Social Norms

Question 1

What is a social norm?

Answer 1

• unwritten rules in society that create desirable and undesirable behaviour.

Question 2

What is a social deviant?

Answer 2

• someone who goes against societies norms.

Question 3

What is the strength of have society norms?

Answer 3

1. Help people - having norms allows intervention to people who are acting abnormal and can receive help they could give them themselves.
2. Protects society - always is to see undesirable traits and social deviants who create danger for the rest of society
3. Development norms - allows norms in age - wearing a nappy at 2 = normal , wearing one at 40 = social deaviant.

Question 4

What are the limitations of social norms?

Answer 4

1. Subjective - all based on the opinions of the elite society ( government) who create norms for how they believe we should behave. Not real - discrimination caused because norms are not objective.
2. Norms change over time/generations - morals beliefs change of time so norms can be abnormal and become normal. Ie homosexuality only became a bone mental health issue in 1990.
3. Individualism- some people who deviate from social norms are just eccentric and cause not problem to society.