Criminology | Unit 2 Norms, Moral Codes and Values

• What are Norms?

  Norms are specific rules or expectations that are placed upon individuals in a society to behave in a socially acceptable way.
• Norms differ based on what?

  • They differ based upon social settings
  • They differ based upon social characteristics like age, gender, ethnicity, cultural background, and religious beliefs
• Examples of Norms based on a social situations?

  • Being quiet in a library or doctor's waiting room
  • Being noisy at a party, concert or sports event
• What are Moral codes?

  Moral codes are what guides us, a code of ethics advising how we should act in certain situations
• What are Moral codes usually associated with?

  • Associated with social institutions like education, government, criminal justice system
  • Individuals in these institutions are expected to act morally and display desirable behaviors if they do not the can be subjected to formal and informal sanctions
• Examples of Moral codes?

  • Doctors/nurses maintaining patient confidentiality
  • Teachers should help students
  • Police treating individuals equally and without prejudice or bias
• What are Values ?

  Values are what people in society believe is the right thing to do in a given social context.
• Examples of Values in society

  • Society should be meritocracy and fairness- and that people who work hard should be rewarded for their efforts.
  • Protecting the innocence of children by sheltering them from the adult world.
  • Treating everyone equally regardless of social characteristics like gender,age,sexuality,ethnicity or social class.
• What happens when people do not follow the Values of society?

  It creates deviance
• Values are subjected to what?

  Values are subjected to change- particularly as people attitudes changes and this then leads to changes in what the normal behaviors we display are in social context that is our norms