The document discusses the concept of social norms, including their definitions, classifications (folkways, mores, customs, and fashions), and roles in society as standards of behavior that influence interactions and maintain social order. It highlights how these norms are internalized, vary across cultures, and are enforced through social control, emphasizing their significance for individual behavior and societal cohesion. Additionally, the document outlines the role of healthcare professionals, such as nurses, in promoting adherence to these norms and managing social behavior.

1. Preety Thakur
Nursing Tutor
SMVDCoN

2.  Introduction:
 Norms are set of standards that regulate the
relationship and mode of behaviour. These
standards of group behaviour are called
Social norms. It can be said that norms are
standards. These standards are accepted by
the society.

3.  “The norms are the blue prints for behaviour
setting limits with in the which individuals may
seek alternate ways to achieve their goals.”
Acc to Broom & selznick
 “ the rules the guide behaviour in everyday
situations and are derived from the values”

4.  Norms are considered as the important means
of social control.
 Norms contain standards of behaviour, which
provide order to social relation.
 It provide cohesion in society through
normatively regulated social system.
 It develop attitude among individuals.
 It influence the motives of people.
 It determine & guide the intuitive judgement of
self & of others.

5.  Universal
 Related to the functional order.
 Incorporates value judgments.
 Relative to situations & groups.
 Norms are not always obeyed by all.
 Norms vary with sanctions.
 Norms are normally internalised by the
people.

6.  So, the norms denote the expected
behaviour. Moral values are attached with
norms, which set out the normative order of
the group.
 So, norms are important as standards of
behaviour which give order to social relations.
The interaction between the individual goes
smoothly if the norms are followed by
individuals in society. No group or society
exists without norms.

7.  The norms have been classified on the basis
of importance and the type of sanctions in to
various categories such as folkways, mores,
custom & fashion.
 The word ‘folkways’ literally means
‘ the ways of the people’

8.  “Folkways are those ways of acting that are
common to a society or a group & that are
handed down from one generation to the
next.”
Acc to A.W. Green
 “Folkways are typical or habitual beliefs,
attitudes & style of conduct observed with in
a group & community”
Acc to Horton & Hunt

9.  Folkway predict our own & other’s behaviour.
 Folkway provide a sense of security.
 These are great saver of energy & time.
 Folkways are foundation of every culture.
 Solve the social problems & strive towards
achieving the goals.
 It helps us to handle the situations & to make
social relations.
 It constitutes social structure.

10.  Social in nature: Product of man’s group life.
For sustaining, maintaining , to get social
recognition.
 Repetitive in character: if majority of people
observe constantly & regularly, it become
folkways .Practices become standardized by
constant repetition.
 Unplanned origin: Spontaneous, automatic,
unconscious in origin. No advance planning is
required, e.g. Hairstyle, dressing style.
coversation style.

11.  Informal enforcement: Folkways are informal
means of social control. If the individual is not
following the folkway ,it becomes ‘gossip’.
 Varied in nature: It differ from group to group,
society to society, e.g. table manners, eating
pattern.
 Numerous & diverse: Depending upon society
& group varied folkways are observed.
 Subjected to change: Based upon social
conditions ,situations environment it varies.
Based on cultural traits, people will adopt
certain cultural practices.

12.  Spontaneous in origin, automatic
 Approved behaviour
 Distinctiveness
 Hereditary
 To meet the needs/ problem of the society

13.  Folkways are infinite in number. There are no.
of folkways in different culture, group,
society about eating, smoking, sex, birth,
dress, death etc.
 Folkways related to eating
Hindus Bengalis Jain Brahamins Madrasis
Do not take
meat
Eat rice
preferably
Do not
take curd
Eat in kitchen Eat rice with
hand

14.  The folkways are dynamic i.e. changing and
keep on changing according to social
conditions.
 These changes as a result of innovation. After
innovation if it is found that the innovations
are better than old one., then it is accepted &
followed & later on , when followed & accepted
by a large group ,exerts pressure to be
accepted by all of its members , then it
becomes a folkway. In this way ,the folkways
keep on changing.

