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Social Mettle

A List of Quirky Ideas for Social Norm Breaching Experiments

Suppose there is a game in which you are not allowed to say 'yes' or 'no', and have to answer only with another question. Using up the entire range of 'wh-questions', you can think of how entertaining this game can get. Social norm breaching is nothing different than this.

Suppose there is a game in which you are not allowed to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and have to answer only with another question. Using up the entire range of ‘wh-questions’, you can think of how entertaining this game can get. Social norm breaching is nothing different than this.

No Suggestions Implied! While a Superman costume flaunting an underwear is taken well, someone wearing undergarments over normal clothes (that too at a fancy dress party) becomes an act of breach! Unfair, isn’t it!

Eating with your hands while dining at a fancy restaurant, wearing your bathrobe to college one day, sending a reply via email when someone had called you on your cell phone, or talking to a stranger by getting very close to him/her, and such similar deeds are ones that a normal human being would usually avoid doing.

If you have tried any of these, you can be called a researcher who was engaged in studying social norm breaching experiments. Such kind acts of nonsense, which you may call bizarre, are not solely meant for entertainment purposes. This testing of socially accepted rules are mainly a part of the fields of sociology and social psychology. Yes, academics can get very interesting at times!

What are Breaching Experiments in Sociology?

Breaching experiments try to study the reactions of people when a social norm is broken or violated.

There are some unwritten rules that all of us follow in our day-to-day conduct. How one would (rather should) behave in a given situation is predefined and based on a lot of assumptions. These experiments try to break these ‘taken for granted’ social norms. Reactions of others to such tricks are also fun to look at. This concept is associated with the ethnomethodology theory of sociology , put forth by Harold Garfinkel.

An unexpected behavior or comment leaves the respondent completely puzzled, making the experiment successful. The approach behind such experiments highlights that, people continue to make a number of such rules everyday, and do not even realize it.

Experiment Ideas

Clearly, a breaching experiment is like asking for trouble. When the action is troublesome, it makes it visible that practices leading to social stability are so much ingrained into our minds. Breaching of norms has to be a deliberate act though; it is not an issue of conflicting opinions leading to disobedience of a given norm. You can try troubling others with the following ideas.

– To a casual question like ‘what’s up?’, you can say ‘the sky’. ‘How’s it going?’ can be replied to in an exhilarating manner, like ‘I didn’t see any ‘it’ going’. When people are not really interested in knowing about you, and they still ask those questions, you may actually stop them and really explain to them some random event going on in your life. (Be very sure about who you want to experiment with this though!)

– Some tests that college students were asked to take, involved behaving like a stranger or renter in one’s home. Talking only when asked about something, or being very polite, are some things their parents reacted to quite strongly.

– In the tic-tac-toe game, ask a person to play first. When he/she places an ‘X’ in a square, you place an ‘O’ on a line forming the matrix, and not in any square space. That person might get confused, or would exclaim, “Have you gone crazy?” Behaving according to the established practices of following given rules is so important here, even if it is a game. This exemplifies an established social order.

– At a decently crowded public place, get one of your friends to stand opposite you. You act like both of you are talking about something important. Then, act as if the both of you are holding a very thin and delicate cotton string in your fingertips, each one of you holding one end of it. Now, start to move away, very slowly, so that people feel that you are holding something very precious. Shout out words like, ‘easy’, ‘be careful’, or ‘watch out’. You may find a few people actually believing you and ducking while they pass through. Someone might even go around you, so as to not break that string. You would notice, it is very easy to create social norms.

Experiment Examples

Here are some examples of interpersonal conversations, mentioned in ethnomethodology literature as case studies of experimentation given by Garfinkel. These have been sourced from books like ‘Garfinkel and Ethnomethodology’ by John Heritage, and ‘Sociology in Perspective’ by Mark Kirby.

– The subject was telling the experimenter―a member of the subject’s car pool―about having had a flat tire while going to work the previous day.

