normally see, kwim?)

i'm sure some people are pretty shy, but it is really fun once you start doing it, so i don't think too many people will have a problem with it.

 

[BabyPiglet]

Shelby, you are so making me miss my sociology class from last semester. That assignment sounds amazing.