Is it interesting for you to learn about social norms or customs? Are you constantly trading and negotiating in different countries? Is it essential for you to learn about early civilizations and the formation of governments and study historical material? So join us in this article because we will provide examples of social norms that may interest you.
What is Social Norm?
Norms or social etiquette are unwritten rules that describe various behaviors that are considered acceptable in a group or community. (Pristl et al., 2020)
The purpose of forming norms is to better maintain order in society and predict individuals’ behavior.
Many people seek approval and a sense of belonging, and in different societies, when people do not follow the norms, they are dissatisfied with others in the community.
Society will reject people who do not adhere to social norms in severe conditions.
Do social norms bring order?
Therefore, we must say that social norms significantly impact creating order in society.
Expectations and social norms among the people of a society are essential and undeniable.
Read more : breaking social norms examples
When people are aware of the expectations of other citizens towards themselves, they are willing to meet these expectations. So the existence of norms, even though the laws are unwritten, can help spread empathy and altruism in society.
Norms will vary according to the environment, situation, and cultures of different countries, so the behavior of individuals will change accordingly.
It is essential to know that social norms are not fixed and may change or modify over time. (Goode, 2016)
Internalization of social norms
Sometimes the question arises among the people as to how we may internalize social norms. If we can internalize social norms, people will observe social norms without external reward or punishment.
four types of social norms
In general, there are four types of social norms, which are:
- folkways
- mores
- taboos
- law
With the help of these 4 cases, people learn about acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in society.
Of course, as we have already mentioned, you should know that social norms may vary over time, culture, place, and even a particular group of people.
Basic acquaintance with social norms with the help of customs
Try to remember your first experiences while attending school. You were able to get acquainted with the most basic examples of social norms at that time.
Some folklore and etiquette learned to go back to school when you were only seven years old.
Then you learn how people behave and social norms. You also learned about the social group and the behaviors with others.
Sometimes these behaviors refer to the customs of a society.
Customs may not be morally necessary, but their existence will be essential for social acceptance.
We will see different customs in each group of individuals and other communities. But in general, some traditions will be more welcomed at the social level, which indicates that it is more important.
examples of social norms in everyday life
By this time, you are familiar with social norms in general, and now you know how useful it can be to follow them. In the following, we will give you examples of social norms. These examples will make you a more social person.
Observe cleanliness and body odor
One of the most important social norms that most countries consider essential is personal hygiene. It would be best if you always took a bath so that your body does not smell annoying.
As a child, we learned to wear clean clothes with a pleasant smell when leaving home and in public places.
You can use a variety of deodorants with a pleasant aroma to prevent foul body odor. Of course, remember that if you use perfume or cologne, be sure to use a small amount so that the high smell does not cause headaches around you and does not bother them.
Social norms related to the face
If you are one of the men who have a beard, be sure to pay attention to the personal hygiene of your face and keep it tidy and clean. If you are a woman, it is better to remove excess facial hair to make your face look more beautiful and clean.
examples of social norms for the mouth
Be sure to brush your teeth before leaving the house. Brushing your teeth will make your breath smell good. If you ignore your oral health, they will be annoyed by your bad breath when you talk to others. They may not even be interested in continuing to speak to you, which will negatively affect your self-esteem.
examples of social norms and speech
Be sure to pay attention to your verbal and non-verbal communication when attending formal or informal family or friends.
We all know that swearing is not appropriate. So when in public, do not use words that offend others.
When children are around you, pay special attention to your social behavior and speech because they follow your example, and you may make them feel bad.
Try not to engage in critical discussions in public. In many cases, these discussions will have a devastating effect on your relationships with your friends. Arguments that lead to fights will create indifference and frustration among individuals.
Telephone etiquette
One of the most important examples of social norms is mobile phones. There are norms for using this device in many countries that you should be aware of; these norms will be helpful for you.
Do not forget to say hello when answering your mobile phone and say goodbye when you hang up.
You need to reply to all your text messages and voice messages as much as possible. Also, do not put your phone on the speakerphone when answering calls when you are not in public.
examples of social norms in elevators
When entering the elevator, greet the people in the elevator. Never press extra buttons. All you have to do is press a button that takes you to the floor you want.
If there are only two people in the elevator, keep your distance from the other person in the elevator.
Conclusion
Thank you for joining crystalthinker. We hope that the articles we prepare for you will be helpful and practical. We try to write valuable and beneficial content for you on this website and various social networks. This article also tried to point out the importance of social norms with examples of social norms. We are waiting for your comments.
Resources:
- Pristl, A., Kilian, S., & Mann, A. (2020). When does a social norm catch the worm? Disentangling social normative influences on sustainable consumption behaviour. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 20(3), 635–654. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1890
- Goode, E. (2015). Deviant Behavior,(11th ed.). New York: Pearson, Education.
