I want to violate peoples' norms?

Question

My assignment in speech is to do something in public that violates peoples' norms and take notes on their reactions. It cannot be harmful, illegal or offensive. Examples: walking around the mall in your bathrobe, standing at the front of an elevator and staring at everyone else. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

I have news for you. Walking around the mall in a bathrobe will OFFEND little old church ladies who consider such behavior unseemly. Staring at people in a confined place will convey challenge and/or threat to others, which again is OFFENCE. Any violation of people's norms is offensive. That's why the races should never have been mixed: they're genetically hardwired for different norms.

You probably meant that you won't do anything Politically Incorrect, such as telling Blacks that their brains are small or preaching from a soapbox about how the Jews run the world with usury and media control. Certain people, you know, cannot be safely offended. We are very brave when we go to offend others, are we not?

Answer 2

I teach a class in cross-cultural communication and I have my students do the same thing. Here are a few ideas I have had my students use:

Walk in public places with a toothbrush in your mouth.

Stand at the top (or bottom) of an escalator.

Call people you know by the wrong name.

Stare up into the sky at a bus stop.

Dance to or sing with ipod music in a crowded place that only you can hear.

Skip down a sidewalk.

Walk backwards down a sidewalk.

Speak to a stranger as if they were a long lost friend.

Cry or be mopy-faced alone at a restaurant.

These are the ones that got the best reactions for my students.
Good luck.

Answer 3

You could do something with personal space, like standing wayyy too close to someone you don't know. But be nice, otherwise they will feel threatened and you might get your butt kicked.

You could walk around with your fly down and see how many people tell you. Or toilet paper on your shoe, or tomato sauce on your face, or a big booger.

You could strike up a conversation with a stranger while you are in line, see how taken aback they are. Get really personal (can be fictional) about yourself, or you can ask really personal questions and see if they answer you. Like standing in the condom aisle and asking someone nearby to help you make a selection. Or telling people you have AIDS while you are standing around passing time in a line.

You can go around in a wheelchair all day and see how people treat you.

You will probably get a lot lot lot of ideas from old reruns of candid camera or other prank shows...that is the hook for those shows.

Answer 4

How bout, paying for someone else s groceries. Or , offering an old lady help across the street. Or not going to parties with friends. What about, sitting in a resturant early in the morning when elderly folks are there having coffee, and join in there conversations. How bout giving a hug to the nerd of the school.

Try these, as I have done in life, and will always do. You will feel there happines and see a reaction rarely seen in life.

Do this, and you will learn more then you know now, and will recieve more then you can imagine in the eye s of these folk.

Answer 5

When I was at University we did an experiment in social psychology in the effects of varying personal distances and effects upon communication. Basically invading peoples personal space inside the social zone, not quite at the intimate distance but still at a very uncomfortable distance and recording their reactions.

Conversly try standing to far from someone when you ask them a question most seem to naturally move towards you, or look over their shoulder or keeping looking away as you ask them your staged Question, it can really be quite funny.

Even when offering to shake hands with another person, try extending your arm face down or face up and see the reactions between the sexes. Have a male "friend" or someone whos an anoyance extend his hand face down to a tough looking guy and lough at the response, you might need tissues though for his bloodied nose !

Answer 6

Put on a fake beard and mustache, and a skirt and blouse, accentuating the fact that you are a female. Lipstick and makeup too.

Make one breast three times as large as the other.

Hand out blank pieces of paper, like brochures.

Wear your socks on the outside of your shoes.

Instead of a purse, carry your stuff in a pan with a lid on it. Rummage around in it for your make-up.

Get a cheap plastic folding chair, and sit by the elevator until the doors open, get on the elevator with it, and sit down without pushing any buttons.

Drag a leash behind you, and talk to the non-existent pet attached to it.

Carry a newspaper over your head, as if it were raining.

Place a piece of colored tape over your mouth, or tie a gag with a cloth.

Answer 7

Go to an indoor shopping mall with a bikini under some jeans and long sleve shirt. Go get some movie tickets for a show that starts in 30-45 minutes. Then go outside and find a nice patch of grass by the entrance. Lay out a towel from your bag or backpack and undress and sunbathe 15 minutes per side just as if you were at the beach. Why not?
When the security guard comes to rouse you specifically for loitering you can show him your movie ticket. If he falls back on reasoning of decent dress code for the mall, then you just put your clothing back on and ask him where you can find where teh dress code is posted. Meanwhile you will get plenty of odd reactions and looks, lewd comments etc.

Answer 8

Have you and a friend get dressed up in large animal costumes. Then mock beat on each other... this usually gets people's attention! Or, you could dress in clothing that is completely out of character for the situation - like a tuxedo at a baseball game - or something like that. Then while you are doing this yell "FURNITURE! FURNITURE!! FURNITURE!!!" or something equally bizarre while using really strange hand or body movements. I wish I was there to help you because this assignment sounds like it could be an absolute blast - I strongly recommend that you video record this with multiple hidden camera setups if you can - this will be something to treasure for the rest of your life, and could be hilarious!

Answer 9

Find a realistic doll and take the baby for a walk in the mall. Go into a eataurant and flip a blanky over your shoulder and pick up the infant and tuck it under the blanky as though to nurse the child. Wait and see what happens!!!
Some people go freaked! And some people want to talk to you, believe it or not! I don't know how ald you are but please accept my apologies if you are to young to try it.

Answer 10

Walk up to someone and start talking to them about your life. Just pour it all out on them. Geez, I hate when people do that, but since they are just being "friendly," most people (me for sure) will stand there and just take it. But, if they were doing a study when they were TORTURING me like that, and they were actually reading my facial expressions, they'd know I was in agony. I think most intelligent people feel that way when some idiot just pours their life out and you don't even know the person.

So, fake like you're stupid and find someone nice, unsuspecting and then just POUR IT TO THEM. You'll get a lot of stuff to report on.