Description Culture Clash 3rd Rock from the Sun was a comedy that aired from 1996-2001. In the show, a group of aliens is sent to Earth, disguised as humans, to study people. They land in a small town near Cleveland, Ohio. The humor of the show is related to their constant struggle to understand the strange society in which they are living. View at least part of the pilot episode of 3rd Rock from the link provided. Give examples of how the aliens clash with American culture. Use 4 different concepts from Chapter 2 to explain the aliens’ behavior. For example, when the aliens first meet their landlady, they notice she has an interesting sweater on and proceed to rub the sweater. This is a norm violation, as Americans would not touch a stranger in this way. Other concepts you might discuss: material & non-material culture, values, culture shock, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, etc. See Chapter 2 in your text for more ideas. Present your 4 different sociological concepts like this: Sociological Concept: Norm Violation a. Quote or description from show: The aliens rub their landlady’s sweater. b. Why is the quote/description an example of the sociological concept? Americans do not touch strangers because their sweater looks soft; therefore, this is a norm violation. ❖ DO NOT USE THE EXAMPLE GIVEN HERE ABOUT THE LANDLADY’S SWEATER. ❖ YOU MAY USE NORM VIOLATION AS ONE OF YOUR CONCEPTS, BUT ONL
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