S : I had a flat tire. E : What do you mean, you had a flat tire? She appeared momentarily stunned. Then she answered in a hostile way: ‘What do you mean? What do you mean? A flat tire is a flat tire. That is what I a meant. Nothing special. What a crazy question!’

– By asking ‘What do you mean?’, as a response to every statement, students were asked to continue the conversation.

S : Hi, Ray. How is your girlfriend feeling? E : What do you mean ‘How is she feeling?’. Do you mean physically or mentally? S : I mean how is she feeling? What’s the matter with you? (He looked peeved.) E : Nothing. Just explain a little clearer as to what you mean. S : Skip it. How are your Med School applications coming? E : What do you mean ‘How are they going?’ S : You know what I mean. E : I really don’t. S : What’s the matter with you? Are you sick?

– On Friday night, my husband and I were watching television. He remarked that he was tired. I asked, ‘How are you tired? Physically, mentally, or just bored?’

S : I don’t know, I guess physically, mainly. E : You mean that your muscles ache, or your bones? S : I guess so. Don’t be so technical. (After more watching) S : All these old movies have the same kind of old iron bedstead in them. E : What do you mean? Do you mean all old movies, or some of them, or just the ones you have seen? S : What’s the matter with you? You know what I mean. E : I wish you would be more specific. S : You know what I mean! Drop dead!

– The victim waived his hand cheerily.

S : How are you? E : How am I in regard to what? My health, my finance, my school work, my peace of mind, my … S : (Red in the face and suddenly out of control.) Look! I was just trying to be polite! Frankly, I don’t give a damn how you are.

The results from these cases proved that the experimenters could successfully break the norms. It was possible because of the fact that, any given conversation (or communication) takes place smoothly, ‘assuming the background knowledge’, which helps two people make sense of what the other means.

Well, if you’ve got the point now, you can be real ‘innovative and original’ with this act of breaching. Oh, but just be sure that you don’t mess with the wrong people at the wrong time.

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49+ Unique Breaking Social Norms Project Ideas You Must Try!

Breaking Social Norms Project Ideas are a fun way to learn about people’s actions. They let you try new things and see what happens. 

When you do something different, you learn why we do things the way we do. 

These projects help you think about everyday rules. You might find that some rules have a good reason, while others are just habits. 

These projects can be funny and teach us about people and society. You can learn to see the world in new ways. 

Breaking Social Norms Project Ideas are great for anyone who likes to explore and learn about how people work together.

Also Read: 19+ Library Management System Project Ideas for Students

Table of Contents

What Are Social Norms?

Social norms are unwritten rules that guide how people behave in a society. They shape interactions, dress, and communication, helping maintain order. Norms can be descriptive (what people do) or injunctive (what people should do), based on values. 

They are learned through observation and vary across cultures. Unlike laws, norms are enforced by social pressure. Examples include queuing, using polite language, and respecting personal space. Norms change as societies evolve.

Breaking Social Norms Project Ideas

Here’s a list of breaking social norms project ideas under different niches:

• Teach a class while sitting on the floor
• Write essays using only emojis
• Hold a “backwards day” where everything is done in reverse order
• Have a “no shoes” policy for a day
• Conduct meetings while walking outside
• Use children’s musical instruments for office sound effects

Public Transportation:

• Offer free hugs to fellow passengers
• Read books upside down on the bus
• Wear a different hat every stop and switch with others

Restaurants:

• Order dishes by drawing them instead of speaking
• Bring your own unique cutlery, like oversized spoons
• Ask for your meal to be served in unconventional containers
• Shop while dressed as your favorite book character
• Use a toy shopping cart in a real store
• Barter with monopoly money instead of real currency
• Do exercises in slow motion at the gym
• Wear a fancy ball gown to a yoga class
• Use household items as workout equipment in the park

Technology:

• Use an old-school typewriter at a coffee shop
• Communicate only through handwritten notes for a day
• Wear a VR headset while walking in the city
• Wear clothes from a different century for a week
• Create outfits using only items of one color
• Swap traditional gender-specific clothing styles
• Paint with unconventional tools like vegetables
• Perform a silent play in a busy public square
• Create sculptures using only trash found on the street
• Hold a concert where the audience plays the instruments
• Compose a song using only animal sounds
• Play classical music on children’s toy instruments
• Organize a backward running race
• Play a tennis match using frying pans instead of rackets
• Have a “silent” basketball game with no verbal communication

