Introduction

For most of us, anarchists aside, much of our behaviour in society is governed by rules; some that have been written down in our constitutions, laws and codes of conduct; and others in which we have a choice, based on our conventions and ways of living together on the planet. Some rules are more important than others. Some rules are set in stone. Some are flexible. And many change in the course of time.

In the clip below you will see and hear someone talking about the change in attititude towards "authority" in the Netherlands. You can find a transcript here.

Rules may be contradictory, as is shown in the photograph on the right. 

Rules are not always applicable to all situations. For instance, a rugby player is allowed to do things on the field which he would not be allowed to do in the street. And what is customary in one country may be viewed as "funny" or even "odd" in another.

There are many kinds of 'rules'. They concern questions such as:

• Should you first let passengers off the train before you get on?
• Is it acceptible to throw a toffee wrapper on the pavement?
• Who goes up the stairs first: a woman or a man?
• When do you shake hands and when do you exchange kisses when greeting someone?
• Who has right of way at a roundabout?
• Is it acceptible to go through a red light if there is no other traffic?
• Should one take off one's shoes when entering someone's home?

They also concern a multitude of other questions. Some rules are almost universal but most differ from country to country.

Open your worksheet. As soon as you have opened it, save it in your own account on your (or the school's) computer, preferably in your portfolio. Keep it open while you work on this unit.

Please do Task 1, where you are asked to indicate whether certain ’rules’ are laws, or conventions, and whether or not they are often broken.

IIn this unit we will mainly look at some of the rules of behaviour in the street. Do we follow them? Why? Why not?