Social Norm Examples

As we go through our daily lives, we come across various situations in which we are required to make a choice that is largely based on the norms in our society. Of the three types of norms, the ones seen most frequently in my life are laws and folkways. After spending the day trying to actively capture the ways in which these laws affect my life, this is what I have come to realize. The way we interact with one another, and the things that we do while in each others presence are key points to showing how certain, yet unwritten laws come into play in our every day lives. Some of the simplest being the way people stand in an elevator, and taking your backpack off while on public transportation. While there is no law stating that one needs

While it is illegal to j-walk, in major cities it is a common and the sometimes necessary way to get from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time. In a single day, one could most likely say they j-walk at least 3-4 times in order to cross the street. During my observations I witnessed someone do so in front of an authority figure, a police officer. As I am sure this happens often, the police officer did nothing in response to this “illegal” action.

This would be an example of law-in-action vs law-on-the- Books. On a national level this is clearly illegal, and in places other than a city it would most likely be enforced. At a city level, it may be frowned upon, but in this instance had no further repercussion. While this may be a one time type of deal, I can’t help but question just how often it happens. Another observed law, more specific to northeastern, is the most recent rule made regarding hover boards on campus. As stated, hover boards are not to be charged in any on-campus building, but nation wide it is advised to use caution while charging. As students we are required to abide by Northeastern’s rules, but as citizens of Boston these rules