Socializing:

• Host a party where guests can only communicate through charades
• Organize a “reverse birthday” where you give gifts to others
• Have a “compliment battle” instead of an argument
• Plant a garden on a moving platform
• Grow plants upside down in public spaces
• Create a “musical garden” where plants trigger sounds when touched
• Prepare a meal using only food items of one shape
• Host a “blindfolded cooking challenge” dinner party
• Make a dish using ingredients chosen by random strangers

Personal Care:

• Style your hair using kitchen utensils
• Apply makeup with your non-dominant hand in public
• Brush your teeth with colorful toothpaste in a park
• Take your pet fish for a “walk” in a portable tank
• Dress up in matching outfits with your pet
• Host a pet “un-birthday” party in a public place

Literature:

• Read books backward in a library
• Write a story using only questions
• Host a “silent book club” in a noisy location
• Tour your city as if you’re a confused alien visitor
• Take a “staycation” by camping in your front yard
• Navigate using only a map from another century

These ideas span various niches and aim to challenge social norms in creative ways. Remember to be respectful and safe when attempting any of these projects.

Breaking Social Norms Project Ideas for High School:

• Wear your school uniform backward for a day
• Eat lunch while sitting under your desk
• Use a different accent each class period
• Walk sideways in the hallways between classes
• Wear a fancy hat to gym class
• Answer questions in class by singing
• Bring a stuffed animal “buddy” to all your classes
• Use a different name each day for a week
• Write all your assignments in a different color each day
• Give a presentation while standing on one leg

Breaking Social Norms Project Ideas for College Students:

• Attend lectures in pajamas and a bathrobe
• Use a typewriter instead of a laptop in class
• Speak in third person all day on campus
• Host a “ silent disco ” study group in the library
• Wear formal attire to a casual sports event
• Use a megaphone to have conversations in common areas
• Conduct a “walking lecture” where the class moves around campus
• Organize a “backwards day” where everything is done in reverse
• Hold a “no technology” day and use only pen and paper
• Create a “human statue” performance art piece in a busy area

Social Norms to Break for Sociology Project:

• Stand facing the back of the elevator
• Clap after someone finishes a regular task
• Greet strangers with a curtsy or bow
• Eat foods in unconventional ways (e.g., pizza with a spoon)
• Wear swimwear to a non-swimming location
• Speak in rhymes during all social interactions
• Walk a stuffed animal on a leash in public
• Use exaggerated gestures during normal conversations
• Wear clothes inside out in public spaces
• Bring your own chair to sit on in public transport

Social Norms to Break for Psychology Project:

• Maintain unusually long eye contact during conversations
• Respond to questions with unrelated answers
• Invade personal space by standing too close to others
• Use inappropriate levels of emotion for situations
• Ignore typical queuing behavior in lines
• Whisper responses in loud environments
• Laugh at serious comments and look serious at jokes
• Use outdated slang in modern conversations
• Offer handshakes at unusual times during interactions
• Mimic the body language of others during group discussions

Remember to always consider safety, respect, and consent when planning and carrying out these projects. It’s important to reflect on how breaking these norms affects both you and others around you.

Why Is It Important To Break Social Norms?

Breaking social norms can be important for several reasons, but it should be done thoughtfully and with awareness of possible consequences:

• Challenge Inequality : Some norms keep inequality or discrimination alive. Breaking these can lead to positive change.
• Promote Creativity : Stepping outside norms can bring new ideas and solutions.
• Personal Growth : Breaking norms can help people express their true selves.
• Raise Awareness : It can highlight important issues or injustices.
• Encourage Critical Thinking : Questioning norms makes others think about why certain behaviors are considered “normal.”
• Adapt to Change : Breaking outdated norms helps societies adjust to new situations.
• Foster Inclusion : Challenging exclusive norms can make societies more inclusive.
• Stimulate Progress : Many social advances started by breaking norms.

