Social Norms

 

Social Norms

Norms generally are the rules and regulations that groups live by. The term "norms" covers an exceedingly wide range of behaviour. So that the whole range of that behaviour may be included. Sociologists have offered the following definition. Social norms are rules developed by a group of people that specify how people must, should, may, should not, and must not behave in various situations.

Characteristics of Social Norms:

a.    It might be explicit or implicit.

b.    It change with respect to time and vary from culture to culture.

c.    It can be enforced formally or informally.

d.    It is a mean through which values are expressed in behaviors.

e.    It is transferred from one generation to another.