deviation from social norms

• every culture has certain standards for acceptable behaviour, or socially acceptable norms.
• deviation from social norms are an action, behaviour, or condition that is different from what is usual or expected. this draws a line between socially desirable and undesirable behaviours.
• norms are decided by the dominant culture
• those who do not adhere to what society deems acceptable in that community or society are labelled as abnormal
• members of a society who do not think and behave like everyone else deviate from these social norms and are considered abnormal
• milgram defined residual rules as rules that fulfil two criteria:

  • people must substantially agree on them
  • people don’t notice them until a violation occurs
  • e.g. seats on the tube in London is that seats are on a first-come, first-served basis
• cultural relativism refers to the idea that the values, knowledge, and behaviour of people must be understood within their own cultural context
• the norms for social behaviour also vary markedly when different cultures are compared