Breaking Boundaries: Exploring the Impact of Violating Social Folkways (Essay Sample)

Breaking Boundaries: Exploring the Impact of Violating Social Folkways Name Instructor Course code and number Due date Introduction Culture encompasses shared ideas, actions, and artifacts. Norms are accepted societal behaviors, whereas mores are critical norms with significant consequences. Folkways are a set of unwritten social conduct rules. Violating folkways usually triggers surprise or disapproval, reinforcing conformity through social pressure (Sumner, 2020). First Broken Folkway I decided to dispel the first folkway, which I deemed unwarranted, basing my choice on courtesy and respect for different people’s personal space. In total, people verbally keep a distance when addressing strangers, similar to an invisible shield. I observed the reactions of three individuals. 1 The picture depicts a middle-aged woman, roughly 45 years old, white, middle class, and performing a routine action at a bus stop. If I attempted to approach her, she would momentarily shift her gaze towards me, then to the space she was attempting to maintain between us, before gently edging away from me. 2. A young man, not more than twenty years old, who was black and a college student, was strolling through the bookstore. He blinked at me with what I could only assume was confusion, retreated backward, and finally strolled off to another area of the supermarket. The third individual, a man of Asian descent in his 70s with an athletic build and a retiree leisurely strolling in a park, was the most direct in his response. He looked at me, his expression turning into a scowl, and shook his head in disapproval. He then moved to another bench, where he sat down, clearly indicating his desire for more personal space.  Second Broken Folkway Let's delve into the second folkway that I decided to disregard: the issue of loud phone calls in areas where there is minimal noise. My target area for this observation was a library, a place typically associated with quiet and focus. This behavior is usually not well accepted because the involved individual interferes with other people. 1. A young lady around 25 years old, a Hispanic student sitting near the table, also appeared irritated, huffed, and put on her headphones. 2. One day, a middle-aged man started appealing to me to lower my voice, claiming to be a librarian. The man seemed to be over 50 years of age, white in complexion, and working as a librarian. 3. I stared blankly at a black high school teenage girl about 17 years old, who gave me irritated glances and moved to a table farther from me.  Third Broken Folkway The third folkway that I violated was when I took a meal at a restaurant and used my bare hand to eat, which is unheard of in most cultures. 1. Most people are subtle and discreet, but a woman, who was about 30, white, and a professional seated at the desk across the booth, looked at me in disbelief and, leaning across...