However, breaking norms can have downsides, like social rejection or legal trouble. It’s important to consider the potential impact on yourself and others.

Also Read: Top 99+ Science Investigatory Project Ideas For All Levels In 2024

Case Studies Of Social Norms Project

Here are some specific case studies of social norms projects undertaken by students:

1. “No Idle Zone” Campaign – High School in Vermont

A group of high school students noticed many parents left their cars idling while waiting to pick up their children, contributing to air pollution. They launched a “No Idle Zone” campaign, which included:

• Creating informative signs placed in the pickup area
• Educating fellow students and parents about the environmental impact of idling
• Organizing student volunteers to politely remind drivers to turn off their engines

Result : After three months, they observed a 78% reduction in idling time.

2. “Tray-less Tuesdays” – University in California

University students aimed to reduce food waste and water usage in their dining halls. They implemented:

• A weekly “Tray-less Tuesday” where dining hall trays were removed
• Educational posters explaining the environmental impact of food waste
• A social media campaign to promote the initiative

Result : Food waste decreased by 25% on Tuesdays, leading to the permanent removal of trays.

3. “Positive Post-it Day” – Middle School in Ontario

To combat bullying and promote positivity, students organized a day where they:

• Placed positive affirmations on post-it notes throughout the school
• Encouraged peers to write and share kind messages
• Created a “positivity wall” where students could add encouraging notes

Result : The school reported a noticeable improvement in student morale and a decrease in reported bullying incidents.

4. “Bike to School Challenge” – High School in Ohio

Students promoted biking as an eco-friendly transportation option by:

• Organizing a month-long challenge to bike to school
• Setting up a system to track miles biked and carbon emissions saved
• Arranging bike safety workshops and group rides

Result : Bike rack usage increased by 60% during the challenge and remained 30% higher afterward.

5. “Reusable Water Bottle Initiative” – Elementary School in Texas

Young students tackled plastic waste by:

• Designing and selling custom school water bottles
• Installing water bottle refill stations
• Creating a point system to reward students who consistently used reusable bottles

Result : Single-use plastic bottle sales in the cafeteria decreased by 80% within a semester.

6. “Tech-Free Lunch” – High School in New York

To promote face-to-face interaction, students implemented:

• Weekly tech-free lunches where all devices were put away
• Table games and conversation starters to encourage interaction
• A social media campaign highlighting the benefits of in-person communication

Result : 70% of students reported feeling more connected to their peers after participating.

These case studies demonstrate how students can effectively change social norms within their school communities through creative initiatives, peer education, and consistent effort. Would you like more details on any of these projects or information on how to plan similar initiatives?

Breaking Social Norms Experiment

Breaking social norms can be a fun way to learn about how people act and the rules we follow in society. Here’s an easy guide to help you set up and carry out your experiment:

Step 1: Choose a Norm to Break

Pick a social rule that is safe and won’t upset others. Here are some ideas:

• Elevator Behavior : Stand facing the back instead of the door.
• Personal Space : Sit next to someone on an empty bench or bus.
• Dining Etiquette : Eat dessert before your main meal at a restaurant.
• Queue Jumping : Politely ask to cut in line (with permission) and watch reactions.
• Dress Code : Wear pajamas to a public place where formal clothes are expected.

Step 2: Plan Your Experiment

• Location : Pick a public place where the norm usually applies.
• Timing : Choose the best time to have the most interaction.
• Observers : Have a friend or two watch and write down people’s reactions.

Step 3: Conduct the Experiment

• Be Confident : Act naturally and confidently while breaking the norm.
• Observe Reactions : Notice how people react with their words and body language.
• Remain Respectful : If someone seems uncomfortable, explain the experiment and stop if needed.

Step 4: Record Observations

• Reactions : Write down comments, facial expressions, and body language.
• Feelings : Think about how breaking the norm made you feel.
• Interaction : Did anyone come up to you or question your actions?

