Barnes, Kassandra
Borja, Segis
Chan, Jeamille
Chan, Queenie
Pepino, Chanel
Tagle, Aaron
Barefoot Social Breaching Experiment
- What norm did you violate?
The group decided to violate the norm of wearing shoes when going out.
(c) Kassandra Barnes
Wearing shoes when going outside is a practice in most developed/developing societies with urban settings around the world, including the Philippines, and to not wear shoes while going outside would go against the normal way of life. The kind of footwear would depend on the individual's ability to purchase shoes and while the most common footwear for the middle to upper classes would be closed shoes, the lower classes are seen using slippers more commonly as they are much cheaper and easier to maintain compared to shoes. The need for footwear extends to all social classes, however there are cases where individuals could be seen without any footwear of any kind and these people are commonly perceived as the lowest in society.
(c) Queenie Chan
These members of the lower social classes typically register either the image of a homeless person or one that has a mental handicap and therefore this contributes to the rejection of the idea of not wearing of shoes outside by the upper/middle classes. Aside from the idea of being associated with the lower classes, the environment in the Philippines is also a reason to wear shoes outside. First of all, the maintenance of civilian passages is very poor. It is very dirty along the streets of the country and with personal hygiene being a priority among the people, stepping on the ill-maintained streets and sidewalks would naturally be avoided. Secondly, while having open footwear like slippers would be the ideal in a tropical country, not having any protection from the ground during the day could lead to injury or major discomfort because of the high temperatures of paved surfaces. These factors then all contribute to the mindset that everyone must wear shoes when outside for the sake of comfort, protection, and maintaining a proper appearance in front of others.
2. Describe the breaching experiment in detail. What was the activity? Where did you do it?
For this experiment, a member, or the ‘deviant’, will walk around a mall barefoot for 20 minutes. The ‘deviant’ will be wearing casual clothes that one is normally expected to wear outside and not wearing shoes will be the only unusual aspect of their attire. They will then will visit at least five establishments (one of which will be a restaurant) while barefoot during the time allowed and the other members will observe the reactions of those around them regarding the member without any shoes. Should they be apprehended by mall security or approached by anyone regarding the lack of footwear, the member will simply tell the other person that they did not want to wear shoes. If this results in the member being escorted out of the premises, the experiment will end there and the other members will approach the individual, explaining the project. All observations will be reported to the group and compiled. In order to have more data, this experiment will be done twice in two different malls. Additionally, if time allows, the group may also include gender as one of the variables of the experiment and have one female and one male member go around a mall barefoot.
(c) Aaron Tagle
The group expects those going around the mall to be surprised by the group member’s lack of footwear and should they be with another person or group, they would most likely point it out to them. As for any security or mall authority that are able to see the member, they might approach them and ask about the member’s lack of footwear, and possibly ask them to leave the premises until they acquire shoes. The experiment was documented by videotaping the experiment as well as taking pictures with a camera. Another member made qualitative observations of the people from afar. Aside from the member without shoes, there will be two other members that will accompany them, one with a camera and one to take notes. They will stay around the member walking around the mall by either walking in the area or sitting somewhere as the member approaches.
On the one hand, the Eastwood Group walked barefoot in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of the mall. The 2nd floor was crowded, with food stalls and kiosks selling Christmas and other holiday goods. They also passed by shoe stores in the 2nd floor, and then proceeded to the 3rd floor where more or less of the same things were being sold, with the exception of having better lighting there. After the 3rd floor, the group went up to the 4th floor where ‘high class’ establishments were found, such as Starbucks, Fully Booked, and a better food court. The cinema and grocery store was also located on this floor. On the other hand, the SM Sta. Mesa Group walked around different types of stores - the Cyber Zone (appliances and cellphones section), a clothing store, a bookstore, and by a children’s daycare center. Both groups roamed around different types of stores in their designated malls.
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 reaffirm/reinforce the existing norms based on these reactions?
The Eastwood Group had some small reactions. Only some double takes by bystanders were shown, but none of absolute shock in the 2nd floor. More reactions were garnered when the group moved to the 3rd floor, with the better lighting. It helped that the 3rd floor was more crowded than the 2nd, receiving more reactions than when the group roamed around the 2nd floor.
