Question

What behaviours or characteristics are socially constructed as acceptable or unacceptable on your campus? What formal and informal measures of social control are directed at those deemed to be unacceptable? Are those behaviours rare? Do they cause harm? Do “most people” on campus disapprove of those actions? Do they violate norms (and if so, whose norms)? Who has the power to claim that those behaviours are unacceptable?

Answer 1

On the college campus, wearing formals is socially acceptable whereas wearing jeans and informal clothing is not acceptable. These behaviors are not very rare as many students do not have a lot of formal clothes and do not like to wear the same things everday. If a student is seen wearing informal clothes, he or she is penalized for it. They need variety or a change and like to wear jeans and t-shits sometimes. They are given a few warnings and after that if they continue to do the same, they have to pay a fine and are also suspended. Fines and suspensions are the formal measures of social control that are used on campus.

These social norms need to be adhered to (according to the college) so that there is a sense of seriousness and maturity on campus. If students wear inappropriate clothes, it will only lead to remarks and objections mad eby others and this is not suited from an educational organization.

However, if we look from the students perspective, they wear these kind of clothes in their daily life and so do people around them. Creating an impractical need only on campus will seem logical to them so many of them find this unacceptable. Every society makes some rules for the welfare of the society members but not everyone will want to comply to all the rules. In the same way, a college will have rules and regulations but not all students will feel they need to abide by them.