Social Norms, types & characteristics in Sociology Notes

Social Norms

1.Definition:-

Norms are the rules and the guidelines which specify the behavior of an individual. Norms keep a person within the boundary of society and its culture. It gives us restriction about something which to do and which not to do. It molds our behavior and gives us knowledge about wrong and right. 

2.Types of norms:-

(i)Folkways: 

Folkways are the customs or conventions of daily life. Folkways are the rule of eating, drinking, meeting, departing, dressing, ceremonies and rituals for different situations. 

Example:

folkways include the concept of appropriate dress, the practice of raising one's hand to take turns speaking in a group.

(ii)Mores: 

Social customs/usages regulating our behaviour are called Mores. Mores are more strict than folkways, as they determine what ought to be and what ought not to be.

Example:

Wearing clothes is mores, and cloth of different styles are folkways.

Purdah observing for ladies use to be mores in our society but it has now been left as folkways.

(iii)Law:-

It is the basic element of social control. It is written in books and product of society as per the social conditions of life. It define proper and improper behaviours and for any deviation from them, punishment is fixed.

Example:

The life of man, his prestige and his property are the values of the highest order. Killing a man, looting his property or dishonoring him are violation of law hence punishable.

3.Functions of Social Norms:-

(i)Control Behaviour:-

Social norms control our behaviour in the way that they provide a set pattern for our behaviour. These set patterns become customs when they socially approved. The people are expected to follow these customs.

(ii)Making behaviour systematic and patterned:-

Another function is that the behaviour of the people becomes systematic and patterned. In society harmony, among members of group is created Due to harmony of behaviour certain laws can be enforced to control them. It means law and order can be maintained in society due to an order in social behaviour.

(iii)Safeguard of our values:- 

It  safeguard our sociocultural, values. These are the guardians of our values.

(iv)Maintains social order of society:-  

These creates social control and maintain social order of society. These allow people to analyze what is important for the survival of group behavior.

(v)Create social cohesions and social solidarity:-

It create social harmony and improve social integration.

(vi)Helps in self-control:-

Norms are also helpful in making self-control.

(vii)Assists society for its survival:-

Survival of society is dependent on norms.

4.Characteristics

(i)Social norms are universal:

These are found in all societies. Social norms are the basis of social order. No society can function smoothly without norms.

(ii) Incorporate rate value judgments:

It is in terms of norms that we judge whether some action is right or wrong, good or bad, wanted or unwanted, expected or unexpected.

(iv)Relative to situations and groups:

These vary from society to society. Sometimes, within the same society they differ from group to group. Each group in a society, to a certain extent at least, has its own norms.

(v)Not always obeyed by all:

It is wrong to assume that people in a society obey all the norms always. Some obey it at some times and disobey or ignore some others at some the times.

(vi)Norms vary with sanctions:

These vary in the kinds of sanctions that are attached to the violation of norms and sanctions go hand in hand.

(vii)Normally internalized by the people:

People in most of the instances accept norms and follow them or obey them. They do not question and accept them implicitly.

(viii)Norms are not static:

They are not static, but change from time to time and society to society.

(ix)Norms are relative:

In different societies, there can be different norms for some particular behaviour. Even in one society, the norms may differ from community to community.

(x)Established standard of behaviour:

Norms are established standard of behaviour maintained in a society. For example we typically expect that people will be quite in the theatre hall while the film is shown. This is an example of a most general social norms.