15.  Mores are of great significance to society. The
term mores has been derived from
 The mores are related to the fundamental
needs of society more directly. Mores are the
ways to regulate behaviour & for the welfare
of society.
•Which means
custom
Mos

16.  “Mores are those customs & group routines
which are thought by the members of society
to be necessary to the group’s continued
existence”
Acc to Gillin & Gillin
 “When the folkways have added to them
conceptions of group welfare, standard of
right & wrong , they are converted in to
norms”
Acc to R.M.Maclver

17.  Positive
mores
Negative
mores

18.  It prescribed behaviour patterns. They
provide instruction & guidance for people to
behave in a particular manner. e.g.
 Giving respect to elders
 Protecting children
 Care of disease & aged
 Speaking truth

19.  It prescribes which they should not exhibit
through behavior mores prohibits certain
behaviour pattern. E.g.
 Instructions like not to have anti-social
behaviour.

20.  They regulate the social behaviour :
It dedicates the right attitudes & shapes the
personality of the individual.They are
compulsive & everybody should follow it and if
any body violates, they will be punished.
 Relatively persistent:
Mores are long lasting, conservative in nature.

21.  Varied from group to group:
Some group prohibit one kind of more, other
may accept e.g some follow monogamy, others
accept polygamy.
 Mores are backed by values & religion:
Religious sanction, values are shared by mores.

22.  Determines individual behaviour.
 Moulds personality of individual.
 Restrains our tendencies.
 Powerful mean of social control.
 Identify the individual with the group &
maintains social relationship; essential for
satisfactory living.
 Preserves social solidarity.
 Helpful for forming the social laws which
govern our social relations.

23. Folkways Mores
 Behaviour pattern of
routine life arising
unconsciously in a group.
 Do not imply value
judgement about mores.
 Less effective than mores.
 Less deeply routed in
society.
 Change more rapidly.
 Means customs which
determine the right & wrong
mode of behaviour.
 Imply value judgment
about folkway.
 More effective.
 More deeply rooted in
society.
Change less frequently.

24. Folkway Mores
 Change with one’s social
status & occupation position.
 Less dominant over
individual’s life.
 Simple in nature.
 Donot change in this way.
 More stable, dominant.
 Wider & general in
character.

25.  “Custom is the uniform approved way of
acting, transmitted from generation to
generation, by tradition & usually made
effective by social approval”
Acc to Anderson & Parker
 “customs & traditions are group accepted
technique of control that have become well
established that are taken for granted & that
are passed from generation to generation .”
Acc to Bogardus

26.  Custom is a social phenomenon ,Which is
socially recognized got social significance &
normative in nature. It represents routine acts
of daily life of the people, then enjoy social
sanction.
 It has a great significance , inherited.
 Custom are consider to be conductive to the
welfare of the society.
 Customs are varied in nature, e.g. For the
performance of marriage; varied religions
performs in different manner.

27.  Origin of custom is obscure- it is very
difficult to ascertain the exact way in which
customs emerged.
 Customs are relatively durable, spontaneous
in nature.
 All customs are not traditional.
 Unconsciously customs are maintained as
they are strongly imbedded in group life.

28.  Customs are considered as important
means of controlling social behaviour. The
customs are found in each community or
country, there is no country, community or
group where there is not any custom. The
members of the society follow the customs
as being part of it.

29.  It preserve the culture.
 It brings the person together.
 It develop the social relationship.
 It helps in process of learning.
 They help in social adjustment with many
social problems.
 They provide a sense of security in human
society.
 It builds the personality of human being.
 It change & mould the attitude & ideas.
 It regulate the behaviour of human being.

30.  Custom is the result of habit. However, habits
are created by customs also. These two i.e.
custom & habits are inter-related in social
life.
Custom create Habit
 In routine, the word custom is used
synonymous with habit, But there is
difference between custom & habit .

31. Acting in particular
way which is socially
accepted
Repetition of act
when faced with a
similar situation
Habit
Custom
Act becomes
frequently
recurring
experience

32.  “Fashion is a series of recurring changes in
the choice of a group of people which,
through they may accompany by utility , not
determined by it.”
Acc to E.A .Ross
 “Fashion is socially approved sequence of
variation on a customary theme.”
Acc to Maclver

33.  Fashion is for short time period.
 It is dynamic in nature.
 Fashion is a group choice.
 Fashion may or may not be useful.
 It embrace large proportion of human life.
 It is found in every group ,community or
society.
 It spread from one corner to another corner of
world.
 Fashion is rapidly changed .It is difficult to
step with changing fashion.

34.  Fashion plays a vital role in social
life & have strong hold over the
people. The fashion is more
prevalent in modern society than
primitive society because of :
 Development of means of
communication.
 Affluence of rich society.
 Urbanisation

35.  Satisfies the human desire, which is important
for living in society.
 Prepares the mind of people for a change.
 Helps to bridge the greater transitions of
process of social change.
 Enhance the prestige of upper class among the
individual who initiate it.
 Modifies the rigidity of customs.
 Introduce a common pattern in to the area of
indifference.

