What is a Norm Why Does it Matter

Simply put, a norm is a rule that guides behavior among members of a society or group. Founding sociologist Émile Durkheim considered norms to be social facts: things which exist in society independent of individuals, and that shape our thoughts and behavior. As such, they have a coercive power over us (Durkheim wrote about this  The Rules of the Sociological Method). Sociologists consider the force that norms exert both good and bad, but before we get into that, lets make a couple of important distinctions between the norm, normal, and normative. People often confuse these terms, and with good reason. To sociologists, they are very different things. Normal refers to that which conforms to norms, so while norms are the rules that guide our behavior, normal is the act of abiding  by them. Normative, however, refers to what we  perceive  as normal, or what we think should be normal, regardless of whether it actually is. Normative refers to beliefs that are expressed as directives or value judgments, like, for example, believing that a woman should always sit with her legs crossed because it is ladylike. Now, back to norms. While we can understand norms simply as rules that tell us what we should or shouldnt do, theres much more to them that sociologists find interesting and worthy of study. For example, sociological focus is often directed at how norms are disseminated—how we come to learn them. The process of socialization is guided by norms and taught to us by those around us, including our families, teachers, and authority figures from religion, politics, law, and popular culture. We learn them through spoken and written directive, but also through observing those around us. We do this a lot as children, but we also do it as adults in unfamiliar spaces, among new groups of people, or in places we visit for this time. Learning the norms of any given space or group allows us to function in that setting, and to be accepted (at least to a certain degree) by those present. As knowledge of how to operate in the world, norms are an important part of the cultural capital that each of us possesses and embodies. They are, in fact, cultural products and are culturally contextual, and  they only exist if we realize them in our thought and behavior. For the most part, norms  are things that we take for granted and spend little time thinking about, but they become highly visible and conscious when they are broken. The everyday enforcement of them though is mostly unseen. We abide them because we know that they exist and that we will face sanctions if we break them. For example, we know that when we have gathered a variety of items for purchase in a store that we then proceed to a cashier because we must pay for them, and we also know that sometimes we must wait in a line of others who have arrived at the cashier before us. Abiding by these norms, we wait, and then we pay for the goods before leaving with them. In this mundane, everyday transaction norms of what we do when we need new items and how we acquire them govern our behavior. They operate in our subconscious, and we dont think consciously about them unless they are breached. If a person cuts the line or drops something that makes a mess and does nothing in response, others present might sanction their behavior visually with eye contact and facial expressions, or verbally. This would be a form of social sanction. If, however, a person left a store without paying for the goods they had collected, a legal sanction might ensue with the calling of police, who serve to enforce sanctions when  norms that have been coded into law have been violated. Because they guide our behavior, and when broken, they enlist a reaction that is meant to reaffirm them and their cultural importance, Durkheim viewed norms as the essence of social order. They allow us to live our lives with an understanding of what we can expect from those around us. In many cases they allow us to feel safe and secure, and to operate at ease. Without norms, our world would be in chaos, and we wouldnt know how to navigate it. (This view of norms derives from Durkheims functionalist perspective.) But some norms—and the breaking of them—can lead to serious social problems. For example, in the last century heterosexuality has been considered both the norm for humans and  normative—expected and desired. Many around the world believe this to be true today, which can have troubling consequences for those labeled and treated as deviant by those who subscribe to this norm. LGBTQ people, historically and still today, face a variety of sanctions for not abiding this norm, including religious (excommunication), social (losing of friends or ties to family members, and exclusion from certain spaces), economic (wage or career penalties), legal (imprisonment or unequal access to rights and resources), medical (classification as psychologically ill), and physical sanctions (assault and murder). So, in addition to fostering social order and creating the basis for group membership, acceptance, and belonging, norms can also serve to create conflict, and unjust power hierarchies and oppression.

Should Welfare Be Reformed - 1676 Words

Welfare, enacted by one of the greatest presidents of the United States’s existence, Mr. Franklin D. Roosevelt, is an effective and useful means to assist American families in need. Throughout history, welfare has proven to help people get back on their feet and into society. Despite the system’s many useful benefits, like most attributes in this world, welfare has kinks in the system. In fact, welfare has yet to be perfected, even though it was established in the year of 1935 and is still in use today. The system may never be perfected, but it can be improved. There are many different thoughts and ideas pertaining to how welfare should change. Some believe it should be eliminated entirely. In doing so, many people all across the nation would be harmed in financial and mental manners. How can welfare be reformed? Is it even possible? The answer is absolutely. It must be reformed, and many would agree on the matter. It is, however, a sensitive and controversial topic to most. Political parties tend to take interest in the discussion of welfare reform, as well. The typical, left-wing Democrat wishes to give more to welfare users, while the standard right-wing Republican would like to decrease what is given to Americans. If everything has its imperfections, why should welfare be reformed? Why not leave it the way it is and let the government figure out the fine print? There are those that take this sort of stance on welfare reform, and there are some that believe differently.Show MoreRelatedWelfare Reform : The Welfare System1367 Words   |  6 PagesWelfare Reform What would happen if the government made changes to the welfare system? There are approximately 110,489,000 of Americans on welfare. Many people benefit from what the system has to offer: food stamps, housing, health insurance, day care, and unemployment. Taxpayers often argue that the individuals who benefit from the system, abuse the system; however, this is not entirely true. 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Fifteen by Taylor Swift free essay sample

â€Å"Fifteen† by Taylor Swift is a powerful song. It tells you about high school and things that are very true to life. Maybe even more true than you want them to be. The lyrics tell a story. A story that is very true to Taylor Swift. â€Å"Fifteen† tells you about a girl who starts her Freshman year of high school†¦.scared, but she’s also like every other girl in wanting that Senior boy to notice her. Then she meets a girl, and just like Kindergarten, in a few minutes, they are best friends. Then she gets her first date, and it’s the day she’s dreamed of. And her first kiss. But then well she learns that boys break hearts. Badly. And that there is more to life than dating the boy on the football team. Then her best friend, gets her heartbroken by a guy, she gave everything she had to, and he just changed his mind. We will write a custom essay sample on Fifteen by Taylor Swift or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then she realizes, â€Å"when your fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, YOU’RE GONNA BELIEVE THEM†. But next time, look before you fall. But she also finds â€Å"that time can heal most anything, if you just find who your supposed to be†. But, at first, you don’t know it a fifteen years old. This song is a song I think all girls need to listen to at some point in their lives. It’s something that you need to listen carefully, because some boy is going to tell you they love, and you’re going to believe them, and either they mean it, or they are just saying it and then they break your heart. For Taylor Swift, this song was written about her Freshman Year, and her best friend (a red-head), Abigail. Listen to this song, girls. And trust, me†¦.you won’t regret it.