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Rachel Banes
Soc. 1113-010
Dakota Raynes
24 April 2014
Breaching Experiment and Analysis
The typical person wears Nike shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes to the gym.
I decided to break the social norms of the gym scene by going to do a full workout in a maxi
dress, hair curled, and a full face of makeup. While doing this experiment, I received reactions
from almost every person in the Colvin. In order to make this paper successful, I had to find a
method that would work the best to break a social norm, observe my findings and analyze them,
and reflect on my own findings and reactions.
While brainstorming for this breaching experiment, I wanted to break a norm that I
followed in my everyday routine. Since I go workout regularly I decided that I am going to break
the norms of the gym but how? I debated the idea of working the machines wrong but there are
many people that would not notice or would not even know I am not using it correctly. So I
thought of things that bother me when I am at the gym and finally I came up with one. I would
get annoyed when girls would come to the gym with a full face of makeup on and a freshly
curled ponytail. I decided I would do that but in order to make a noticeable difference between
myself and everyone else I would come in a dress but with regular workout shoes. I choose to go
to the Colvin and complete my regular 1-hour workout in my dolled up appearance.
Before I could even get into the building of the Colvin I had already received reactions
from people. I was getting out of my car a group of three Caucasian females snickered to each
other and tried to avoid eye contact with me. While walking up to the front door two African

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American males opened the door for me and motioned for me to go in first. When I got to the
front desk for them to swipe my ID card every single person, male and female, starred at me and
watched me as I walked to the area where the cardio machines are. I got on the treadmill and put
my headphones in and when I began to run I observed the reactions I received. The Indian male
next to me looked at me the whole ten minutes I ran for. The four girls on the bicycles in front of
me turned around periodically and laughed with each other. A Caucasian male took a picture of
me running. Then I got many stares and laughs from multiple people of many races and both
genders. When I was on the treadmill I did not notice a difference on how the multiple types of
people acted but I noticed a major difference when I went downstairs to go lift weights.
When I went downstairs I knew there would be a difference in how people reacted
because 90 percent of the people downstairs are males. I got into the free weights and the room
got two levels quieter and there was some laughter when I walked in by multiple males. I
counted four more males take a picture of me while I was lifting weights and I had 3 Caucasian
males approach me and ask for my number. There were 2 African American males that
approached me and asked to follow me on Instagram and then to take a snap chat with them.
Also there were multiple whistles as well but I did not keep track of the races of the men. I
noticed had received a larger number of reactions from the males downstairs then I did from the
ones upstairs.
Social roles are the part that people play in a social group. Social roles help maintain and
create order in the social structure allowing for society to run smoothly. It allows for society to
assess what behaviors the group sees to be acceptable. Social constructionism takes personality
out of the individual and places it within the social situation. It argues that reality is not a
reflection of our own thought processes or even a reflection of the world as we see it, but

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emerges from the discourse and interaction between people. Reality is a social construction
because most people are exposed to culture, media and institutions which forces us create the
meaning of reality, which can be different from the proper reality. Something could be good, bad,
taboo, or usual behavior it depends on the society people grew up in. I deviated from the social
role that people follow at the gym. I deviated from the normal dress code of work out clothes and
decided that wearing a dress would be sufficient to workout in. The people in the Colvin did not
accept my violation of this norm. I did not even talk or mess with people. I simply just wore
clothes that were not the typical workout clothes. The reactions of people proved that social
groups maintain order and have social standards that people follow. People reacted as if I was
another species of human. Yes, it was funny and odd but I felt like an outcast. People of both
genders were laughing and making rude comments all because I did not wear the normal clothing
and hairstyle. Their reactions showed that people value being accepted into a certain social group
so we conform to the norms that are set by society,
While doing this breaching experiment I did experience being uncomfortable multiple
times. When I was walking around I kept getting odd stares and I heard rude comments all
because I was not wearing the same thing as everyone else. Being the deviant in the situation
makes it difficult to carry out the rest of the experiment because people have an issue when
people break the social norms and I had become apart negative deviance according to the
reactions I had received. This relates to social control in the way that society only accepts what
the population has seen as fit to conform to. If anyone tries to break the conformity of society it
becomes of point of judgment and disapproval. I felt I was being socially sanctioned for trying to
be different in that environment.

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By violating the dress code at the gym, I was able to see that males in the weights tended
to show their reactions more then the females upstairs. By peoples reactions I found that people
value being accepted and conforming to the rules of social groups. Although it was difficult to
deviate from the social norms, it really helped me realize that anyone who breaks the conformity
of society will have a difficult time being accepted.

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Reference:

Croteau, David, and William Hoynes. Experience Sociology: SOC 1113,

Introduction to Sociology, Oklahoma State University. New York: McGraw-Hill
Education, 2013. Print.