Rafael Santos Rodrigues CPE for Teachers Higienpolis May 9, 2 !

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The overarching theme of these two texts is to do with expected behavior in society. The first one focuses on the generational chasm, due to which some simple acts such as the use of gadgets in public may cause offense to some, namely elderly citizens, and be considered perfectly acceptable by others, especially youngsters. It defends that only by acknowledging and trying to understand other points of view can potential tensions be dealt with. As for the second text, it seems to maintain people, albeit unknowingly, feel a certain urge to break social norms in an attempt to express their individuality. It is particularly critical of the slavish behavior typical of those who stick blindly to conventions, thus curtailing innovation. Furthermore, it claims that our very sanity and capability to live in society depends on our feeling important as individuals. hile I appreciate the arguments put forward in both texts, I tend to find the ideas presented in the first one more compelling. First of all, it draws the reader!s attention to the fact that social norms are not fixed, but are always undergoing transformations. "oreover, the importance of dialogue as a means of avoiding unnecessary confrontations is particularly true in #razil, given its plurality. $onversely, the second text seems to conceive of social norms as immutable and limiting things. From a sociological point of view, that simply does not ring true. Actually, individuals are responsible for altering those norms and they do that all the time. The very fact that people want to express their individuality is a historical phenomenon in itself. This is not to say that the author is completely mistaken, but one should be wary of such unfounded generalizations. %&'( words)