My teacher wants us to become social deviants...

[zana bonanza]

For an assignment, which has limits and is only for a little bit, so it's actually not that big of a deal. However, I am having the hardest time coming up a social norm to break.

If you haven't guessed yet, the class is Sociology and the assignment includes a paper about my experience. We have to break "a clearly defined societal-level norm" in the presence of others, without the help of anyone else or letting anyone know why we're doing it initially. It cannot be illegal, "stupid", cause embarrassment to or threaten others, involve a moving vehicle of any kind, involve anything sexual, or be done under the influence of alcohol/drugs. So, yeah.

The example she gave us: getting into an elevator and facing the rear, while others are (most likely) facing the doors. Obviously, I can't use the example. I thought about walking backwards everywhere, but that's not very practical and I'd rather not fall on my ass. For some reason, my brain is now drawing a complete blank.

So I turn to you, good people of the Escapist. Care to throw any ideas my way? (I don't suppose asking the internet for help with your homework is breaking a social norm, is it?)

 

[delet]

Hmmm... Go to the mall and find a nice, circular area. Just start jogging around it. Someone's bound to join up with you eventually and then more people may come.

 

[Luke5515]

Don't do anything and tell your teacher that the norm you are breaking is doing work. Everyone does their work always, but why?
If your teacher has a good sense of humor, you get an A for not doing anything. If not E. Worth a shot right?

 

[Berethond]

Go to a restaurant, order, and stand throughout the meal.
I saw a video on something exactly like this, but that's the only one I remember.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Bring a gallon of chocolate milk to the gym and work out.

I had a similar project like this. I used to work at the gym so my buddy that worked there got the security tapes and we looked at peoples reactions. Lulz were had.

EDIT:

Don't do anything and tell your teacher that the norm you are breaking is doing work. Everyone does their work always, but why?
If your teacher has a good sense of humor, you get an A for not doing anything. If not E. Worth a shot right?

Do this! I love this idea.

 

[Banana Phone Man]

Reading a book backwards and upside down in a public library. That was a good one I did once. I got some funny looks. That was part of a joke and I'm not sure if it applies here but I hope it helps. Talking loudly in a library, would that do it?


EDIT:

Don't do anything and tell your teacher that the norm you are breaking is doing work. Everyone does their work always, but why?
If your teacher has a good sense of humor, you get an A for not doing anything. If not E. Worth a shot right?

This looks like the best idea I've seen. I laughed a lot.

 

[Scolar Visari]

Before you sit down, turn your chair so the back rest rests against your chest. Do this in a fancy restaurant for extra deviancy points.

 

[w1n5t0n]

Go trick-or-treating. Just dress up and go door to door asking for candy. It's not halloween and i assume you're kinda too old for it now, so a societal norm thing is broken, and you might get candy out of it!

 

[gigastrike]

You could go to a restraunt for dinner and order breakfast. Or maybe you could calculate the cost of your food and give them the money before ordering.

 

[Orcus The Ultimate]

walking backwards on the street...

 

[Avatar Roku]

Reading a book backwards and upside down in a public library. That was a good one I did once. I got some funny looks. That was part of a joke and I'm not sure if it applies here but I hope it helps. Talking loudly in a library, would that do it?

I'm not sure that counts because you can't physically read a book that way. That's not breaking a norm, that's just not reading.

 

[ma55ter_fett]

Get beat up by a girl, plus you get the added bonus of shattering the gender barrier.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

It cannot be illegal, "stupid", cause embarrassment to or threaten others, involve a moving vehicle of any kind, involve anything sexual, or be done under the influence of alcohol/drugs.

Where's the fun in that? And it can't be stupid? I don't think that's even possible.

Every Monday I take my acoustic guitar, go outside the serious library at the university, and play for two hours while marching up and down the seven foot wall that surrounds it, then get down and go home. (This sounds like something you should do at univeristy but believe me, you don't do it outside this library...)

How about wearing all of your clothes on backwards? Dressing as a character from a popular movie and only talking in lines of their dialogue for the whole day?

Maybe you should watch Whose Line Is It Anyway? Watch partyquirks, let's make a date and film television and theatre styles, and get some tips from there.

How about going the whole day like you're in a Shakespearean drama? Or in an Indiana Jones film? Or a space opera? Act like you're a time travellor from the Victorian era and address anyone on the phone like they're talking to themselves and crazy, act like modern inventions are new and foreign to you. Spend the entire day crawling everywhere. The mind boggles at the possibilities.

 

[londelen]

I thought of about 5000 things, but her rules ban all of them. Sorry, I can't help.

 

[crimson5pheonix]

When you
return your paper,
it should be in a
terrific vain of
English manipulation.
To illustrate my
helpful point,
I used a
silly way to
write this post.
all
you have to do is something similar
.

 

[ottenni]

Walk out onto the street and point up. eventually people will begin looking where you are pointing. Its hilarious.

 

[daemon37]

Wear your underwear OUTSIDE your pants

OR

Say "hello" to every single person you see.

OR

Play with your old childish toys (i.e. Ninja Turtles) in a public place. Make sure to make your own sound effects too.

 

[The Warden]

Hand random shit to people and watch them react after they mindlessly take it.
It's fucking hilarious.

 

[teutonicman]

Walk up the stairs backwards, wear clothes wrong, or ignore personal space when having conversations.

 

[mrx19869]

dont do the assignment.. break the norm of doing your teacher's assignments...