Step 5: Analyze and Reflect

• Discussion : Talk with your observers about what you saw.
• Reflection : Think about what the reactions show about the norm’s importance.
• Insights : Consider what this tells you about human behavior and social rules.

Step 6: Write a Report

• Introduction : Explain why you did the experiment and its background.
• Methodology : Describe what you did and where.
• Results : Share what you saw and how people reacted.
• Conclusion : Reflect on what you learned and why social norms matter.

Safety and Ethics

• Respect : Make sure the experiment is kind and respectful.
• Consent : If possible, ask for permission from the people involved.
• Safety : Avoid norms that could cause harm or distress.

Conducting a social norms experiment can be a great way to understand societal rules and human behavior while also being curious and learning. 

Final Words

Breaking Social Norms Project Ideas help us learn about how people act together. These projects let us try new things and see what happens when we do something different. We can learn why we follow certain rules and how people react when those rules change. 

By doing these projects, we understand more about our community and ourselves. Breaking Social Norms Project Ideas are fun and make us think in new ways. They show us that some rules are important, while others are just habits. 

These projects can make us laugh, but they also teach us big lessons about how our world works. Anyone can enjoy and learn from Breaking Social Norms Project Ideas.

A creative and results-oriented professional with 5+ years of experience in project ideation. Skilled in brainstorming, market research, and feasibility analysis to develop innovative and impactful project concepts.

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Ideas for Breaching Experiments

A breaching experiment goes outside our ideas of social norms specifically to see how people will react to the violation of the arbitrary rules of a given situation. These experimental forays arise from the idea that people create social norms themselves without any awareness that they do so and that most individuals need to be shocked out of their ideas of normality to have any meaningful interactions.

Breaching with Figuratives

An example of "breaching" experimentally is to talk with an acquaintance and interpret his figurative usages literally, to explore the idea that we overuse figurative language to the point where interpretation becomes absurd. Your friend begins with "What's up?" and you reply "The sky." He may end the experimental conversation by saying "You trippin'!" Point out that you're standing and well-balanced, in no danger of tripping. Your friend's attempts to "normalize" the conversation throw light on how he responds to other situations that may puzzle his sense of social normality.

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When we converse, we also create imaginary barriers, our force fields of comfort we call "personal space." An interesting breach of this is the talk-line. Enlist a compatriot to converse with in a hallway. As the two of you talk, move further away from each other so that you're at least 4 feet apart but keep your eye contact and conversation going. Notice how many people actually "duck" as they go between you as if your conversation has created an actual barrier. Again, they attempt to normalize the situation and re-establish boundaries that social convention has dictated.

Restaurants and Carlinisms

Sometimes social norms breach themselves. Eating with hands in a fancy restaurant used to be forbidden, but it's become more trendy with the introduction of different cultural norms. You still can breach restaurant etiquette experimentally. George Carlin, in "Brain Droppings," recommends asking a waiter if the garnish is free, then ordering a large plate of garnish. If you were to try this experiment, the waiter's response, and perhaps your own discomfort in placing the order, would reveal the predispositions you both have, that you must "set" normality in trivial situations, following norms simply because you believe they exist.

Garfinkle's Classics

Harold Garfinkle, the ethnomethodologist who pioneered breach experimentation, established experiments that invaded both home and business norms. He sent students back to their parental homes to act as renters and into businesses to mistake customers for salesmen. These actions, Garfinkle felt, brought to light automatic responses and the reinforcement of agreed social boundaries.

• Dictionary.com: Breaching
• Cengage.com: Choose Your Words: Figurative Language
• The New York Times: Dining and Wine: Mind Your Manners: Eat with Your Hands
• Brain Droppings (1st ed. 1997); George Carlin
• Sociology Guide: Harold Garfinkle
• The Social Experiment: Soc. 326: Contemporary Theory: Harold Garfinkel - Ethnomethodology and Breaching Experiment
• Sniggle.net: Breaching Experiments
• Wired Cosmos: Sociology in Action: The Breaching Experiment
• ERIC: Making Sociology Relevant: The Assignment and Application of Breaching Experiments

Michael Stratford is a National Board-certified and Single Subject Credentialed teacher with a Master of Science in educational rehabilitation (University of Montana, 1995). He has taught English at the 6-12 level for more than 20 years. He has written extensively in literary criticism, student writing syllabi and numerous classroom educational paradigms.

