Thursday, June 26, 2008
week 4 chapter 8: Norms
As defined by the book, norms are the informal rules that "designate the boundaries of acceptable behavior in a group." In different group settings there are different expectations placed in the individuals. If you are in a group at work you are expected to dress appropriately, be on time, finish all your work in a timely fashion etc... If your small group is a group of friends then the norms may be set at a different standard. Regardless of what group you belong to there are norms that have been set by society as a whole. In our society deviating from the norms labels you as different and an outcast. All of the small groups base their norms on the norms of the society. My last job required us to wear professional attire to work. Many companies now days do not have a dress code but because society says it looks more professional that is the standard of dress attire our company abides by.
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2 comments:
Nunu- I definitely agree with you when you say, "reagardless of what group you belong to, there are norms that have been set by society as a whole." I think this is a very difficult situation for many people because if they are considered a little "weird," they get an automatic label. This is the type of situation that also happens in many middle schools, and high schools. There are always clicks that stick with eachother, for ex: the jocks, the popular girls, etc. It's also kind of interesting how this trend continues even after high school, out in society. People always seem to get put into some kind of social ladder, and where ever you fit in, that's your label.
I think norms are important in a professional setting, for instance, the City of San Jose. Many of the City’s departments deal with the public and thus are client based oriented. Professionalism is not only expected at work but also when interacting with clients or the public. As a city employee, it is expected to present professionalism at all times such as when driving a city’s vehicle, wearing a city’s logo, or making presentations. When deviating from this norm, the consequence could be negative because the public may perceive the city to be not serious and thus, are seen to be inefficient and ineffective. This norm is predicated largely on the public and city relationship and that the public is a large stakeholder. In this case, norms are important.
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