88 Chapter 3 Norms and Values: The Glue of Society Reading Selection 1 SOCIOLOGY: STUDYING SOCIETY AND GROUP INFLUENCES | 1 yz probably find yourself in different types of social situations every day. Whether you realize it or not, society and the different groups to which you belong have a big impact on you. What Is a Group? 2 Have you ever said or done something because of the people you were with? If you have, you know that your behavior! can be influenced by a group. In sociology, a group is more than just individuals who happen to be in the same place at the same time. To be a group, two or more individuals must: = Interact with each other. = Share a common goal. = Have a relationship that is fairly st ™ Be interdependent.? ™ Recognize a relationship among themselves. 1, bethaveior (bi-hav’yor) n. The way in which people behave; conduct. 2. invterede-pen-dent (in’tar-di-pén’dant) adj. Dependent on one another; mutually dependent.Reading Assignment 1 Sociology: Studying Society and Group Influences 89 3 You may belong to a number of groups. These groups may include your family, a sports team, a group of friends, a group of co-workers, a religious group, or an after-school club. Each group has certain standards of behavior called norms. Norms 4 Norms are spoken or unspoken rules that tell us how we should behave. They tell us how others expect us to behave. We rely on social norms to help us act approp in social situations. For example, while waiting in line to see a movie, we know that others expect us to wait our turn rather than to push to the front of the line. 5 Norms affect how we dress, talk and act. Work norms might require us to dress formally, talk politely, and be punctual.” On the other hand, the norms of a social group might include dressing in a current style, using slang,‘ and arriving “fashionably late.” Following norms helps keep social interactions running smoothly. 6 You probably follow some norms without realizing it. For instance, when you meet a friend on the street, how do you greet im or her? Do you shake hands? Do you bow? Do you kiss on the cheek? Whatever you do is your norm for greeting friends. This norm may change depending on how well you know the friend. It might be different if the friend is American than if the friend is from another country. 3. puncetural (pingk’choo-al) adj. Acting or arriving exactly on time; prompt. 4, slang (slang) n. A kind of language occurring most often in casual speech, consisting of made-up words and figures of speech deliberately used in place of standard terms to add interest, humor, irreverence, etc.90 Chapter 3 Norms and Values:The Glue of Society Norms in Different Cultures 7 Social behavior varies among cultures. This is because different cultures have different social norms. For example, American culture places a high value on being on time. Many other cultures do not think that being on time is so important. Another American value is privacy. Americans enjoy being by themselves. If an American sees someone sitting alone, he or she thinks the person wants privacy. People from another culture might think that person is lonely or sad. 8 When people from different cultures come together, they may experience a “culture clash” because they have different expectations about how people should behave. Source: Nextext. (2001). Introduction to Psychology. Elgin, IL: McDougal Littell, pps. 313-314,