Social Norms: The Codes To Follow

Social Norms: The Codes to Follow Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American poet once wrote “the value of a dollar is social, as it is created by society.” Throughout time society has become a “parent” to the many people. Society is the most influential aspect of life in today’s world. Many factors influence a person’s life, such as the media, work and school. Going back to Emerson, people have taken the place of the dollar in his quote. An individual is no longer valued by what he thinks of himself, he is valued by what society thinks of him. What does this mean? In order to be accepted in society there are “social norms” that one has to follow. If one does not live by these norms, then you are be ridiculed and you become the outsider for this.
Kimmel writes about a society where men have to act a certain way in order to fit in with the “what it means to be man” category. He explains how men have to follow “guy codes” and those who don’t follow them accordingly are criticized and excluded not only by society but also by their fellow male friends. These men are to show no weakness, no emotion, have wealth and power, are reliable and take risks (609). These men are those who are influenced the most by society and solely base their lives off of what society will think of them. They are men who Kimmel writes about when he quotes Don as he says “any fatigue, any weakness, and sign that being hit actually hurt and he was like ‘Waah!’ Widdle Donny got a boo boo. Should we kiss it guys?”(611) This shows how men within society make fun of other men who act outside of the “guy codes.” Kimmel’s piece is specifically about “guy codes” that men have to follow in order to fit in society, but there is nothing in it about women and what kind of “girl codes” society has set for women. There are certain codes that women have to follow and some that overlap with the so-called “guy codes.” Society has so much influence in gender roles that it has led to a controversy between its members. Men who want to step away from behaving male-like and women who want to do the same
Either you follow the gender roles that society believes you should or you are ridiculed for not fitting in. Living outside of society’s influence allows one to break that prescription of what an ideal man and what an ideal woman should behave like, but then you just become the outsider. Although it would be great to live in a society where everyone thinks as my softball coach did, where there is no “girl” or “boy” but just athletes, the truth is that a world like that would begin a revolution. People are conforming to the social norms because that is how we have lived for many years and it allows people to be separated, outsiders and the members of society who will stick together and ridicule those outside of the