Natasha Fedosenko
Bradley Zopf
February 24, 2014
Blog # 3
Norms of Catholic Grade Schools
Emily Durkheim compared sociology to three levels of phenomena. The three levels of phenomena are morphology, institutions, and collective representations. I am going to talk about the Catholic grade school as an institution. Institutions are a structure of social order governing the behaviors of individuals (Wikipedia). Durkheim broke up the institutions into three categories which are folkways, mores, and laws. These three categories are norms. A norm is a belief of a group of people about how members should always behave in a context. I will describe how folkways, mores, and laws are institutionalized in a Catholic grade school.
The definition of a folkway norm is behavior that is socially approved but not morally significant (About.com). I like to think of folkways as informal rules and almost every day behavior. An example in a grade school is all the sixth grade girls all wear their hair in a pony tail and this is the popular thing to do in the class. One girl forgot to put her hair up in a pony tail so the other girls called her names all day. This happened in my personal experience in grade school at the Christmas play. Every person is supposed to wear green or red for the Christmas pageant. One kid forgot and wore a blue shirt and everyone made fun of him. The kids in my class kept asking him if he had a blue Christmas. In the classroom of third graders someone passes gas and everyone turns around and laughs and stares at him. The consequence of passing gas in class is the child will get made fun of by his classmates. Folkways do not have any moral or legal consequences.
A more is stricter than a norm and often is control ethical or moral behaviors (About.com). Mores I think are things chastise people. Jenny a friend of mine who is a teacher had students at her school who wanted to sit at all the tables in the lunchroom so every day they kept sitting at different tables and other kids got mad because they were territorial. This is something they technically can do but should not because it is disrespectful. So some kids got mad at the kids for changing tables and sitting at their table and threw their lunch box or food off of the table. The kids did not get in trouble for sitting at other tables but Jenny the teacher had to talk to them explain why the kids were getting defensive. Another more example is in grade school there is a girl Jesse and she could go sit in Billy’s desk but Billy usually sits in that desk so Jesse will not sit in his desk because she does not want to get Billy upset. Folkways people strongly feel about them and if they are violated in a way the person is disapproved (About.com).
Laws are a norm written down and is enforced by an official law enforcement agency (About.com). Laws in a Catholic grade school are enforced by the principal, teachers, and staff. Laws have the highest consequence in the institutions. In every grade school there is a handbook if you disobey a rule there is a consequence. I remember when I was younger if we did not were the correct uniform which was a shirt, plaid skirt, socks, and shoes I would get a warning first, then if I violated it again I would have to sit out of recess for ten minutes. At St. Mary Nativity if you want to play an athletic sport you have to sign a form of conduct. This is what a child must sign “I agree to act in a Christian Manner. I agree to listen to my coaches and follow their directions. I agree not to talk back to the coaches or any other adult who is involved in the program, including game officials, and to treat them with respect. I agree to treat my teammates with respect and not to degrade them. I understand that displays of anger, poor sportsmanship, improper language or disrespect will not be tolerated” (St. Mary Nativity). There is also not only a school hand book at a Catholic grade school but a religious handbook. To receive First Holy Communion and Penance they start to prepare the kids in Kindergarten and first grade. You receive these two holy sacraments in second grade. Some of the rules are you must be baptized and attend Church on Sundays, know certain prayers and be able to answer questions about the Catholic faith, go on retreat, do all the homework and activities assigned by your teacher, and attend rehearsal with your parents. If you do not follow these religious handbook rules the kid will not be able to make First Communion and Penance in second grade (St. Mary Natvity).
Catholic grade schools as institutions that have a lot of norms. The folkway norms are when a person is informal, more is when someone is chastised, and laws are a written rule. All three types of norms always have consequences. Some are less serious than another.