36. Custom Fashion
 Uniform approved ways of
acting & passed from
generation to generation.
 Customs are followed from
time immemorial.
 Custom grow in society &
follow as a matter of habit.
 Custom stand for sociality
& is followed by all members
of a community.
 Fashion are folkways
which survive for a short
time.
 It is followed as it has
never been followed earlier.
 It is created & followed
with a purpose in mind.
 It stands for individuality
as fashion is started by
somebody.

37. Custom Fashion
 Custom is followed by
individual to identify himself
with the rest of the member
of the society.
 Custom is concerned with
important , intimate life &
temperament of group.
 Fashion is followed to
distinguish oneself from
others.
 Fashion is concerned with
superficial matters.

38. Law Custom
 Body of rules made by
state & interpreted by
courts of land.
 Law is abolished by a
recognised authority.
 Law require special agency
for its enforcement.
 Law is deliberately made
by definite body of state or
centre.
 Uniformed approved way of
acting & passed from
generation to generation.
 Custom disappears without
formal abolition.
 Custom does not require
special agency.
 Custom is a group of
procedure that has emerged
gradually.

39. Law custom
 Law is specific, clear &
definite.
 Law is flexible , as it can
readily adjust itself to
changing condition.
 Law deals with matters
which are important to life of
society.
 Custom is not specific,
clear or definite.
Custom Is relatively fixed &
permanent & cannot be
changed readily.
 Custom deals with ordinary
& familiar subject matter.

40.  Nurse as a member of Health team provides
preventive, curative & rehabilitative service to
people.
 She can assess the individuals whose behaviour &
attitude is not in conformity with society.
 She can use various means of social control such
as education & law to achieve the social control.
E.g a man who is in habit of abusing & creating
violence in family due to his improper attitude &
behaviour as a result of drinking habit.

41.  Nurse can use means of social control such as
education by telling the disadvantages of alcohol
& can enforce the laws through the police.
 She teaches all the individuals in the community
to be in conformity with group values, norms,
folkway & mores.
 With the knowledge of all social control
measures, she can keep herself in pace with
these to win the confidence, Initiate & maintain
good IPR.

42.  She can show the respect for norms, value,
folkways & more of the group/ family while
assessing, caring & evaluating the health needs
of the members of the family.
 She works in collaboration with other
departments & team members. For smooth
functioning, she uses the knowledge of social
control & tries to understand the behaviour &
attitude, if she finds anyone violating the law,
norms, folkways etc. She imposes sanction &
takes the help of social control to modify their
attitude .

43. Factors
determining
conformity
to norms
Position
of an
individual
Behaviour &
attitude
Cohesiven
-ess of
group
Acceptance by
group
members
High need
of social
approval
Satisfaction
of socio
emotional
needs
Sanctions

44.  Satisfaction of socio emotional needs :
In groups, the conformity is high when the
members of group enjoy the task & their socio
emotional needs are satisfied. In case when task
are boring , the conformity of norms is low in
the group.
 Sanctions : The sanctions imposed for non
conformity of norms, if they are weak , the
conformity of norms will also be low.
 High need of social approval : Norms are
considered as standard of behaviour which
needs to be followed. It means norms imply a
sense of obligation.

45.  If an individual violates the norms , his action
is disapproved by the society. Then , the
violaters are subject to fine , imprisonment &
also suffer from prestige. The individual
whose action is in accordance with norms ,
then the individual recieves the positive
reward such as praise , promotion.
 Behaviour & attitude : The norms encourage
the behaviour that ensures maximum
satisfaction & discourages behaviour that
interferes with satisfaction.

46.  Cohesiveness: If seen in groups, these norms
are found in conformity or in some group but
not in others.
 Acceptance by group members : If the
members feels that they are accepted, the high
degree of conformity is likely to occur. But in
case of rejection by group, then less likely to
have conformity to norms.
 Position : The degree of conformity to norms
is determined by the extant to which an
individual is exposed to public view. If an
individual is of high status position, he is more
exposed to public view & have the pressure to
conform to norms.

47.  Other factors : There are certain others
factors which show the conformity of norm:
 Submissiveness
 Low in self confidence
 More authoritarian
 Less intelligent
 Low in need of achievement
 High in need for social approval