K. Shore/Soc.

Social Control and Deviance

Observing Norms in Social Interaction
Have you ever thought about the norms you obey when carrying on a conversation? Most
of us follow certain guidelines for social interaction without realizing it.

Procedure
1. Read the questions about conversational behaviors below.
Social Distance: How close or far apart do people stand or sit when talking to one
another?
They sit close because they’re friends I think
Hand Gestures: Do some people use hand gestures when they speak? Do these
gestures clarify or distract from their points?
Not really any hand gestures
Eye Contact: Do the individuals maintain eye contact? IS eye contact
important?
Almost not at all...they were either doing their work and talking or sometimes looking at
each other
Facial Expressions: What kinds of facial expressions do individuals make during
conversation? How does the other person react?
They’re usually smiling and laughing at each other
2. Observe your friends and family during conversation, paying close attention to
the behaviors mentioned above.

3. Record your observations.

Analysis
1. Think about what you saw. What can you conclude about the norms that
govern these behaviors?
That when you’re comfortable with someone, you kinda just forget all the things you’re
“supposed” to do like make eye contact and things of that nature because no one will
judge you.

2. Were these norms followed, or did some people violate them? How did other
people react to the violation?
The norms weren’t really followed but no one said anything about them.

3. Be prepared to discuss your observation and conclusions with our class.