How do you react if you see a stranger flouting common rules of public conduct, such as by talking on a mobile phone in a cinema or tossing an empty cup on to the pavement? Do you confront them or ignore it?
We know that the reason humans function so well together in societies is because they keep each other in check when agreed social norms are violated. But an experiment conducted in Germany by researchers from NYU Abu Dhabi and the universities of Innsbruck and Cologne suggests that most people are reluctant to intervene when they see a violation of societal norms – and even more so when the offence is more egregious – because they fear retaliation.
What does this mean for the UAE? In a country of more than 200 nationalities, it can be hard to know exactly what the norms are. With queuing, for example, what is normal for British people is not, say, for Egyptians. Some people wait their turn at taxi stands while others just barge in, or give preference to the elderly and infirm.
While queuing and littering are obvious examples, we are asking our readers to think of less obvious behavious that are normal to some people, but offensive to others.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
