Eating with our hands

Eating with our hands

SA 21 B – Group Midwives

Arceta

Boo

Lim

Mejarito

1) What norm did you violate?

            We violated the norm of eating and observing proper decorum when eating in a public establishment.

2) Describe the breaching experiment in detail. What was the activity? Where did you do it?

           

 We went to SM Marikina and looked for tables in restaurants with people already sitting in them. We sat in a place where they could easily notice us. (same table, next to them, etc.)  After that, started eating ice cream in a cup with our hands for about 3-5 minutes. The rest of the group then secretly observed their reactions and approached them afterwards to interview them.

3) What were the different reactions of the people? List all possible reactions you observed. Why do you think they reacted this way? What caused these reactions? Did the deviant act re-affirm/reinforce the existing norms based on these reactions?

REACTIONS OBSERVED:

•        The person conducting the breaching experiment was ignored

o       Which extends to total avoidance of eye contact to stolen glances

o       This reaction probably occurred because most people try to avoid conflict. Therefore ignoring the person performing the devious act was the best way to avoid conflict. This reaction reaffirms the norm since people typically try to avoid conflict.

•        The subject jokingly engaged with the person who conducted the breaching experiment

o       The subject spoke to and acknowledged the person performing the experiment and spoke with him.

o       Since this time the subject was directly faced with the person performing the experiment she had could not pretend to not notice what was going on. As such she probably thought it best to engage with him in a jovial manner, again to avoid conflict.

o       Perhaps she might have also suspected that something unusual was going on and sought to find out what it was (evident in her declamation: “Hindi jologs yung suot mo.” which suggests that she had an inkling that the one performing the experiment had other motives other than just eating with his hands)

o       This reaction reaffirms the norm that people usually try to avoid conflict as much as possible.

•        The subject showed signs of disgust willingly

Probably because they feel that they are not being treated with respect. Or or that they are more confident in expressing there reactions since they       think that no one would go against them because of their age.

When we refused the spoon we heard them mumble to themselves, which   we could clearly hear.

4) Aside from the norms, what sociological themes are at play for people to react in a certain way? Is it a function of gender (gender norms, roles), social class (norms of the rich & the poor), values/beliefs of institutions (religion, family, peer group, etc

•        We observed that one subject noted the racial difference of the one performing the experiment (a Korean national). He attributed the peculiar eating habit that he observed to that trait of the experimenter, essentially chalking up what he saw as a cultural difference.

•        A different test subject also observed the experimenter’s clothing as something that hinted her that something other than simply eating was going on. As evident in her declamation during the interview stating that experimenter’s clothing was not “jologs.” We assume that the clothing may have suggested him to be a member of the upper middle class thereby making eating with his hands seem awry.

•        Female subjects were more cooperative and enthusiastic about the interview. They answered observer’s questions clearly and even asked some questions back. On the other hand, Male subjects tried to avoid first when the observers approached them for an interview. they felt negative emotions toward the Interview and to the fact that they were observed secretly.     

•        Younger people tend to react less or avoid interaction, the elderly tend to feel disgusted, while middle-aged parents were more open and initiated conversation.

5) How did you feel when you did this experiment? How does it feel to deviate from the norms? Were you hesitant to do the activity?

•        The main emotion that we felt was anxiety and fear. There was some hints of excitement in performing the devious act, but it was mostly overshadowed. We felt very hesitant to do the activity since it seemed a bit too embarrassing. But when we spoke to the subjects and told them about what we did and what it was for the negative emotions seemed to fade away. As though hearing ourselves explain what we did also benefitted us since it reminded us what it was for. The debriefing of the subjects felt good since it allowed us to distance/detach ourselves from the devious act that we did. It’s like walking out of our skin and into the skin of another person (that does this weird act) and then coming back walking into our own again.

•        Even though it was mostly before the experiment started, but there was definitely excitement/ eagerness to do the experiment. Maybe it was because we are breaking norms in a setting where the subject has no idea on what was happening.

6) Other observations and analysis that you may have on the activity and on deviance in general.

•        We observed that the general reaction was that of ignorance (or feigning it). Most people prefer to keep to their own business. Perhaps out of a desire to avoid conflict. We do not think that it is because they are uninterested, because there is this odd and peculiar thing happening before them and even the interviews suggest that they themselves were curious of it but felt that it may be “awkward” or that they were too afraid to engage in conversation and ask about the devious act.

•        Most of the reactions we’ve gotten fall right with those ones we were expecting all along. This makes me think that giving these reactions are also part of the norm that are socially constructed.  Just like when a lady was casually talking with one of our members even though he was breaking the norm, I found it odd since it was not the reaction I was expecting to observe. However, even if they said they were okay with it or wanted to leave us alone, they still feel as if something is wrong such as when they offered their spoon.