If you’ve ever felt pressured to do something just because the people around you are doing it, it’s because of a concept known in behavioral science as social norms.
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Imagine that you are in a movie theater where all the people are looking at the screen and remaining silent. Suddenly, someone starts talking. What would probably happen next is that the majority would disapprove of that behavior and someone would eventually ask for silence. Why is this happening? Because there is a social norm in that context that dictates that in the cinema one must remain silent so as not to disturb others.
Social norms are, in essence, rules or expectations that tell us how others expect what we should behave in a society or in a certain group. These rules are not always formal laws, such as those found in a regulation or a law, but rather They may be informal norms that we learn through socialization. They tell us what is acceptable or not, what is good or bad depending on the context, and they help us to have a good coexistence with others.
Informal norms, although they are not written or supported by laws, have a strong influence on our behavior and this is because they appeal to our desire to belong in a certain context and act as an invisible glue that keeps certain social groups together.
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While a formal norm, such as respecting the speed limit, depends on surveillance and sanctions, informal norms, such as giving up a seat to a person with reduced mobility on public transport, are based on social expectations and fear. to the judgment of others. Its strength lies in the fact that They operate in every daily interaction, shaping our actions almost automatically and with less resistance.since we internalize them as part of our identity and culture.
On the other hand, social norms are made up of two main elements: social beliefs and behavioral expectations. Social beliefs are ideas or understandings shared within a group about how people should behave. For example, in some cultures it is a norm to take off your shoes before entering a house as a sign of respect and cleanliness, while in others, this gesture may not be as important or even go unnoticed.
As for social expectations, they are what we believe others expect of us. In the movie theater, the expectation is that we all remain silent. If someone breaks that expectation, it is generally perceived as a transgression and social “punishment” may occur.
Social norms are created and maintained through a process of social interaction, where people influence each other, creating what is generally known as social paradigms. This process can be conscious or unconscious, but, in general, norms are transmitted from generation to generation and from group to group through what we call socialization.
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Socialization is the process through which we learn the norms, values and behaviors of the society in which we live.. Family, school, friends, what we read, listen to or see play an important role in teaching us how to behave and what is expected of us.
However, social norms are not static. They can change over time due to a variety of factors: changes in technology, politics, cultural beliefs, and even social movements. And this is very important, because We are not condemned to those already established norms, but as a society we have the ability to make changes in those paradigms.s and progress towards new beliefs and norms that improve our quality of life.
Social norms have a profound impact on our decisions, relationships, and well-being. Often, we are not aware of the influence it has on us and it is important to realize because these norms can have both positive and negative effects. For example, there may be social norms that reinforce discriminatory behavior. Social expectations about career success or pressure to achieve specific financial goals are examples of how social norms can negatively influence emotional well-being and cause stress or frustration in people. Another example in which social norms segregate us are those associated with expectations of beauty, which can negatively influence people’s self-esteem and well-being.
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On the other hand, social norms also have their benefits because they provide us with prediction and stability. We know that if we follow the rules, our interactions will be more predictable and, therefore, we will feel more secure in our relationships and in society in general.
Whether the consequences of following social norms are positive or negative, it is important to question their validity and if we realize as a society that a change in expectations or beliefs is pertinent, we must take action. A classic example of breaking social norms would be the civil rights movement in the United States, when the norms of racial segregation were broken.
Breaking a social norm can have consequencessuch as rejection or disapproval from others. However, it can also be the first step in changing an outdated or unfair rule.
When we feel pressure to follow a social norm, it is pertinent to question whether it is helping our own well-being and that of others and whether the behavior that is being shaped or generated is worth continuing. Finally, due to many changes in social norms, today many people can enjoy ways of life that were previously unthinkable.
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2024-12-17 08:10:00