Mean Girls Rules (Code of Conduct):
- "On Wednesday's we wear pink."
- "You can't wear a tank top two days in a row.."
- "..and you can only wear your hair in a ponytail one day a week."
- "We only wear jeans or track pants on Fridays."
What happens if you don't adhere to the rules, no matter how "popular" you are? "You can't sit with us."
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Rules. We're all familiar with them, we know what they mean. Some of us abide by them, some of us rebel against them... but somehow, we all know they're there to guide us and to be followed. Codes of conduct occur in society in all shapes and sizes, in different communities and groups, with different rules and consequences. Codes, however, are more so social unwritten laws that basically seem just as important as actual government and council laws.
Wieder's 'Telling the Code' basically looks into a convict code amongst inmates, which again is unwritten and unofficial, but shapes and affects the way the inmates behave and communicate with each other. It's a set of guidelines that govern the values and beliefs of in the inmates, resulting in a sense of unity, order and alliance within the inmate community. All inmates are required to abide by these unwritten rules in order to maintain the order of the community and not ever challenge the code, otherwise they cause distress and are singled out.
This is quite similar to all of society as a whole. There are unwritten rules everywhere, in workplaces, schools, bathrooms, you name it! Everywhere. And to maintain social order, we follow these rules. Sometimes they're challenged and sometimes they're rebelled against, but in the end - nobody can deny that we all follow some sort of rule in the community that is society.
I enjoyed this week's topic thoroughly because it made me realise just how unnoticed these rules go, but we all follow them. Strange, huh?
Hello(: I totally agree with you, I really enjoyed this weeks topic as well! The difference between a rule and a code is something that really interests me as well. If we break a rule we all know that we will most likely be given a particular sanction or punishment, but if we break a code I almost think that the outcome is worse! Here the outcome is that you are more likely to be socially stigmatised, like in your example of mean girls- if you don’t wear pink on a Wednesday then you WILL be stuck being a social ‘outcast’. I think many people only adhere to specific codes because if they don’t then society will look down upon them.
ReplyDeleteAlso until this week and until reading Wieder’s ‘Telling the Code’ I’ve never really thought about how an unofficial and unwritten rule actually does have a hand in maintaining order in society. I mean imagine going against any of the convict codes!? Like you said they would be singled out and surely be stigmatised socially.
I’ve also never stopped to think that there are SO many unwritten rules in society. Like you said there are unwritten rules everywhere. Something that I come across every day and that I would have never have really considered a ‘code’ before is on the train. When someone gets on the train they immediately sit on an empty seat. They are only ‘allowed’ to sit next to someone if ALL of the seats around them are occupied. If they do sit next to someone when there is clearly an empty seat around them then the person they sat next to often gets annoyed and look’s down upon them. It’s weird to think that these social codes dictate how we act hey? Thanks for an interesting read!(: