Social norm

Social norms are shared standards of acceptable behavior by groups.^[1]^[2] Social norms can both be informal understandings that govern the behavior of members of a society, as well as be codified into rules and laws.^[3] Social normative influences or social norms, are deemed to be powerful drivers of human behavioural changes and well organized and incorporated by major theories which explain human behaviour.^[4] Institutions are composed of multiple norms. Norms are shared social beliefs about behavior; thus, they are distinct from "ideas", "attitudes", and "values", which can be held privately, and which do not necessarily concern behavior.^[2] Norms are contingent on context, social group, and historical circumstances.^[5]

Scholars distinguish between regulative norms (which constrain behavior), constitutive norms (which shape interests), and prescriptive norms (which prescribe what actors ought to do).^[6]^[7]^[4] The effects of norms can be determined by a logic of appropriateness and logic of consequences; the former entails that actors follow norms because it is socially appropriate, and the latter entails that actors follow norms because of cost-benefit calculations.^[8]

Three stages have been identified in the life cycle of a norm: (1) Norm emergence – norm entrepreneurs seek to persuade others of the desirability and appropriateness of certain behaviors; (2) Norm cascade – when a norm obtains broad acceptance; and (3) Norm internalization – when a norm acquires a "taken-for-granted" quality.^[7] Norms are robust to various degrees: some norms are often violated whereas other norms are so deeply internalized that norm violations are infrequent.^[2]^[4] Evidence for the existence of norms can be detected in the patterns of behavior within groups, as well as the articulation of norms in group discourse.^[2]

^ Lapinski, M. K.; Rimal, R. N. (2005). "An explication of social norms". Communication Theory. 15 (2): 127–147. doi:10.1093/ct/15.2.127.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Finnemore, Martha (1996). National Interests in International Society. Cornell University Press. pp. 22–24, 26–27. ISBN 9780801483233. JSTOR 10.7591/j.ctt1rv61rh. Archived from the original on 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
^ Pristl, A-C; Kilian, S; Mann, A. (2020). "When does a social norm catch the worm? Disentangling socialnormative influences on sustainable consumption behaviour". Consumer Behav. 20 (3): 635–654. doi:10.1002/cb.1890. S2CID 228807152.
^ ^a ^b ^c Legro, Jeffrey W. (1997). "Which Norms Matter? Revisiting the "Failure" of Internationalism". International Organization. 51 (1): 31–63. doi:10.1162/002081897550294. ISSN 0020-8183. JSTOR 2703951. S2CID 154368865. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
^ Young, H. Peyton (2015). "The Evolution of Social Norms". Annual Review of Economics. 7 (1): 359–387. doi:10.1146/annurev-economics-080614-115322. ISSN 1941-1383.
^ Tannenwald, Nina (1999). "The Nuclear Taboo: The United States and the Normative Basis of Nuclear Non-Use". International Organization. 53 (3): 433–468. doi:10.1162/002081899550959. ISSN 0020-8183. JSTOR 2601286.
^ ^a ^b Finnemore, Martha; Sikkink, Kathryn (1998). "International Norm Dynamics and Political Change". International Organization. 52 (4): 887–917. doi:10.1162/002081898550789. ISSN 0020-8183. JSTOR 2601361. S2CID 10950888. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
^ Herrmann, Richard K.; Shannon, Vaughn P. (2001). "Defending International Norms: The Role of Obligation, Material Interest, and Perception in Decision Making". International Organization. 55 (3): 621–654. doi:10.1162/00208180152507579. ISSN 0020-8183. JSTOR 3078659. S2CID 145661726. Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved 2021-04-18.

[lapinski_&_rimal-1] Lapinski, M. K.; Rimal, R. N. (2005). "An explication of social norms". Communication Theory. 15 (2): 127–147. doi:10.1093/ct/15.2.127.

[:3-2] Finnemore, Martha (1996). National Interests in International Society. Cornell University Press. pp. 22–24, 26–27. ISBN 9780801483233. JSTOR 10.7591/j.ctt1rv61rh. Archived from the original on 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2021-04-18.

[Pristl_et_al-3] Pristl, A-C; Kilian, S; Mann, A. (2020). "When does a social norm catch the worm? Disentangling socialnormative influences on sustainable consumption behaviour". Consumer Behav. 20 (3): 635–654. doi:10.1002/cb.1890. S2CID 228807152.

[:2-4] Legro, Jeffrey W. (1997). "Which Norms Matter? Revisiting the "Failure" of Internationalism". International Organization. 51 (1): 31–63. doi:10.1162/002081897550294. ISSN 0020-8183. JSTOR 2703951. S2CID 154368865. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2021-04-17.

[:8-5] Young, H. Peyton (2015). "The Evolution of Social Norms". Annual Review of Economics. 7 (1): 359–387. doi:10.1146/annurev-economics-080614-115322. ISSN 1941-1383.

[6] Tannenwald, Nina (1999). "The Nuclear Taboo: The United States and the Normative Basis of Nuclear Non-Use". International Organization. 53 (3): 433–468. doi:10.1162/002081899550959. ISSN 0020-8183. JSTOR 2601286.

[:1-7] Finnemore, Martha; Sikkink, Kathryn (1998). "International Norm Dynamics and Political Change". International Organization. 52 (4): 887–917. doi:10.1162/002081898550789. ISSN 0020-8183. JSTOR 2601361. S2CID 10950888. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2021-04-17.

[8] Herrmann, Richard K.; Shannon, Vaughn P. (2001). "Defending International Norms: The Role of Obligation, Material Interest, and Perception in Decision Making". International Organization. 55 (3): 621–654. doi:10.1162/00208180152507579. ISSN 0020-8183. JSTOR 3078659. S2CID 145661726. Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved 2021-04-18.

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