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Social Sanction




  Social norms are the cues and behaviors within society. Further defined as rules groups use for appropriate and inappropriate values and beliefs. Failure to follow these rules can result in severe punishment, including exclusion from the group.



  Social norms indicate established and approved ways of doing things, dress, speech and appearance. These vary and change, not only over time, but from one age group to another, between social classes. What is acceptable in dress, speech or behavior in one group may not be accepted in another.



  Deference to social norms maintains acceptance and popularity, while ignoring norms risks becoming unacceptable or, even, outcast. Social norms are understood through body language and non-verbal communication.



  As people mature they learn when and where it appropriate to say certain things, to discuss certain topics, to wear certain clothes and when not to. Knowledge of these things is important for impression management, learned, mostly, through experience.



  Social norms can regulate behavior, act as informal social controls. They are usually a degree of consensus, kept by social sanction.



Normative rule focuses on personal ego action, reaction to alternative action and negotiation between the two.



  Norms are rules of behavior, formal and informal, which are found to be stronger and reinforced. Informal norms defined as folkways, violation not considered offensive, but expected to be followed. It does not invite sanction or punishment, but offers warnings or reprimands. Mores are informal norms commonly understood, but result in severe sanction, religious exclusion.



Descriptive norms refer to perception of what is commonly done in specific situations.



Injunctive norms refers to what is commonly approved or disapproved within a culture.



Prescriptive norms are unwritten rules understood and followed, done without thinking.



Proscriptive norms are those that should not be followed or done and vary between cultures.



  A norm is a rule of thumb for behavior. A rational person acts accordingly if it is optimal for them. A norm gives an expectation of other's behavior (macro). People act optimally, given the expectation (micro). People's action must reconstitute the expectation without change, (micro-macro feedback loop) so viewed as stable, known as Nash' equilibrium.



  Deviance is nonconformity to norms the majority accepts. Simply put, it is behavior that goes against the norm.



  A counterculture is a term to describe the norms of a subculture that run counter to the social mainstream. Though these political opposition undercurrents have existed in many societies, counterculture is a more significant, visible phenomenon that reaches critical mass and persists for some time. A countercultural movement expresses the dreams and aspirations of a specific population, in time, a social manisfestation of zeitgeist.



  Counterculture in 19th century Europe include Romantisicm, Bohemianism and the Dandy's. Europe and America had the Beat generation of the 50's, followed by the Hippies of the 60's.



   Taboos have existed in many societies, none known to be universal. Taboos can serve many functions, many remain in effect long after the original reason expired. Some say taboos reveal society's history when other records are lacking.



  Certain taboos lose their sting, over time. In the US and most western countries most people are now more comfortable than before to discuss social issues, divorce, pregnancy, alcoholism, even gossip and scandal. Medical disorders and disease, cancer, AIDS and suicide are not as taboo as before.



  Other societal taboos are polarizing, racism, sexism, disability, sexual orientation. People follow the advise of not discussing, joking about or making an issue of things that lead to bigotry, discrimination, defamation or stigmatizing others.





Wikipedia