Describe the breaching experiment
Our group performed an experiment in which we communicated with each other solely with a whiteboard and a marker. We went to places in and out of the campus and interacted with people using the messages on the whiteboard. We performed this experiment inside campus, specifically at SEC-walk, Gonzaga Cafeteria, and the JSEC Challenge at the Red Brick Road. We also talked to the caretaker of a K-9 dog we saw at the Old Rizal Library using this experiment. Outside the campus, we went to KFC and Fully Booked in Katipunan. The experiment was inspired by the anime Special A. The character Megumi would write on a sketchpad or a whiteboard to communicate to others, and she was perceived as a weirdo for this.
What norm did you violate?
The group thinks that this experiment challenged the norm of able-bodiedness, as well as the everyday experience of communicating through speech.
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 reaffirm/reinforce the existing norms based on these reactions?
It was a bit funny to see the reactions of people we purposely chose to approach. One thing that we noticed is that people would respond to us using gestures, or softer speech than they are accustomed to. In one instance, a group member asked the caretaker of a K-9 dog, who was talking loudly at that time, if she can pet the dog. It took a little while for the guard to read and to process the request, but she then replied with a nod and her mouth was hanging open in a sort of shocked way.
We also observed that when we wrote to each other in places around Ateneo, people didn’t mind us so much. There were some who gave us weird looks, but they just continued with what they were doing. One group member proposed that maybe this reaction was due to the culture here in Ateneo. Ateneans are used to seeing and tolerating a few colorful characters, such as people who dress up with loud and foreign clothes. There’s this idea that since Ateneans are free to express themselves as they like, it’s easier to respect those who are a bit strange.
As for the people outside Ateneo, such as those people who sat near us in KFC, their shock was a bit more obvious. They were talking loudly when we arrived, but when they saw the way we were communicating with each other, they started speaking softly. They would also stare at us openly- such as the mother and her young daughter who sat next to us. The man seated on another nearby table was outright reading our conversation, but we pretended not to notice him.
We also tried to speak to people directly. Those among the people in the JSEC challenge would call us loudly to try the food from their stalls. We would write a message, and many actually waited for our response. Even people we knew were surprised and answered us with a softer voice. Admittedly, when we approached people who we are friends with, they were more shocked, owing to them knowing us personally.
The cashiers at Fully Booked, KFC, and Chicks Rule were all very polite to us. We noticed that the ate and the kuya at Chicks Rule were laughing a little bit. We also asked to be shown a book at Fully Booked, and the cashier was hesitant to use her voice so she gestured at us. The cashiers at KFC were the most efficient in understanding the situation. We wrote our orders on the whiteboard, and they complied at once and read them. One of the cashiers went so far as to write “Drinks?” on the whiteboard. We debriefed this cashier and the ones who assisted us at Fully Booked. We asked if they were surprised at us, but they said it was an ordinary occurrence for them to serve deaf customers who would communicate by typing messages on their phone. We expected that they would not be as surprised as other people due to their experience in serving customers.
Aside from the norms, what sociological themes are at play for people to react a certain way? Is it a function of gender (gender norms, roles), social class (norms of the rich and the poor), values/beliefs of institutions (religion, family, peer group)?
As mentioned above, there was a difference in the reactions of the people in and outside the Ateneo. People in Ateneo gave more subtle reactions compared to the reactions of the people outside Ateneo, which were more obvious. We think that Ateneans are used to seeing people do “unusual” things (we’re not the first group to do breaching experiments in campus), unlike the people outside who are more used to “normal” interactions. Gender may have also played a role here. We observed that the women who noticed us were more sensitive in responding to us and letting us be, unlike the men beside us at KFC who are obviously reading our conversation through the whiteboards. Additionally, it was interesting to note that the little girl next to us looked more curious, rather than her parents who looked a little judgmental.
How did you feel when you did this experiment? How does it feel to deviate from the norms? Were you hesitant to do this activity?
It was a fun experience for the group, but it was a little bit embarrassing. It was also embarrassing since we are not used to getting unwanted attention from the crowd. We were concerned since we wore our IDs outside school and we could be identifiable the next time we stopped by KFC, or that someone might film us and make us viral on social media. We also realized how convenient life truly is with the power of speech, because it took us so long to write our messages and have other people read it. We gained sympathy for Ariel, the Disney character, because it was hard to not say anything for a long period of time.
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