Doing Nothing & Learning Deviance

Want to teach your students about norms, deviance, and the social construction of reality in a way that they’ll never forget? Try Doing Nothing, literally. Have your students silently stand in a public place for 15 minutes with absolutely no expression on their face. If anyone approaches them they are to reply to any and all questions by saying, “I am doing nothing.”

Students laugh when they hear the directions. Anxiety washes over them as they take their places. They struggle to contain nervous laughter and their fight or flight instinct that is screaming RUN in their head. All of a sudden those abstract concepts, deviance, norms, stigma, all become uncomfortably real. Students learn with their own two eyes how people react to non-conformers- to deviants. This is lived sociology.

Doing Nothing is not my own idea. Karen Bettez Halnon (2001) in Teaching Sociology outlined how she had her students individually do nothing in a public place for 30, of what I assume must have been excruciating, minutes. All I’ve done here is tweak her idea and amplify it to an extreme.

I figured if I have a class of 262 students why not put it to use. One person doing nothing is strange, but 262 students doing nothing is a sight to behold. Also, doing the activity as a class allowed me to verify* it was carried out and that students safety** was maintained.

Public Sociology: Despite sociology being inherently social, it is surprising how rarely we use the public in the instruction of sociological concepts. I am most proud of how interactive this learning experience was. Students learned by doing (and at a grand scale).

Now, with our YouTube video, the students and I are trying to teach as many people as possible the sociological lessons we learned yesterday. My hope is that my students will see how their actions started a small social movement and created change and learning in others. I plan on using this as an example of how they can change the world around them. If you teach for social justice, if you hope to inspire your students to do more than just memorize some facts for a test, then we have to find ways to role model, or better yet provide a platform for, creating social change in our communities.

As a final note, it would mean a lot to me if you would take the time to watch the video above and pass it along to someone you think would enjoy it. The more people who watch the clip the more my students will feel capable and empowered to create social change. I have loved giving away as much as I possibly could over the last year and now I am asking for one small favor in return. Five minutes of your life to watch the clip, send it to someone else, Tweet it, post it on Facebook, etc.

Thank you, Nathan

Event Logistics: If you’re going to do anything with 262 people you’re going to need help and a lot of planning ahead. I recruited 11 student volunteers to help me with maintaining safety and crowd control. I created a handout to communicate to the volunteers what their responsibilities were ( download it here ).

I also created a set of concise and explicit lecture slides that visually explained the directions for the activity (see below | Download them here). Note that students were required to participate, but not to be video recorded. Students had the option to do the activity in another location away from cameras, but none of my 262 students chose not to participate (which was a delightful surprise). Students who were going to be recorded had to sign an image release and consent form.

*Break a norm in public. That is arguably the oldest sociology activity in the book. Problem is, most students don’t actually do it; opting instead to write the paper based on what they imagine the experience would be like. When this happens your break-a-norm activity turns into a short fiction assignment. Doing Nothing as an entire class allows you to verify students had the experience.

**As Bettez Halnon mentions in her Teaching Sociology article, students are left vulnerable in a public place if you ask them to do this activity alone. Every time I have done this activity I have found that passersby will try to coax a response out of students by touching them in some way. Typically this is a simple poking on the nose or lifting up an arm and then letting it fall, but I’ve seen students attempt to pull on students coats and backpacks. I absolutely would not do this activity without supervising the event myself. Along these same lines, I also instruct my students that if at any moment they feel unsafe in anyway they are to discontinue the activity and return to the classroom.

RESOURCES : Bettez Halnon, Karen. 2001. “The Sociology of Doing Nothing: A Model “Adopt a Stigma in a Public Place” Exercise.” Teaching Sociology 29(4) Pp:423-38.

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