How do social norms influence behavior? Do social norms have positive or negative effects? Will society be better and more orderly despite social norms and unwritten rules? Is it possible to predict people’s behavior despite social norms? how social norms affect our decisions? how do norms and patterns of behavior affect our identity?
Definition of social norm
As you know, social norms are the informal laws governing behavior in groups and communities.
Social norms are accepted behaviors in society. Social norms teach people how to behave in everyday situations.
Social norms explain behaviorally do’s and don’ts. Still, we also need to read more and talk to local people in different communities and countries and learn about customs and traditions to become familiar with different norms in other countries. Let them know more about how do social norms influence behavior?
The influential role of social norms
What is the importance of social norms? sometimes people ask if social norms effectively create social order or social harmony? We have to say yes. Social norms play an essential role in shaping better order in society.
The orderliness and predictability of people’s behavior, but we must also say that social norms affect different aspects of life.
Sociologists and anthropologists have described how social norms work in different cultures in various articles. (Geertz 1973)
It is even good to note that economists have also looked at how norms affect market behavior. (Akerlof 1976; Young 1998a)
When we can make accurate predictions about people’s behavior, we can prevent market failure, and social norms will help (Jules Coleman 1989).
Social norms influence people’s behavior. Many people want to avoid the negative consequences of not following social norms.
If people’s behavior is in line with social norms, it refers to a kind of adaptability.
People always try to behave following social norms. Because people know that if they act contrary to social norms, other people in society will not treat them well and avoid them.
Social values and norms and their impact on people’s behavior
Values and norms are value beliefs. These value beliefs combine emotional and cognitive elements. You should also know that values and norms also influence the evaluation of policies and practices that govern societies.
Social values and norms also influence diplomatic relations and will affect the policies of one society’s government towards other communities.
In many societies, paying attention to others may be considered favorable for moral reasons, meaning that people believe it desirable or good.
Or, for example, beauty should be recognized as a value in different societies. Grooming has a positive value for aesthetic reasons.
Values are abstract concepts that include sound, right, moral, and desirable behaviors.
In different societies, certain social norms give rise to specific values. In the United States, for example, freedom and equality are values.
For example, freedom and equality come from various subcultures or social institutions.
What is social control?
When do we ask how do social norms influence behavior? We get acquainted with other concepts. These concepts give us a better understanding of this question.
In different societies and social norms and values, we also see social control. Social control is a process that is necessary to maintain order in group life. Social norms and laws are the two main categories of social control.
Social norms are a measure of behavior. People in society accept the standardization of social norms and adapt to them. People learn social norms in different ways. Sometimes people may be exposed to non-compliance with social norms and decide whether or not to comply.
How do groups affect individual behavior?
When we talk about how do social norms influence behavior?
The question arises: How do Groups Influence Individual Behavior? The presence of others influences many individual behaviors and decisions.
When we are in a group, that group and its related social norms can positively and negatively affect individual behavior. Therefore, we must pay attention to the negative effects of social norms.
You may be a member of workplaces or sports and political activist groups. You may improve your behavior with the norms in that group and positively impact the community or other group members.
However, you should be aware that the influence of some groups may cause negative behaviors in individuals and a community.
In general, it is essential to know that there are many ways in which a group can influence the behavior of individuals.
We must pay attention to three basic phenomena about how groups affect individual behavior regarding how do social norms influence behavior?
- group thinking
- group change
- de-individualization
In response to how do social norms influence behavior? We must say that social norms affect our behavior, and group thinking occurs when group members focus on one option for decision-making and ignore other, more valuable options.
Regarding how do social norms influence behavior? We should also mention depersonalization as another factor in the impact of social norms on people’s behavior. In such a situation, the social norms in a group cause the person to lose self-awareness and control and do what the other group members do. Usually, these actions may have negative consequences for the group.
concept of normative social
Sometimes when we hear the question of how do social norms influence behavior? We may think of the apparent behavior of some people.
To better understand the concept of normative social, we will give you an example.
When a person tries to be in a group but does not accept the norms in that group, Normative Influence exists in that group. So in such a case, there is a normative social in a group or community.
The function of social influence is normative so that the individual adapts their appearance to the norms existing in a society or group. But this adaptation is limited to the general behavior of individuals, and they do not change their personal beliefs. You can also get acquainted with other social norms examples.
Conclusion
This article is about how do social norms influence behavior? We provided information. We hope that knowing this information will help you learn more about social norms and their impact on people’s behavior. Social norms affect people’s behavior. There may even be certain norms in a group that one does not accept but adheres to so that one is not expelled from the group by others.
There are examples of social norms in society that we can behave better if we know more about them. In any case, observing social standards in groups or communities is recommended to increase predictability and create better order. We need to know about various norms for the classroom, elevator, subway or bus, etc.
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Sources:
- Festinger, L. (1954). A Theory of Social Comparison Processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202
I agree with that because this is true