Norms and Values By B.A. Loeffler

Norms Rules defining appropriate and inappropriate behavior Anything can be considered appropriate when norms approve it. Once norms are learned, members of a society use them to guide their social behavior. – William Sumner

In Thailand don't put your fork in your mouth In Thailand don't put your fork in your mouth. Rather, use it to put the food on the spoon and eat from that

In the Arab world people don't eat with their left hand because that hand is typically used to clean up in the bathroom if you catch the drift

In the UK make sure to tilt the soup bowl away from you

In China you should burp at the dinner table if you enjoyed the food

In Chile people typically don't eat anything with their hands, not even the french fries

In some cultures (Philippines, Cambodia, Korea, Egypt) finishing all the food on your plate signifies to the host that they did not feed you enough

The Inuit people of Canada will fart after meals to express their appreciation of the food

In Tanzania it is considered rude to be on time for dinner In Tanzania it is considered rude to be on time for dinner. You should be between 15 and 30 minutes late

In England bananas should be eaten with a fork and knife

In Portugal you shouldn't ask for salt and pepper if they are not already on the table. It is considered offensive to the chef's seasoning abilities

Sumner’s basic norms Folkways Mores Laws

Folkways Rules that cover customary ways of thinking feeling and behaving but lack moral overtones. Examples – Holding the door open for some one Saying “bless you” after someone sneezes Sleeping on a bed instead of the floor Can you think of a folkway? What happens if we break/disobey a folkway?

Mores Based on the word moral. Deals with conduct related to right or wrong Norms of great significance Conformity draws strong approval, violation brings disproval Examples: Drug use Premarital sex Fighting Wearing clothes Using profane language in church

Taboo Mores that are more serious Violation demand punishment by group Examples Abortion - terminating a pregnancy Cannibalism - a human being eating the flesh of another human being Incest - sexual relations between relatives. Different cultures have different definitions of how close a relative would be considered taboo. Polygamy - having more than one spouse at the same time Suicide - the taking of one’s own life

Laws Norms that are enforced by officials An important source for laws are mores Smoking – Folkway – More – Law Laws remain in the books after mores have changed

Laws in Tennessee Students may not hold hands while at school It is a crime to share your Netflix password Anyone who participates in a duel may not hold any public office Stealing a horse is punishable by hanging No Christian parent may require their children to pick up trash from the highway on Easter Sunday It is legal to gather an consume roadkill You can’t shoot any game other than whales from a moving automobile Hollow logs may not be sold It is illegal to use a lasso to catch a fish Skunks may not be carried into the state

Enforcing the Rules Groups teach norms Sometimes thru sanctions Sanctions – rewards and punishments used to encourage conformity Formal Sanctions – may be applied only by an official Can you give me an example of a negative sanction? Can you give me an example of a positive sanction? Informal Sanctions – can be applied by most members of a group Thanking someone Staring at someone who is talking during a movie

Values Values – broad ideas about what most people in a society consider to be desirable. So general they do not dictate ways we think, unlike norms Form the basis for norms

Love Honesty Wealth Humor Morals Reason Success Knowledge Free Time Adventure Calmness Fun Recognition Nature Popularity Independence Achievement Beauty Friends Spirituality Respect Freedom Variety Stability Loyalty Peace Responsibility Fairness Family Power Wisdom Safety Creativity Relaxation