Prescriptive Norms Research Paper

A social norm is a behavior accepted and expected by society. We learn social norms from feedback, called sanctions, we get from our peers and elders. A sanction can be positive or negative; if it is positive it is a sort of reward that encourages the behavior and if it is negative it is a sort of punishment meant to discourage the behavior. For example, when children fart in public they break the social norm and are scolded or negatively sanctioned by their parents with yelling or are bullied by their peers. However, if the child were to hold a door for someone else they receive a positive sanction of that person’s thanks.

This paper will address what social norms entail and what role they play within a society.

My mother has always told me that certain things should not be done in public. Social norms are opinions and beliefs that are shared amongst a group. Throughout our lives our parents tell us things that aren’t socially acceptable, and that there are consequences for those actions. Those that don’t act in ways that are socially acceptable are isolated from society. Norms help to guide the general public by reinforcing it with a punishment in waiting.

Everyday we have social norms that we live up to. There is so many social norms that we are so used to doing that you would have never thought would be a social norm. Some examples include brushing your teeth, saying please and thank you. Although these are things a lot of us do other people may not consider them social norms. Social norms are different everywhere and what society you are coming from.

Norm violations are a form of actions that do not seem right to some people. Let’s say that you are in a public place, you are expected to act respectful and normal. Norms describes the expectation of a behavior. (James M. Henslin) One can perform a norm violation by doing the opposite of that, like invading personal space. There can be different reactions to violated norms which sociologists call sanctions. (Henslin) Mores, folkways, and values revolve around norms as well.

Norms are “how values tell us to behave” (Conley, 2017, pg. 90). They are like rules or guideline to what kind of behavior is acceptable. Norms can be informal or formal. Informal norms are unspoken for example, as I observed my surroundings I saw children taking turns going down the slide. I also saw families standing in line getting Pretzels. These are norms that are not written down but we learn them when we are young. Informal norms are viewed as what is right verses what is rude. Formal norms are written down like laws.

Social norms are the normal behaviour of society in everyday life. Examples of this can be being polite and saying thank you when someone holds a door for you or if you bump into someone you would say sorry. These are all accepted as social norms and if you fail to do these you are deviating from the social

In sociology, the term “norms” can be described by a set of objectives where someone does to another person in a society that is normal to do in a culture or a country. There are many variants of types of norms in different countries, depending on what you are located has different norms. Just like shaking somebody’s hand, or making eye contact while talking to another person is proper etiquette in the American culture. In other countries like Vietnam, it is disrespectful to touch someone’s shoulder while talking to them. In American culture, that is allowed because we see it as a respectful interaction. An example of violating a social norm is, how president Trump expresses himself and what he is thinking of each major topic, whether it is the election or

Social norms can dictate and justify how people behave. In order to justify their actions, some people

They are things that we all do naturally, whether its face the door in an elevator, eat with a fork and knife, giving a baby boy trucks and a baby girl Barbie dolls, or even not talking to your neighbor in the bathroom. It’s very difficult to break a norm because its things we do ever since we are born, and we don’t want to ruin the social nature that we live in or ruin our group identity. Some norms are easy to break but others are more difficult. In some cases, breaking a norm can seem disrespectful or offensive to some people, also called Mores, while others will just make people laugh and aren’t taken to seriously, also known as Folkways. Social control, or in other words a way for society to ensure conformity with the use of rewards and punishments, play a large role in whether or not we do something because we are afraid of having to deal with the consequences. Depending on how strict the norm, will depend on the severity of social sanction. It could be a punishment while it could be a

As a society we set standards to how an individual should present themselves in any setting they may be attending. A professor name James M. Henslin (2015), explained in a text book that a norm is an expectation that we set of “right” behavior within any setting (49). A norm violation can vary in many situations from affecting a person’s hearing, sight, smell, taste, personal space or just making an individual uncomfortable. Presenting a different type of behavior that is “enforced because they are thought essential to core values or the wellbeing of a group” (51) may be a different view of defining a norm violation.

Norm violations are a form of actions that do not seem right to some people. Let’s say that you are in a public place, you are expected to act respectful and normal. Norms describes the expectation of a behavior. (James M. Henslin) One can perform a norm violation by doing the opposite of that, like invading personal space. There can be different reactions to violated norms which sociologists call sanctions. (Henslin) Mores, folkways, and values revolve around norms as well.

As human beings we live in a society in which we have rules, morals, values, and behavioral expectations. These are some of the things that we as humans have to be able to function as a society, and for our society to be less chaotic. Therefore, we have norms in which help us have a better understating in what is expected of us and our behavior. According to Henslin (2015) he states that “norms describe those expectations that develop out of groups values” (p. 49). What it’s meant by this is that our values and what we believe in shape up our expectations of one another’s behavior, and what we categorize as being right or unethical. For example, when we meet a person for the first time it is expected of us to properly introduce ourselves, and to properly great that person, whether if it’s by shacking their hand, a hug, or a kiss on the cheek. This is something that we have expectations on when meeting someone new, and just by this simply gesture we can give the expression that we have and education and that we have manners.

With different events and perspectives being introduced all around the world, norms are always changing. Norms are accepted, but this world isn’t perfect so norms are also rejected meaning this is where judgement, stereotypes, and the way people react are brought upon. Norms are categorized into four different

Norms are essentially unspoken rules of conduct given by society. These vary and evolve not only through time but also vary from one age group to another and between social classes and social groups. (Becker) It is important to understand how norms dictate our society because breaking any norms can lead to a negative sanctions Sanctions are punishments or rewards one receive when you either abide by a norm or violate it. (Carl, 54) Different types of norms call for different level of sanctions. There are three different types or levels of norms: folkways, mores, and taboos. Folkways are informal norms when violate have lax consequence. An example is picking your nose in class. While it seen as un-hygienic, the sanction for this violation is less severe. The next level of norm is mores. Mores have a much greater value attached to it. Mores distinguish the difference between right and wrong, while folkways draw a line