Cultural Traits

Cultural Traits

Norms: A norm is a rule or a standard that governs our conduct in social situations in which we participate. It is a social expectation. It is a cultural specification that guides our conduct in society. It is a way of doing things, the way that is set for us by our society. It is also an essential instrument of social control. A norm is not a statistical average. It is not a mean, median, or mode. It refers not to the average behavior of number of persons in a specific social situation, but instead, to the expected behavior, the behavior that is considered appropriate in that situation. It is a norm in our society, for example, to say “Please” when requesting a favor and “Thank you” when a favor is received, but no statistical count of the actual frequency of occurence of these polite expressions is available. Nor would such a count be relevent. The norm is considered the standard procedure, whether or not anyone confirms to it, follows it, or observes it in a specific situation. The principle function of the norm for the individual is thus to reduce the necessity for decision in the innumerable social situations that he or she confronts and in which he or she participates. Without them the individual is faced from moment to moment with an almost intolerable burden of decision. Norms are both prescriptive and proscriptive—that is, the norms both prescribe or require certain actions and proscribe or prohibit certain other actions. We are required to wear clothes in our society and forbidden to go naked in the street. Frequently, the prescriptions and proscriptions come in pairs; that is, we are required to do something and forbidden not to do it, or forbidden to commit an act and required to omit it. Proscriptive norms when they are not legal prohibitions are known a taboos. There are many kinds of norms, such as folkways, mores, traditions, belief system, rules, rituals, laws, fashions, manners, and ceremonies, some of which are discussed here.

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