Chang, Jason

Chong, Michelle

Obviar, Mariangela

Vasay, Nathaniel           

SA 21-G

Using Umbrellas Indoors

1. What norm did you violate?

Umbrellas are typically things people only ever use outdoors and even then, only on especially hot days or when it rains. In addition, there is a superstition that opening an umbrella in a closed space is brings bad luck. Given that it is such a specialized item, only used in specific situations, its use indoors during routine activities is a direct deviation from this norm.

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

The group members took turns in carrying an umbrella while doing common activities in a mall like ordering food, walking around, and window shopping. To increase the perceived “weirdness” from the bystanders, only one member was performing the breaching experiment at any given time while the others observed the reactions of the crowd. The experiment was conducted in two malls, specifically SM Megamall (which caters to the masses) and EDSA Shangri-La (a high-end mall) to determine if the different social groups in the mall react differently to the experiment. Furthermore, it was done in different sections of the building for a different set of audience. In total, the experiment had eight trials, four at each mall. After each trial, there was a short debriefing with random people for questions about their reactions to the deviance experiment.

In order to record information, phones were used to take down notes, and capture pictures and videos. Observers acted as if they were calling or texting someone to prevent from spoiling the experiment.

3. What were the different reactions of 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?

Shangri-La

The people in Shangri-La mall just stared at the researchers when they were conducting the experiment. The most common reaction they have observed was that people were staring at the group member, likely out of confusion. They would often point at the person, carrying an umbrella, and would share some thoughts to their companions. However, there were also times when people ignored the person with the umbrella outright. In the food court, no one seemed to bother staring at An-G while she was conducting the experiment. If so, they only glanced at her for a few seconds and resumed eating.

Nevertheless, the researchers found out why people reacted in this manner. A  reverend, when interviewed by the group, questioned the researchers about their awareness of the misfortune of using a blue umbrella during Chinese New Year inside a closed area. But during a follow up interview the next day, the reverend commented that the reason he just quickly glanced and not stare was because while he did think it was weird, he also thought that there was nothing else to it and that he was more concerned with watching over his children.

Megamall

The group received similar reactions among the people they interviewed. In the Cyberzone area, a sales clerk replied, “Parang siyang [Jason] timang.” He added that it was as if the group member wanted to prank on them. In the Mega Food Hall, when Neil was carrying an umbrella while buying his meal, people started glaring at him. A security guard kept an eye on him for a while and stall employees were caught laughing the most among the people present. During the debriefing, these employees  initially denied that they laughed, likely fearing that the researchers may disclose their personal information, but they eventually gave a response. One of them said, “Mukha siyang tanga kapag ‘di niya sinasadya”. In addition, Neil’s serious face made the scene funnier according to the same employee.

On the other hand, a couple of students who saw Neil and An-G commented that even though they thought the researchers were weird for using the umbrellas, they were sure that it was for some sort of project or dare. According to them, “kundi wala naman gagawa nun”.

In summary, the supposed reason for these reactions was the fact that it is neither practical nor common to open an umbrella indoors. This, coupled with the intended function of an umbrella, creates a norm that they should only ever be used outdoors and in appropriate weather conditions. Given the reactions of the people during this social experiment, we have re-affirmed this norm.

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 the institutions (religions, family, peer group, etc.). [You could compare reactions according to gender, social class, etc. That would be more interesting]

One pattern that was observed during the experiment was that those who visibly laughed at the researchers holding the umbrella were those who worked in the mall and had co-workers with them at the time. This was observed on four separate occasions, twice in each mall. A possible explanation for this pattern is that those who work in the mall are the ones who are the most familiar with the environment, which makes them more aware and sensitive to the practiced norms than random bystanders. Thus, these people would likely also be the ones who would most easily recognize a deviant act and react accordingly.

On the other hand, some people did not react because they did not have companions to share the same insight about the experiment. Usually, people who reacted in the experiment  were those who have co-workers, friends, or family with them. In one instance, one of the researchers (Neil) made eye to eye contact with a bystander as another researcher (An-G) was using the umbrella. During this time, both Neil and the bystander laughed as An-G passed by them. Apparently, people who were alone were also observing other people’s responses before showing any reaction to it themselves. Another factor was that they were busy with other things and ended up ignoring the experiment. For instance, one salesperson was busy sales-talking people around her that she paid no mind to An-G as she passed by.

Another potential pattern that was observed was that people visibly laughed when men (Neil and Jason) were using the umbrellas, but no one was observed laughing when women (An-G and Michelle) were doing the same thing. This may involve the concept of gender norms and how it is more acceptable and more common for a woman than a man to use an umbrella in a public area. Given that women are seen using umbrellas more often than men, Neil and Jason were deviating not only from the norm of not using umbrellas indoors, but also the norm of men rarely using umbrellas in the first place. In comparison, An-G and Michelle only deviated from the first norm. But due to the impracticality of testing the same area more than once (as a second testing might make it obvious that it was being done on purpose), it is difficult to determine whether this is an actual defining factor or just a coincidence.

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 members felt somewhat nervous and embarrassed at the start while others were eager to perform the experiment, seeing it as fun and exciting. For example, Michelle did not want to do the experiment in the area where she often shops, because there might be people who could recognize her. Some members were hesitant because they did not know what kind of response the people would give them and that the people might react differently to what the researchers were expecting. One member was worried that security guards might approach the researchers and ask them to put the umbrella away because they could have suspected that the group hiding from the security cameras was a modus operandi for committing some crime. But during the experiment, these concerns were proved unfounded and the group observed that guards did not mind someone using an umbrella inside the mall.

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

It was interesting to note that wandering away from the society’s norms labels a person as weird, stupid, crazy, etc. While it is ridiculous or unusual to see people breaking this kind of norm, people do not take the deviated culture seriously unless it affects them directly. Security guards may have not asked the researchers to put down their umbrella because the latter, who were simply walking like normal shoppers, were not violating any laws or mores in the mall.

Note: There were limitations in documenting the experiment. Other group members were assigned to act as normal shoppers while taking videos and pictures. Because the members needed to follow the person with the umbrella, as well as observing people’s reaction, they only used their mobile phones for footage and note-taking. This is to prevent a phenomenon called the observer effect. Thus, the pictures below were blurry and unclear.