Works Citied:
http://sociology.about.com/od/Deviance/a/Folkways-Mores-Taboos-And-Laws.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institution
http://www.stmarynativity.org/religious_education/handbook.html
Bradley Zopf
February 24, 2014
Blog # 3
Norms of Catholic Grade Schools
Emily Durkheim compared sociology to three levels of phenomena. The three levels of phenomena are morphology, institutions, and collective representations. I am going to talk about the Catholic grade school as an institution. Institutions are a structure of social order governing the behaviors of individuals (Wikipedia). Durkheim broke up the institutions into three categories which are folkways, mores, and laws. These three categories are norms. A norm is a belief of a group of people about how members should always behave in a context. I will describe how folkways, mores, and laws are institutionalized in a Catholic grade school.
The definition of a folkway norm is behavior that is socially approved but not morally significant (About.com). I like to think of folkways as informal rules and almost every day behavior. An example in a grade school is all the sixth grade girls all wear their hair in a pony tail and this is the popular thing to do in the class. One girl forgot to put her hair up in a pony tail so the other girls called her names all day. This happened in my personal experience in grade school at the Christmas play. Every person is supposed to wear green or red for the Christmas pageant. One kid forgot and wore a blue shirt and everyone made fun of him. The kids in my class kept asking him if he had a blue Christmas. In the classroom of third graders someone passes gas and everyone turns around and laughs and stares at him. The consequence of passing gas in class is the child will get made fun of by his classmates. Folkways do not have any moral or legal consequences.
A more is stricter than a norm and often is control ethical or moral behaviors (About.com). Mores I think are things chastise people. Jenny a friend of mine who is a teacher had students at her school who wanted to sit at all the tables in the lunchroom so every day they kept sitting at different tables and other kids got mad because they were territorial. This is something they technically can do but should not because it is disrespectful. So some kids got mad at the kids for changing tables and sitting at their table and threw their lunch box or food off of the table. The kids did not get in trouble for sitting at other tables but Jenny the teacher had to talk to them explain why the kids were getting defensive. Another more example is in grade school there is a girl Jesse and she could go sit in Billy’s desk but Billy usually sits in that desk so Jesse will not sit in his desk because she does not want to get Billy upset. Folkways people strongly feel about them and if they are violated in a way the person is disapproved (About.com).
Laws are a norm written down and is enforced by an official law enforcement agency (About.com). Laws in a Catholic grade school are enforced by the principal, teachers, and staff. Laws have the highest consequence in the institutions. In every grade school there is a handbook if you disobey a rule there is a consequence. I remember when I was younger if we did not were the correct uniform which was a shirt, plaid skirt, socks, and shoes I would get a warning first, then if I violated it again I would have to sit out of recess for ten minutes. At St. Mary Nativity if you want to play an athletic sport you have to sign a form of conduct. This is what a child must sign “I agree to act in a Christian Manner. I agree to listen to my coaches and follow their directions. I agree not to talk back to the coaches or any other adult who is involved in the program, including game officials, and to treat them with respect. I agree to treat my teammates with respect and not to degrade them. I understand that displays of anger, poor sportsmanship, improper language or disrespect will not be tolerated” (St. Mary Nativity). There is also not only a school hand book at a Catholic grade school but a religious handbook. To receive First Holy Communion and Penance they start to prepare the kids in Kindergarten and first grade. You receive these two holy sacraments in second grade. Some of the rules are you must be baptized and attend Church on Sundays, know certain prayers and be able to answer questions about the Catholic faith, go on retreat, do all the homework and activities assigned by your teacher, and attend rehearsal with your parents. If you do not follow these religious handbook rules the kid will not be able to make First Communion and Penance in second grade (St. Mary Natvity).
Catholic grade schools as institutions that have a lot of norms. The folkway norms are when a person is informal, more is when someone is chastised, and laws are a written rule. All three types of norms always have consequences. Some are less serious than another.
Works Citied:
http://sociology.about.com/od/Deviance/a/Folkways-Mores-Taboos-And-Laws.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institution
http://www.stmarynativity.org/religious_education/handbook.html