Joey Browning EDUC 2120 Blog Entry 8/31/13 Breaking Cultural Norm

I had an interesting time trying to think of a cultural norm to break for this blog submission. I asked my parents, brothers, and sister for suggestions, and after long periods of thought they all seemed to be as clueless as I was about what I should do. I found myself with some downtime between classes, and decided to walk around campus and see if anything presented itself.  After about half an hour, I decided to give up and walk to my truck.  I went to the parking deck, walked down the stairs to my level, and it hit me: the elevator.  I noticed a girl get off of the elevator on the same level I was on, and I thought what could be more awkward than to engage strangers on the elevator. I stood idly by my truck and waited for the first opportunity. It did not take long. A girl was walking towards the elevator and I grabbed my book bag and headed that way. We both got on the elevator and the door shut. Without even having made eye contact before, I blurted out a question: "Where are your from?" She was obviously caught off guard, looking to see if maybe I was talking on my phone. After realizing I was talking to her, she said "I'm sorry?" pretending she had not understood me. I asked again, and reluctantly she named her hometown. At this point the door opened and she quickly walked away, trying to clear the awkwardness.  Then I waited at the top level, outside of the rec center.  Just to clarify, I could easily see how creepy this scene might sound, but I also think that adds to the breaking of cultural norm. Three more people was all I could stand to try this on, as there were only so many blank looks and obvious fake cell phone usages I could handle. I never felt as if I was saying anything provocative or out of line, however, the simple breaking of a quiet few seconds on the elevator consistently shook up whomever I shared the space with.  Simple phrases like "hey, my name's Joey" or "what's your major" seemed to throw people off of their expected routine of a quiet ride in the elevator.
        I feel like this experience brought to light how people are comfortable in their own space, even in the most public of places. However, when that space is compromised by unexpected engagement from a stranger, even the most innocent outside gestures can throw someone for a loop. I think this easily connects to the conversations we've had in class in that people like what they are comfortable with and even the most innocent diversions or changes can be troubling at first. Each culture comes with it's own background and way of life.  When that way of life is made to conform or change to fit another, the initial reaction is often negative.  However, if we can focus on the actual question or statement instead of the "different" way in which it was presented, we can learn to cross those lines of culture, and enter into an understanding of where that question or statement came from.