Editing Social norm (section)

==Emergence and transmission==
Groups may adopt norms in a variety of ways.

Some stable and self-reinforcing norms may emerge spontaneously without conscious human design.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sugden|first=Robert|date=1989|title=Spontaneous Order|journal=Journal of Economic Perspectives|language=en|volume=3|issue=4|pages=85–97|doi=10.1257/jep.3.4.85|issn=0895-3309|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=":9" /> Peyton Young goes as far as to say that "norms typically evolve without top-down direction... through interactions of individuals rather than by design."<ref name=":8" /> Norms may develop informally, emerging gradually as a result of repeated use of discretionary stimuli to control behavior.<ref name="hackman" /><ref name="chong">Chong, D. (2000) ''Rational lives: norms and values in politics and society''</ref> Not necessarily laws set in writing, informal norms represent generally accepted and widely sanctioned routines that people follow in everyday life.<ref name="gerber">Gerber, L. & Macionis, J. (2011) ''Sociology'', 7th Canadian ed., p. 65</ref> These informal norms, if broken, may not invite formal legal punishments or sanctions, but instead encourage reprimands, warnings, or [[othering]]; [[incest]], for example, is generally thought of as wrong in society, but many jurisdictions do not legally prohibit it.

Norms may also be created and advanced through conscious human design by [[norm entrepreneur]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sunstein|first=Cass R.|date=1996|title=Social Norms and Social Roles|url=https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/1/12921744/1/Social%20Norms%20and%20Social%20Roles.pdf|journal=Columbia Law Review|volume=96|issue=4|pages=903–968|doi=10.2307/1123430|jstor=1123430|s2cid=153823271|issn=0010-1958|url-access=|url-status=|archive-url=|archive-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Keck|first1=Margaret E.|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctt5hh13f|title=Activists beyond Borders: Advocacy Networks in International Politics|last2=Sikkink|first2=Kathryn|date=1998|publisher=Cornell University Press|isbn=978-0-8014-3444-0|jstor=10.7591/j.ctt5hh13f|access-date=2021-05-22|archive-date=2021-05-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522050152/https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctt5hh13f|url-status=live}}</ref> Norms can arise formally, where groups explicitly outline and implement behavioral expectations. Legal norms typically arise from design.<ref name=":9" /><ref name="kendall">Kendall, D. (2011) ''Sociology in our times''</ref> A large number of these norms we follow 'naturally' such as driving on the right side of the road in the US and on the left side in the UK, or not speeding in order to avoid a ticket.

Martha Finnemore and Kathryn Sikkink identify three stages in the life cycle of a norm:<ref name=":1" />

# '''Norm emergence''': Norm entrepreneurs seek to persuade others to adopt their ideas about what is desirable and appropriate.
# '''Norm cascade''': When a norm has broad acceptance and reaches a [[Tipping point (sociology)|tipping point]], with norm leaders pressuring others to adopt and adhere to the norm.
# '''Norm internalization''': When the norm has acquired a "taken-for-granted" quality where compliance with the norm is nearly automatic.

They argue that several factors may raise the influence of certain norms:<ref name=":1" />
* '''Legitimation:''' Actors that feel insecure about their status and reputation may be more likely to embrace norms.
* '''Prominence''': Norms that are held by actors seen as desirable and successful are more likely to diffuse to others.
* '''Intrinsic qualities of the norm''': Norms that are specific, long-lasting, and universal are more likely to become prominent.
* '''Path dependency''': Norms that are related to preexisting norms are more likely to be widely accepted.
* '''World time-context''': Systemic shocks (such as wars, revolutions and economic crises) may motivate a search for new norms.
Christina Horne and Stefanie Mollborn have identified two broad categories of arguments for the emergence of norms:<ref name=":6" />

# '''Consequentialism''': norms are created when an individual's behavior has consequences and externalities for other members of the group.
# '''Relationalism''': norms are created because people want to attract positive social reactions. In other words, norms do not necessarily contribute to the collective good.

Per consequentialism, norms contribute to the collective good. However, per relationalism, norms do not necessarily contribute to the collective good; norms may even be harmful to the collective.<ref name=":6" />

Some scholars have characterized norms as essentially unstable, thus creating possibilities for norm change.<ref name=":5">{{Cite encyclopedia|title=International Norm Change|last=Sandholtz|first=Wayne|date=2017|language=en|doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.588|isbn=9780190228637|website=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sandholtz|first=Wayne|date=2008-03-01|title=Dynamics of International Norm Change: Rules against Wartime Plunder|url=https://doi.org/10.1177/1354066107087766|journal=European Journal of International Relations|language=en|volume=14|issue=1|pages=101–131|doi=10.1177/1354066107087766|s2cid=143721778|issn=1354-0661|access-date=2021-05-07|archive-date=2021-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524135429/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1354066107087766|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Wiener|first=Antje|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/invisible-constitution-of-politics/4053D3FF95B9C86BF395186DFFE0D10E|title=The Invisible Constitution of Politics: Contested Norms and International Encounters|date=2008|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-89596-5|location=Cambridge|access-date=2021-05-07|archive-date=2021-05-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507020950/https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/invisible-constitution-of-politics/4053D3FF95B9C86BF395186DFFE0D10E|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Krook|first1=Mona Lena|last2=True|first2=Jacqui|date=2012-03-01|title=Rethinking the life cycles of international norms: The United Nations and the global promotion of gender equality|url=https://doi.org/10.1177/1354066110380963|journal=European Journal of International Relations|language=en|volume=18|issue=1|pages=103–127|doi=10.1177/1354066110380963|s2cid=145545535|issn=1354-0661}}</ref> According to Wayne Sandholtz, actors are more likely to persuade others to modify existing norms if they possess power, can reference existing foundational meta-norms, and can reference precedents.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sandholtz|first=Wayne|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RdjFjwEACAAJ|title=International Norms and Cycles of Change|date=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-985537-7|pages=16–18|language=en|access-date=2021-05-13|archive-date=2021-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930174759/https://books.google.com/books?id=RdjFjwEACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> Social closeness between actors has been characterized as a key component in sustaining social norms.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bicchieri|first1=Cristina|last2=Dimant|first2=Eugen|last3=Gächter|first3=Simon|last4=Nosenzo|first4=Daniele|date=2022|title=Social proximity and the erosion of norm compliance|journal=Games and Economic Behavior|language=en|volume=132|pages=59–72|doi=10.1016/j.geb.2021.11.012|issn=0899-8256|doi-access=free|hdl=10419/232616|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

===Transfer of norms between groups===
Individuals may also import norms from a previous organization to their new group, which can get adopted over time.<ref name="feldman"/><ref name="bm">{{cite journal | last1 = Bettenhausen | first1 = K. | last2 = Murnighan | first2 = J.K. | year = 1985 | title = The emergence of norms in competitive decision-making groups | journal = Administrative Science Quarterly | volume = 30 | issue = 3| pages = 350–372 | doi=10.2307/2392667| jstor = 2392667 | s2cid = 52525302 }}</ref> Without a clear indication of how to act, people typically rely on their history to determine the best course forward; what was successful before may serve them well again. In a group, individuals may all import different histories or [[Behavioral script|scripts]] about appropriate behaviors; common experience over time will lead the group to define as a whole its take on the right action, usually with the integration of several members' schemas.<ref name="bm"/> Under the importation paradigm, norm formation occurs subtly and swiftly<ref name="bm"/> whereas with formal or informal development of norms may take longer.

Groups internalize norms by accepting them as reasonable and proper standards for behavior within the group. Once firmly established, a norm becomes a part of the group's operational structure and hence more difficult to change. While possible for newcomers to a group to change its norms, it is much more likely that the new individual will adopt the group's norms, values, and perspectives, rather than the other way around.<ref name="hackman" />