As has been said before, define "normal." Define "alternative." Also, writing students are discouraged from using words like "normal" when what they really mean is "common" or "mainstream" -- "normal" implies a value judgment.
::nods:: Of course, I suspect most of the population assumes that the "norm" is the "mainstream" -- which is the way they are living. People who don't live like they do aren't "normal." Of course, it can be hard to say what is "mainstream" (let alone "normal") in a society as diverse that that of the US.