Social Norm
DEFINITION
Social norms are shared expectations of acceptable behavior by groups.
Function
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] Institutions are composed of multiple norms.[4] Norms are shared and 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]