CULT1017 Understanding Society Assignment 2- Essay

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CULT1017 Understanding Society Assignment 2: Essay What are social norms? How do they shape behaviour? Give examples from everyday life. Harmony Cusack 20763464

CULT1017 Understanding Society Assignment 2: Essay Social norms are not one set of rules created by on specific group, instead, social norms can be created and passed down through smaller groups. Norms have the ability to spread through “institutions and social networks and can help motivate conservation behaviours” (Niemiec, Champine,Vaske & Mertens, 2020). Social norms are constructed from actions and mechanisms we say, what we think and what we witness others do as well as seeking the approval from others in what we do. Therefore, social norms have the capacity to link between behaviour, beliefs of the individual and collective as well as expectations. Social norms exist when an individual practicing a behaviour in the hopes that other people who are like them praise their behaviour. Social norms shape behaviour, as individuals want to feel accepted and a part of their community rather than marginalised or viewed differently due to their actions and words. Gender norms outline societies expectations on which females and males should interact to another individual or society according to their gender. Gender norms stem from the aspects of the media and culture, which can have a wide-ranging impact on the individual’s wellbeing, social life, and contribution as a citizen in society. Gender socialisation creates a rulebook, on the ways gender norms influence society. Gender socialisation outlines how an individual should act and dress according to their gender. The media is a large tool used to instil the idea of gender norms and stereotyping, “Culture is reproduced through - the media” (Mccormack, Anderson, Jamie& David,2018). For example, Big W uses a female in their advertisement a toy that is a baby. The advertisement displays a young girl cradling a baby with the colours pastel pink in the background. On the other page, stands a young boy playing with a toolkit, with “manly” colours such as blue and orange used in the background. The

CULT1017 Understanding Society Assignment 2: Essay idea that a females should only play with toys that exhibit skills such as nurture and care creates a behaviour that males cannot play with these toys otherwise, they will be seen as “not manly” by society. Traditionally, women have been seen to be less-dominate and submissive compared the male who is dominant and the sole provider for the family. This creates a barrier of difference between men and women. Individuals hold beliefs from what is socially expected from them due to their sex as this is what society has assigned them. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) employment for women at the age of thirty has doubled since 1966, having only 32.2% of women in 1966 working compared to 72.6% of women working now. This provides evidence that sexist work beliefs are changing, but creates the question, why haven’t gender norms changed in regard to toys and fashion? This shapes contemporary and future behaviour of society as “men and women comply with these expectations, they adhere to those expectations and beliefs” (Cislaghi, 2019). Therefore, this contributes to constructing and instilling the negative idea of gender norms in society. Cultural norms are another aspect of social norms that influences and shapes behaviour of society and the individual. Cultural norms guide behaviour which is shared between of a group of people within the same social group, “Culture is therefore maintained through social norms” (McCormack, Anderson, Jamie& David,2018). They are standards which an individual lives by as well as “on what to think and believe, how to behave, and how to interact with others” (Crossman,2019). There are four types of cultural norms, these include folkways and laws. A folkway is an interaction with another individual that is informal but guides human behaviour. An example of this can be Shaking hands with an individual when meeting or using mannerisms such as “please”. Folkways influence and shape human

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