Reactions were more animated in the experience of the SM Sta. Mesa Group. There were also some passersby who took double takes, but when the deviant went inside a clothing store there was a girl happened to walk in at the same time, but quickly turned around when she saw that there was someone who was not wearing shoes. The observer then noticed that the girl had went back to her group of friends and they started pointing at the member who was not wearing shoes. There was also a saleslady who saw the member walking barefooted, and she quickly pointed it out to a fellow salesperson. This kind of reaction was usually seen more with females and this was because they were mostly in groups and so could share this unusual occurrence easier, unlike the male passersby who were mostly by themselves. Furthermore, when the members passed by the children’s daycare center, there were more reactions garnered from the people in the area, such as a couple, and some of the parents and employees of the daycare center. A possible explanation would be because parents wish to create safe environments for their children, not wishing to expose them to anything that is out of the norm. Thus, seeing someone walking barefoot surprised them, near a daycare center nevertheless may have been the reason for their reactions.
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.)?
Regarding gender, there was not much discrepancy regarding the treatment of the deviant member. In the case of the Sta. Mesa Group, only one female member was able to do the experiment, therefore to answer this question, the Eastwood Group decided to switch deviants for each floor they went to. Initially, for the female member, no one paid any attention to her lack of footwear. Even crossing directly in front of a guard and a few maintenance staff, there were no observable reactions to her. On the other hand, when the deviants were men, there were a few incidents where those managing the shops would notice the male members and their lack of shoes. One possible explanation for this would be that people know of the existence of flesh-toned shoes that are typically worn by women, therefore when not paying close attention to another’s feet, an individual would most likely assume her to be wearing those shoes.
However, regarding the cases of the male members, the shop employees most likely noticed their lack of footwear due to the fact that they had nothing to occupy their attention at the moment. One example is when one member was taking off his shoes to begin the experiment, and immediately we noticed one of the employees eyeing his feet. The other mall-goers would not notice this as they would be busy going to different stores, however as it is the employee's job to cater to the needs of shoppers, it is not uncommon for them to be paying close attention to them.
Also, as stated earlier, the Sta. Mesa Group was not able to compare reactions to different genders, however from the results of that group, we are able to make observations regarding the social dynamics of typical lower-middle class mall-goers. Individually, those that had visible reactions only took a longer look at the member’s lack of footwear. As it violates the norm and is out of place, the people most likely wanted to confirm that they had seen properly. The difference in reaction could commonly be seen in whether the person was alone or in a group. Alone, they would only take a second glance, however when with a group, they would point it out to their companions. This act of sharing observations to companions could be related to the enforcement of norms as by bringing the lack of shoes up as a point of interest to others, the others will either perceive it as positive or negative and from there, an enforcement of social norms regarding the point of interest will take place and then be further developed as each companion interacts with different social circles.
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?
Most of the deviants felt that the experiment was liberating. It was also refreshing for them to walk around a place barefoot where one is not supposed to be barefoot. Although the floor was cold and dirty, the experiment did not cause any of the deviants to contract diseases. It was not a difficult experience, since the experiment did not trigger anyone to believe that it was a part of a modus operandi. Usually, deviating from the norms feels awkward and embarrassing, but the deviants were game to do the experiment. Although there were fears of getting kicked out of the mall, fortunately that did not happen during the course of the experiment.
6. Other observations and analysis that you may have on the activity and on deviance in general.
Initially the group had expected a variety of reactions such as being approached and asked why the member was not wearing shoes and even be told to leave the premises for not wearing shoes. However, none of this happened and most people do not really look down when walking around a mall, so it walking around barefoot is not as noticeable as say going around top-less or with no pants on. Furthermore, the members were dressed casually, and looked well-off, so at first glance there would seem as though nothing is out of the ordinary thus this form of deviance is not as evident as other forms, thus less reactions. However, in spite of the lack of reactions, there were still many who reacted and this remind us that no matter how small a deviance, there will still be negative reactions to said deviance because society is really set upon following the norms.
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