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Sociology: Norms and Values: Importance of Norms and Values, Types of Norms

Norms

  • Values are ideas held by individuals or groups about what is desirable, proper or good. It differs from society to society. Norms re correct or proper forms of behaviour. They are specific prescriptions of how an individual ought to behave to be consistent with the values of contemporary society. Thus, norms are the reflections of the values. A norm is a rule or standard that governs our behaviour in the social situation in which we act and operate. it is a pattern setting limits on individual behaviour. Thus, norms are unwritten laws. Norms determine, guide, control and also predict human behaviour. There are both private and social norms. We the sociologists are concerned with social norms.
  • Norms are always backed by societal sanctions. Sanctions can be negative, positive or formal and informal. Formal sanctions are imposed by the official agencies like police, courts and so on whereas informal sanctions are routine features of every society. Following are the characteristics of norms,
Illustration: Norms

Importance of Norms

Social norms constitute the very important part of social structure. It governs the behaviour of individuals and helps the interactions taking place between the individuals. They are actually guides to our behaviour. Without social norms, we individuals must be taking decisions all time whenever we interact with the other individuals. Norms give cohesion to the society. It helps to maintain social order.

Types of Norms

  • Norms differ in terms of severity and durability. Still there is no definite classification for norms. But there are some preliminary observations. The first observation is prescriptive and proscriptive. Prescriptive norms dictate what people should do and proscriptive norms what people should not to do. The second observations are communal and associational norms. Communal norms provide in entire society and associational norms are less pervasive and are prevailed in some groups only. Besides this all norms can be subsumed under three major concepts: folkways, mores and customs.
  • Mores is a term used to denote behaviour patterns, which are not only accepted but prescribed too. Folkways represent the group standards. Mores can be positive or negative. They are the means by which individual gains identification with his fellows. as a result mores bind people in stronger way. Customs are socially accepted ways in which people do things together in personal contacts. Customs preserves our culture and transmits it into the next generation. no society can do without customs.

Normlessness

It is a sense of detachment from existing social norms or rules, mostly society functions in an orderly fashion. In a state where existing social norms contradict each other or face a collapse, people feel detached from their own fellows. at this instance; people are inclined to pursue their private preferences without regarding the interest of the society as a whole. Then social control becomes ineffective. Hence the society is threatened with disorganisation. This situation is called anomie.

Values

Values are broad ideas regarding what is desirable, and good that most members of a society share. Values define social preferences, specify societal choice and provide vision for the future.

Importance of Values

Illustration: Importance of Values

Traditional and Modern Values

Traditional values are as follows,

Illustration: Traditional and Modern Values

The modern values in the society are democracy, secularism and socialism. Democracy emphasise equality of opportunity and it makes every individual a part of decision-making process. Secularism stands for equal treatment of all religions in a nation and tolerance towards all other communities. Socialism means that production, distribution and exchange of material resources of community are arranged in such a way that they can serve the common good.