Have you ever wondered why it is considered polite to place your napkin in your lap at the dinner table? Or, why it is socially unacceptable to stare at someone? Have you ever wondered why being late is considered rude in some cultures and not others?

OBJECTIVES
Analyze the causes and effects of changes in social norms and mores.
Explore a personal experience that illustrates social acceptance.
Strengthen writing through the revision process.
Deliver an oral presentation of a narrative.
Defining Normalcy
Socially acceptable rules are usually created over time based on a particular culture and its beliefs. Therefore, what be socially acceptable in one setting may not be socially acceptable in another setting. Take, for instance, the act of shaking hands. In most Western cultures, it is socially acceptable and even encouraged that, when you first meet someone, you look them in the eye, give them a handshake, and introduce yourself. In most Eastern cultures, this practice would not be normal. Rather, you may avoid eye contact as a form of respect, and, perhaps, bow in an effort to greet them. In some European cultures, you may kiss a person on the cheek, which would not be the social norm for a first-time meeting in America.

Social acceptability of a behavior is usually dependent on what a culture has deemed appropriate or normal. These traditions may be rooted in history and may also change as a society changes. Complete this handout as you begin to identify what practices you may find normal or acceptable for you, personally.

Locating Social Acceptance
Reflecting on the activity you just finished, now consider where you might find some of those behaviors normal, or socially acceptable. Complete this worksheet as you identify locations for socially acceptable behavior. If you can’t think of a specific geographic location for some of these behaviors, feel free to do some Internet research to find out where some of these activities occur today, and, then, note their location on your handout.

Now, take a moment to reflect on those two behaviors, and answer the following questions:

Which items gave you difficulty in identifying the cultures or circumstances in which such behaviors are normal?
Which common behaviors in our culture might people from other cultures find strange or abnormal?
How did this activity change how you think about what is culturally normal?
Consider the era of the 1960s in America. As you know by now, the country was erupting with social change and revolution. Some of the socially acceptable behavior that is present in society today is because of those changes.

Personal Benefits
What is a socially acceptable behavior that you experience today that would have been socially unacceptable in the 1960s? You can consider laws and social change movements that have created change for society in an effort to identify particular issues that have directly impacted you and your future. Do some research to consider some of these changes. Draft a well-worded essay that illustrates some changes that have personally benefited you. Submit your draft to your teacher for feedback.

Reviewing your Ideas
Now that you have a good working draft of your ideas with some feedback, make the specific changes needed to your draft. Be sure that you are clear with your details and explanations, and ensure that you are citing your historical evidence properly. Are you considering any personal accounts for your discussion? These are called primary sources. Primary sources are pieces of evidence that come straight from the person who may have experienced an event. Sometimes, a primary source can be in the form of a letter or an e-mail. A primary source can be a journal entry.

To clarify, think about The Diary of Anne Frank. That was a primary source about a young girl’s experience during the Holocaust. The history came directly from Anne herself, not someone else writing about Anne, like another family member. When you get historical information from another source other, than the original source, these are called secondary sources. Sometimes these sources can be tricky to navigate, because they may be unreliable or biased, based on the author’s experiences or point of view. Whenever you are considering secondary sources for research, you should make sure that you are using a reliable source and reading a few different secondary sources to ensure that the information is accurate among them all.

As you revise your essay, be sure to use at least one primary source about someone's personal experience in the 1960's to explain how your own personal experience is different in regard to what is socially acceptable.