Taking A Stand Against Norms
“T43 — Vietnam war protest in DC 1969” by jimforest is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
When reading Odell’s first three chapters of her book How to Do Nothing she talks about learning how to do nothing in a society that is always doing something. This idea of doing nothing does not mean cutting yourself off from the world being a bum and unproductive. She explains that “doing nothing” where “‘Nothing” is neither a luxury nor waste of time, but rather a necessary part of meaningful thought and speech” (4). So, this could be going outside and enjoying the scenery or taking time off to care for yourself.
Now in the present day, we are consumed by technology or work and we never get a moment to really do nothing. Specifically, in chapter three, Odell discusses breaking norms in society and how others react. Brushing your teeth in the morning? Normal. Eating meals with silverware? Normal. Wearing a bathing suit to the grocery store? Most definitely not normal. Social norms can be defined as behaviors, opinions, or actions that are generally accepted in a social setting. After taking sociology with Mrs.Woll senior year, she explained that there are four groups that norms can be categorized in which are folkways, mores, taboos, and laws.
Folkways are considered behaviors shared by a cultural group and are considered customs. These are not morally important but by going against one you could lose peoples acceptance or be judged. An example of this would be in a library everyone knows to be quiet but if you were loud the other people would get annoyed because you were being rude. Personally, I have broken this norm many times but my favorite was when I took ballet lessons. The standard uniform for ballet is pink tights and a black leotard but I always wore vibrant leotards instead and my teacher said negative comments about them.
Next norm with stricter rules is mores which are more about what is considered morally right and wrong. Breaking a more is considered very disrespectful in cultures and some cases illegal. A specific example could be wearing a neon yellow dress to a funeral where in American culture you wear dark colors. Both folkways and mores are taught from family, friends, and school.
Similarly, taboos are strong negative norms that are behaviors in multiple groups of people and cultures in a society. When breaking a taboo, it could be illegal or completely against people’s views which could lead to being excluded from groups. In both Muslim and Jewish communities, the pig is considered unclean and by eating it you are going against a norm which could lead to major backlash from that community. Another person who broke a taboo was Prince Harry and Megan Markle when they left the royal family which led to major backlash. There’s conflicting views on their action whether it was good or bad but overall it affected multiple societies.
Lastly, laws are social norms that are social control that lays down rules and behaviors all groups of people should follow. Theoretically, if you were to break a law you would face some form of punishment whether it was a fine or prison. If someone killed a person this would be considered breaking a law because federally there is a rule against this. Not only would the person be cut off from society but then they would have to face a punishment as well. I personally have experienced this when I was driving over the speed limit and got a ticket. I broke a law and suffered the consequence of paying a fine and being grounded by my parents. Generally, this is how norms are categorized and the reactions of society if one were to rebel against it.
Throughout history until present day there are always people breaking norms. Odell describes examples of studies on how people would fight the norms and data of the public’s reaction. For example, there was The Trainee piece where the woman in the middle of an overworked company could be described as just “sitting at an empty desk and staring at space” (63). Many coworkers worriedly noticed the woman and asked questions about it. Another example Odell uses as breaking social norms is the performance of The Dead Guy where Tom Green would “carefully lower himself to the ground and lay face down and stick-straight for an uncomfortable period of time” in the middle of a sidewalk people were walking on (65).
As I am reading this, I am thinking why did Odell put this right after talking about retreats and social media breaks? Then I think how “doing nothing” is an idea that contradicts what is considered a social norm. In society, it is normal to be overworked, constantly around technology, and not really given a break. I think what Odell is trying to tell us throughout chapter three is to take her idea of breaking what we call normal and hope that one day everyone will participate.
One way of starting to break social norms is simply by learning how to refuse to do things. Odell goes on to say that “the decision to actually refuse — not once, not twice, but perpetually until things have changed — means the development of and adherence to individual and collective commitments from which our actions proceed” (82). In history you can see many strikes and protests use this same idea of refusal and repeated actions to finally make a change. For example, when the Vietnam War was going on many people began to protest all over the country. This brought together many different people, from college students to politicians, and they kept up their marches even after America pulled out of the war. This inspired many people to act against the government and make decisions based on their opinions. Odell uses the example of Rosa Parks when she did not give up her seat when the normal behavior for a person with colored skin was to go to the back of the bus. This showed people at the time that “acts of refusal have come not directly from fear, anger, and hysteria, but rather from the clarity and attention that makes organizing possible” (82). These strikes took organization and commitment like the strike for the longshoremen. They had to represent over fourteen thousand longshoremen and had to organize soup kitchens for food or financial relief because they decided to walk out of their job.
Although I do agree with Odell that going against social norms is important to improve the world we live in but I wouldn’t say that goes along with every protest. I do believe that everyone’s opinion is important but there are some strong views that go against human rights. The group Ku Klux Klan also know as the KKK is a white supremacist group against African Americans, Jews, immigrants to just name a few. This group went to extremes against these groups of people even when in society people were starting to accept them. The KKK would protest by having riots, lighting houses on fire, and even kill members in those groups. They believed that their opinion was a correct one and broadcasted that even though society did not agree with their ways. In this scenario it is not okay to break a norm by protesting against groups of people and target them even if you think your opinion is correct.
In contrast there are times when protesting was hard at first but led to great outcomes for the society. To break a social norm you need confidence and to not be afraid of what the consequences may be. Thinking about breaking a social norm does make me a little fearful because people may not agree and there is a chance of getting in trouble. One movement that really shows how brave it was to go against social norms was the #metoo movement. In multiple workplace environments women have been assaulted verbally and sexually but had to keep quiet so they would not lose their job. The #metoo movement brought all kinds of women together and helped them face the backlash for speaking out together as a unit. A perfect example of this would be from the allegations about Harvey Weinstein. Many famous women were taken advantage by Weinstein because he told them he would help their careers or ruin them if they spoke out. After many years of his behavior, in 2017 with a couple actresses, including Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd, made statements in The New York Times explaining Weinstein behaviors toward them. Once this article came out it was as if a can of worms was opened in social media. Suddenly, women who have been assaulted were inspired to report their experiences like the other stars. Soon over a hundred people had accusations against Weinstein and he was not only fired but he was going to do time in jail. Along with the Weinstein case many stars started to come out and report their abusers. These abusers include the actor Bill Cosby, the singer R. Kelly, the USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, and Matt Lauer from The Today Show. All it took was a little courage from a few women to speak out to finally get justice for hundreds maybe even thousands. These women will go down in history for taking a stand against the norm of being silent just like many other women throughout history.
In conclusion, when starting to do nothing there may be resistance from society but if you continue refusing to change your opinion there will be great rewards. Although to share your opinion may take courage just know there are people who will support you.
Work Cited
Kantor, Jodi, and Megan Twohey. “Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Oct. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html.
Odell, Jenny. How to Do Nothing. Brooklyn, Melville. 2019
