Defining movies have defining moments. In the movie, Dead Poet's Society, the moment of truth for the professor lecturing a class of soon-to-be Harvard grads, happens when one student stands on his desktop in defiance of reading the literature placed before him. Clearly breaking a social "norm," the students are aghast at this one individual's expression of his freedom of speech·or defying good manners in a classroom setting·depending on the view point. The truth is, norms and rights are not always synonymous. Rules, regulations and guiding principles create the fabric of a functioning society.
Some might argue that individual rights and freedoms of expression makeup a functioning society built on independent thinking and principle. However, when it comes to group settings, such as classroom lectures, the rights of the group take precedence over the rights of the individual. Social norms in formal, structured group settings are based on one key factor: respect. Respect for being there together as a group, respect for the facilitator of that group, respect for the subject matter, and respect for your fellow group "participant." Some of the group participants have different ideas in this type of setting as to what is acceptable and what is not-from an individual standpoint. However, from a group standpoint, which defines a social norm, rules and guidelines are usually mapped out in advance so participants in a setting know "how to act" so as not to offend anyone. For example, the University of Virginia has this sign posted in each syllabus for student to read and accept prior to lectures:
It is a basic right of students to be able to participate in a lecture, practical or tutorial without the distraction of noise from other students.
It is a basic right of lecturers to have the attention of students in classes and a quiet atmosphere in which they can be heard.
One might argue that it is ...