Social norm and behavior
Any social norm is how a group of people should think about a thing or behave. Each model has its peculiarities and impact on society. For example, the necessity to dress in fashion is one of the frequently used norms that many people cannot neglect and cannot be understood by many people who want to follow their interests and preferences. Dress codes define the rules of clothing for people of different ages, races, and social statuses. In my opinion, this norm is not appropriate in the modern world due to several reasons: first, people are free to make decisions and consider their interests; second, fashion is a current issue that cannot be neglected because of one social norm that has a long history and maybe rethought; and, finally, it is wrong to pay much attention to a single model that deprives a person of comfort and a kind of pleasure. I think it is customary to dress according to personal tastes and preferences. In my new school, I am going to wear clothes that I like expecting other people to understand my choice and support the idea of uniqueness in a currently changing world.
School time
As soon as I came to the school, where students got used to wearing a special uniform, wearing my favorite jeans and sweater, I observed many eyes. Some students admitted that it was a good job what I was doing. Some students said that I was another person who wanted to move a stone that could not be moved. And some people just passed through. It was interesting to observe how one single action could cause a variety of reactions. I felt that my strange way of behavior was not new. Still, I was eager to discover what I could learn or get from this situation.
Everything seemed to be expected until a serious man in a blue suit approached me. I realized that something went wrong. I knew it was forbidden to contradict the norms established; still, I wanted to use my unawareness and the desire to prove that nothing could go wrong as my actions’ main explanations. The director invited me to his office and explained the peculiarities of the school’s dress code. The story he shared with me explained why it was crucial to follow this simple, still critical social norm. A school is not the place for experiments. It is the place where students should get an education and learn new material that can be used in the future. It is not the place for some fashion experiments. It was clear that students had to follow this norm and avoid any contradictions and misunderstandings in the education process.
Kind of norm violation
In general, this kind of norm violation taught me one thing: it was possible to break the rules and consider personal freedoms of choice as a good explanation. Still, the application of social norms is the thing that cannot be neglected. Though many social examples are too old and have to be re-evaluated, the idea of dress codes and their impact on human lives remains to be unchangeable. However, in my opinion, the director was wrong with one of his assumptions. A school has to be the place for students’ experiments in any way. It is inappropriate to make young people try something new under circumstances that cannot be controlled by professionals. This is why the possibility to dress in accordance with personal tastes and preferences should be provided at schools, at least on a one-time-in-a-month basis. School psychologists and teachers can follow students’ behavior and offer the most appropriate improvements in case of emergency. This is how a dress code norm should work.