Essentials of Sociology. George Ritzer

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      Have you ever deliberately broken a social norm? Some of the passengers on this New York City subway are participating in an annual “No-Pants Subway Ride” event.

      KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images

      Norms

      Based on values, norms are the informal rules that guide what people do and how they live. Norms tell us what we should and should not do in a given situation. Many norms are informal. That is, they are not formally codified, not written down in any one place. Laws are norms that have been codified. They are written down and formally enforced through institutions such as the state. Rules prohibiting speaking and texting on handheld cell phones while driving are examples of how informal norms can come to be codified into laws.

      You are expected to follow norms and obey laws, but the consequences of failing to do so are usually very different in the two cases. If you violate the law against homicide, you can expect to be arrested, incarcerated, and perhaps even executed. But if you fail to follow the norm of using utensils to eat your dinner and use your fingers instead, you can expect merely a few raised eyebrows and a tsk-tsk or two from your dinner companions. However, reactions to violating norms are not always so gentle. For example, a gang member’s violation of a norm against fleeing a fight with another gang may lead to physical violence, death, and other not-so-subtle outcomes.

      Norms are reinforced through sanctions, which can take the form of punishments (negative sanctions) or rewards (positive sanctions). In general, when norms have been violated, punishments are used, while rewards are employed when norms have been followed. For example, dinner companions might frown when you eat with your hands and grin approvingly when you use the right utensil. Gang members would be likely to disapprove of those who flee and approve of those who stay and fight. In other words, sanctions may be applied when norms are observed as well as when they are violated. Sometimes either positive or negative sanctions are enough to enforce norms. However, enforcement is generally more effective when positive and negative sanctions are used in tandem—when both the “carrot” (reward) and the “stick” (punishment) are applied. Most people follow norms primarily because sanctions are associated with them.

      Ask Yourself

      What norms are operating in your classroom, dorm, or apartment? What negative sanctions have you observed when these norms have been violated?

      Not all norms are the same, are equally important, or carry with them the same penalties if violated. On the one hand, there are folkways, or relatively unimportant norms. Whether they are observed or violated, they carry with them few if any sanctions (Sumner [1906] 1940). Not intruding on the space of the passenger sitting next to you on a plane is an example of a folkway.

      In contrast, mores (pronounced MOR-ays) are more important norms whose violation is likely to be met with severe negative sanctions. Airplane passengers who are belligerent toward other passengers or crew members are violating mores and may be forcibly ejected from the plane. Although a clear distinction is often made between folkways and mores, in fact they exist along a continuum; it is often hard to distinguish where folkways end and mores begin.