Editing Social norm (section)

== Social control ==
Although not considered to be formal laws within society, norms still work to promote a great deal of [[social control]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Druzin|first=Bryan|title=Using Social Norms as a Substitute for Law|url=https://works.bepress.com/bryan_druzin/16/|journal=Albany Law Review|year=2016|volume=78|page=68|access-date=2016-10-10|archive-date=2019-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702115818/https://works.bepress.com/bryan_druzin/16/|url-status=live}}</ref> They are statements that regulate conduct. The cultural phenomenon that is the norm is the prescriber of acceptable behavior in specific instances. Ranging in variations depending on culture, race, religion, and geographical location, it is the foundation of the terms some know as acceptable as not to injure others, the golden rule, and to keep promises that have been pledged.<ref>Hechter, Michael et al., eds.. "Introduction". ''Social Norms''. Ed. Michael Hechter et al.. Russell Sage Foundation, 2001. xi–xx.</ref> Without them, there would be a world without consensus, common ground, or restrictions. Even though the law and a state's legislation is not intended to control social norms, society and the law are inherently linked and one dictates the other. This is why it has been said that the language used in some legislation is controlling and dictating for what should or should not be accepted. For example, the criminalization of familial sexual relations is said to protect those that are vulnerable, however even consenting adults cannot have sexual relationships with their relatives. The language surrounding these laws conveys the message that such acts are supposedly immoral and should be condemned, even though there is no actual victim in these consenting relationships.<ref>{{cite journal|title= The Synthetic Necessary Truth Behind New Labour's Criminalisation of Incest| doi=10.1177/0964663913502068 | volume=23|journal=Social & Legal Studies|pages=113–130|year= 2013|last1= Roffee|first1= James A| s2cid=145292798 }}</ref>

Social norms can be enforced formally (e.g., through sanctions) or informally (e.g., through [[body language]] and non-verbal communication cues).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Doering|first1=Laura|last2=Ody-Brasier|first2=Amandine|date=2021|title=Time and Punishment: How Individuals Respond to Being Sanctioned in Voluntary Associations|url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/717102|journal=American Journal of Sociology|volume=127|issue=2|pages=441–491|doi=10.1086/717102|s2cid=246017181|issn=0002-9602|access-date=2022-01-18|archive-date=2022-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118233324/https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/717102|url-status=live}}</ref> Because individuals often derive physical or psychological resources from group membership, groups are said to control ''discretionary stimuli''; groups can withhold or give out more resources in response to members' adherence to group norms, effectively controlling member behavior through rewards and operant conditioning.<ref name="hackman">Hackman, J.R. (1992). "Group influences on individuals in organizations". In M.D. Dunnette & L.M. Hough (Eds.), ''Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology'' (Vol. 3). Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologists Press, 234-245.</ref> [[Social psychology]] research has found the more an individual values group-controlled resources or the more an individual sees group membership as central to his definition of self, the more likely he is to conform.<ref name="hackman" /> Social norms also allow an individual to assess what behaviors the group deems important to its existence or survival, since they represent a codification of belief; groups generally do not punish members or create norms over actions which they care little about.<ref name="hackman" /><ref name="feldman">{{cite journal | last1 = Feldman | first1 = D.C. | year = 1984| title = The development and enforcement of group norms | journal = Academy of Management Review | volume = 9 | issue = 1| pages = 47–55 | doi=10.2307/258231| jstor = 258231 }}</ref> Norms in every culture create [[conformity]] that allows for people to become [[socialization|socialized]] to the culture in which they live.<ref name="marshall">Marshall, G. ''Oxford Dictionary of Sociology''</ref>

As social beings, individuals learn when and where it is appropriate to say certain things, to use certain words, to discuss certain topics or wear certain clothes, and when it is not. Thus, knowledge about [[cultural]] norms is important for [[wikt:impression|impression]]s,<ref name="kamau">Kamau, C. (2009) Strategizing impression management in corporations: cultural knowledge as capital. In D. Harorimana (Ed) Cultural implications of knowledge sharing, management and transfer: identifying competitive advantage. Chapter 4. Information Science Reference. {{ISBN|978-1-60566-790-4}}</ref> which is an individual's regulation of their nonverbal behavior. One also comes to know through experience what types of people he/she can and cannot discuss certain topics with or wear certain types of dress around. Typically, this knowledge is derived through experience (i.e. social norms are learned through [[social interaction]]).<ref name="kamau" /> Wearing a suit to a job interview in order to give a great first impression represents a common example of a social norm in the [[White-collar worker|white collar work force]].

In his work "Order without Law: How Neighbors Settle Disputes", Robert Ellickson studies various interactions between members of [[neighbourhood]]s and communities to show how societal norms create order within a small group of people. He argues that, in a small community or neighborhood, many rules and disputes can be settled without a central governing body simply by the interactions within these communities.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Order without Law: How Neighbors Settle Disputes|last=Ellickson|first=Robert|year=1994}}</ref>