Castelo, Marque     

Chuang, Joyce        

Merritt, Kelsey

Serrano, Kaye

Tan, CJ

SA21 - K

Breaching Experiment

1. What norm did you violate?

The norms that we chose to violate are 1) Filipino Concept of ‘Hiya’ and 2) the Philippines being a ‘Conservative’ Country.

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

We all agreed that the best way to put both norms to the test is by doing a breaching experiment where we give out condoms along the streets of Katipunan to passers-by. We bought 2 packs of Durex Featherlite condoms from 7/11 Katipunan that had 12 pieces each, so we ended up having 24 condoms to give away. 24 is a good number because it would be a waste if we bought too much and no one would get.

The best way to maximize the experiment is by dividing the work by making the boys and the girls switch tasks once the boys finish the half of the condoms we had. This is important because people react differently depending on the gender. We wanted to catch the reactions of the people to see if there was a difference between when a male gives away a condom and when a female gives one away. While the boys were giving away the condoms, the girls were documenting it and vice versa.

3. What were the different reactions of the people? List all possible reactions you observed. Why do you think they reacted this way? What cause these reactions?

There were very different reactions. The high school students we approached were either very blank-faced and serious or surprised and amused-- sabay kuha ng condom. We can think of many reasons why they would be either. High school students are in the point in their life where they are trying to figure out themselves and how they associate with other people. Their reactions could be that of a pretentious seriousness, where they don’t want to seem young and vulnerable. The other could be the still childish humourous side that is evident in many high school students.

College students were somewhat different. They would smile a bit, act confused, or just flat out reject. Some would laugh, but it was usually just a quick one and they would go on their way. Most college students just shrug it off and walk on probably because they have better things to do.

Kuya Drivers and the like would usually have a quick laugh and say that they have no use for it. However, some give in after giving it some thought and grab a couple of condoms-- one even got four, which surprised us! We think these people took the time to take advantage of the free condoms, but were hesitant at first due to the tabooness of using contraceptives in the country.

Generally, the girls that we approached were either really hesitant or confused. All except for one rejected our offer, with a displeased look. However, some were amused by the spontaneity of the offer. The one and only girl who took our offer had to come back after walking ahead just to get one, maybe because she thought about it first.

None of the couples we approached took our offer. We think this is because it paints a bad light on the couple if they take it, making them seem promiscuous-- again, due to the taboo nature of condoms in this country.

Did the deviant act re-affirm/re-inforce the existing norms based on these reactions?

The ones who took our offer the most were the older male adults of the poorer sect, such as trike drivers and janitors. Some high school students got as well, but very few college students did. Generally, though, many were hesitant, and this reaffirms the fact that free condom distribution, as well as openly showing that one uses a condom, isn’t exactly normal in the country.

We believe that due to the negative connotations that are connected to sex and use of condoms, due to the influence of the church, may have played a big role in the hesitations of people towards taking a free condom. However, due to the surprisingly more open reactions of the high school students, this norm may be changing in younger generations.

4. Aside from the norms, what social 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 and poor), values/beliefs of institutions (religion, family, peer group, etc.) [You could compare reactions according to gender, social class, etc. That would be more interesting-- and might obtain a better grade!]

Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion in the country, and there are certain beliefs, customs, and mindsets that are tied to this religion. For one, any discussion that involves sexuality is considered taboo, and objects that are connected to this topic should not be presented in any public place. Conservatism is being practiced by Catholics with the help of the Church.

These beliefs are now then incorporated inside families, and members of families stretch it out to their peer groups, office/work mates, and the rest of society embed these beliefs.

Another social theme that was at play during the experiment was actually the function of gender. Most of those who got condom/s were male, and only one was female. One obvious reason for this result would be the fact that condoms are for the male genitalia, and not the female. Second, which is connected to the first social theme mentioned, is conservatism, especially for the female. With the image of the Mama Mary as the Virgin Mary, a woman who is holy and pure, the Church urges women to be the same, and to do this, conservatism must be observed. The group was even more surprised when a woman, a student from a Catholic college, got the last piece of condom. When the group approached her, she immediately declined and went off, but after a short while, she came back and eventually took the condom.

The reactions from the group could and are actually part of the experiment. When the first participant got a condom, the group was shocked and found it funny that a person would take a condom in broad daylight in a busy street. Again, this kind of reaction could be connected to the first social theme mentioned above. A lot of those who got condoms were actually high school boys, and this fact is another reason why the group reacted as such. Most of the society thinks that when people purchase condoms, it means that they are having sexual intercourse. Pre-marital sex is not supported by the Catholic Church, and the fact that these high school boys are studying in a Catholic school and they had the courage to get condoms from the group makes it all the more astonishing for the group.

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?

Upon starting the experiment, buying the condoms was the first challenge. Since the condom was bought in bulk, there was quick judgment by the cashier and the surrounding buyers of 7/11. The cashier immediately asked me regarding the purchase of numerous condoms, "Birthday mo sir?" I stood there laughing and seeing that also the people surrounding us were also listening to ur conversation. I found this experience very daunting due to the numerous people that were being judgmental with the said action. The norm of "hiya" has started to be violated here.

Before giving out the condoms along Katipunan Avenue, we were very hesitant to start the experiment. This was due to the "hiya" norm since we would be already breaking it. Since we were a group along Katipunan, there were already guards looking at us, giving us more pressure as we conduct the experiment.

It was a greater challenge to the girls rather than the guys since society dictates that ladies are more diffident than guys. Usually guys are the ones  being the noisier one than the ladies. The ladies were also a bit uneasy in doing the experiment because it may give out the wrong impression to them. For guys, it was a lot easier to give away the condoms because of the norm that society presents.

Towards the end of the experiment, it became quite fun and exciting seeing the reactions of different people and classes regarding the free condoms. It also became a lot easier since the shyness has already disappeared after getting various reactions.

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

The activity/experiment on deviance proved that there are really different reactions from different genders and social classes. The activity clearly shows how the upper bracket of society shows more social control rather than the lower brackets. The cause of this may be because the upper bracket of society would rather buy the condoms themselves rather than breaking the norm and accepting one from a total stranger. It was also noticeable that when the guys were giving the condoms, the more condoms were given away rather than the girls. Overall, the experiment was a success because it showcased how there really is social conflict when norms are broken and that everyone has a different response to the violation of the norm.