Banes 1

Rachel Banes

Soc. 1113-010

Dakota Raynes

24 April 2014

Breaching Experiment and Analysis

The typical person wears Nike shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes to the gym.

I decided to break the social norms of the gym scene by going to do a full workout in a maxi dress, hair curled, and a full face of makeup. While doing this experiment, I received reactions from almost every person in the Colvin. In order to make this paper successful, I had to find a method that would work the best to break a , observe my findings and analyze them, and reflect on my own findings and reactions.

While brainstorming for this breaching experiment, I wanted to break a norm that I followed in my everyday routine. Since I go workout regularly I decided that I am going to break the norms of the gym but how? I debated the idea of working the machines wrong but there are many people that would not notice or would not even know I am not using it correctly. So I thought of things that bother me when I am at the gym and finally I came up with one. I would get annoyed when girls would come to the gym with a full face of makeup on and a freshly curled ponytail. I decided I would do that but in order to make a noticeable difference between myself and everyone else I would come in a dress but with regular workout shoes. I choose to go to the Colvin and complete my regular 1-hour workout in my dolled up appearance.

Before I could even get into the building of the Colvin I had already received reactions from people. I was getting out of my car a group of three Caucasian females snickered to each other and tried to avoid eye contact with me. While walking up to the front door two African Banes 2

American males opened the door for me and motioned for me to go in first. When I got to the front desk for them to swipe my ID card every single person, male and female, starred at me and watched me as I walked to the area where the cardio machines are. I got on the treadmill and put my headphones in and when I began to run I observed the reactions I received. The Indian male next to me looked at me the whole ten minutes I ran for. The four girls on the bicycles in front of me turned around periodically and laughed with each other. A Caucasian male took a picture of me running. Then I got many stares and laughs from multiple people of many races and both genders. When I was on the treadmill I did not notice a difference on how the multiple types of people acted but I noticed a major difference when I went downstairs to go lift weights.

When I went downstairs I knew there would be a difference in how people reacted because 90 percent of the people downstairs are males. I got into the free weights and the room got two levels quieter and there was some laughter when I walked in by multiple males. I counted four more males take a picture of me while I was lifting weights and I had 3 Caucasian males approach me and ask for my number. There were 2 African American males that approached me and asked to follow me on Instagram and then to take a snap chat with them.

Also there were multiple whistles as well but I did not keep track of the races of the men. I noticed had received a larger number of reactions from the males downstairs then I did from the ones upstairs.

Social roles are the part that people play in a social group. Social roles help maintain and create order in the social structure allowing for society to run smoothly. It allows for society to assess what behaviors the group sees to be acceptable. Social constructionism takes personality out of the individual and places it within the social situation. It argues that reality is not a reflection of our own thought processes or even a reflection of the world as we see it, but Banes 3 emerges from the discourse and interaction between people. Reality is a social construction because most people are exposed to culture, media and institutions which forces us create the meaning of reality, which can be different from the proper reality. Something could be good, bad, taboo, or usual behavior it depends on the society people grew up in. I deviated from the social role that people follow at the gym. I deviated from the normal dress code of work out clothes and decided that wearing a dress would be sufficient to workout in. The people in the Colvin did not accept my violation of this norm. I did not even talk or mess with people. I simply just wore clothes that were not the “typical” workout clothes. The reactions of people proved that social groups maintain order and have social standards that people follow. People reacted as if I was another species of human. Yes, it was funny and odd but I felt like an . People of both genders were laughing and making rude comments all because I did not wear the normal clothing and hairstyle. Their reactions showed that people value being accepted into a certain social group so we conform to the norms that are set by society,

While doing this breaching experiment I did experience being uncomfortable multiple times. When I was walking around I kept getting odd stares and I heard rude comments all because I was not wearing the same thing as everyone else. Being the deviant in the situation makes it difficult to carry out the rest of the experiment because people have an issue when people break the social norms and I had become apart negative according to the reactions I had received. This relates to in the way that society only accepts what the population has seen as fit to conform to. If anyone tries to break the of society it becomes of point of judgment and disapproval. I felt I was being socially sanctioned for trying to be different in that environment. Banes 4

By violating the dress code at the gym, I was able to see that males in the weights tended to show their reactions more then the females upstairs. By peoples reactions I found that people value being accepted and conforming to the rules of social groups. Although it was difficult to deviate from the social norms, it really helped me realize that anyone who breaks the conformity of society will have a difficult time being accepted. Banes 5

Reference:

Croteau, David, and William Hoynes. Experience : SOC 1113,

Introduction to Sociology, Oklahoma State University. New York: McGraw-Hill

Education, 2013. Print.