Social Norms and Personal Space

Paper Summary:

The paper focuses on Desmond Morris' article "Territorial Behavior" that discusses how we all have a natural instinct to protect our personal space. The writer applies this idea to the college community at Lehigh
and explains the many different reasons why we put up walls around our personal space. The writer asserts that if everyone in your phonebook is somehow related to one another, it is time for you to expand your horizons by making new friends outside your clique.

From the Paper:

"A dog marks its territory to warn off other canines by urinating around the area it is in. When another dog smells the urine, it will stay away as to avoid having a dispute with the owner of the space. Human beings act very similarly but do so with a more subtle approach and that does not involve a stench as strong. As explained by Desmond Morris in his article "Territorial Behavior," we all have a natural instinct to protect the space that we are occupying. This is certainly more evident in a college community such as Lehigh where everyone is occupied with their own agendas and things to do. Most students think that the world revolves around the little area that they belong to and rarely take the times to explore the opportunities and experiences outside of it. At the same time, Lehigh students put up walls to shut out certain people. This prevents growth and development of well rounded human beings."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Morris, Desmond. "Territorial Behavior." Mercury Reader. Eds. Janice Neulieib, Kathleen Shine Cain, and Stephen Ruffus. Boston: Pearson, 2008.1-10

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