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Norms of Behavior
Values, Norms and Institutions
For your comprehension in this chapter is necessary to
make the distinction between these notions.
Why? Because values are based on the norms; norms
determine your behaviour in a group or in society and the
institutions are the implementation of these norms.
Behind these notions you have the human being.
It is important to insist on three approaches in the social
sciences: social psychology, sociology and psychology.
1. The human being is a social being, he lives in the society
and has social needs (contacts, exchanges, interactions and
confrontations).
2. The human being at the individual and collective level is
the interactive being. Her interest is based in interactions
and inter-personal relationships.
3. The psychology studies the individual... “People are
Different”!, very strong assumption ; is the title of the nice
book of John ( Microeconomics ).
The norms and the values orientate our acts and beliefs.
The Norms
In Latin the norm mean “rule” and she establish the
behavioural standard and is the particularly reference at
the social group. The norm expresses the judgments
(appreciation or evaluation) of the acts or behaviour of
individuals inside the group or society. The judgments
qualify the acts: normal, deviant and conformist.
These are abstract categories and express the ideal of one
kind of social conscience. The values are born in the
norms. The social norms determine the behavioural
conformity of the demands of the society. The norms are,
whether written or unwritten, necessary.
The types of rules
The natural laws are descriptive or explicative, necessary,
through or fault.
The rules are prescriptive and it is possible to violate the
norms: a good example is the rules of games in economics.
The norms are very simply the rules which orientate and
master the behaviour. There are two kind of norms: (1)
norms clearly formulated - the laws codified by juridical
order and sanctioned by public power; (2) the implicit
norms or unwritten norms (the custom, behavioural).
The social norms are the typical rules of the society and the
culture where the people live. The norms are a product of
the society.
Reinforcement of the norms.
This means the repeated practice of norms around us and
for us. The purpose of this practice is the assimilation and
integration of the norms by the individuals.
Institutions
The definition: the totality of norms applied in a social
system which define the legitimate thoughts or
illegitimate thoughts inside the same system. The
institutions like the norms are various: socials, political,
economical, morals and cultural.
Conformism of institutions: is one conscious or
unconscious agreement of the norms; it is the way to
respect the norm in our social behaviour.