❖ Social Norms are the unwritten rules that guide behavior in a society

★ They tell us

➜ How to dress

➜ How to speak

➜ How to behave in public

➜ What is considered acceptable or unacceptable

★ Norms are learned through

➜ Family

➜ School

➜ Religion

➜ Media

➜ Culture

★ Types of norms

➜ Folkways - informal rules (saying « thank you »)

➜ Mores - strong moral norms (respecting elders)

➜ Laws - formal rules enforced by the state

❖ Deviance is behavior that breaks social norms

★ It does NOT always mean crime (examples)

➜ Wearing pyjamas to school

➜ Speaking loudly in a library

➜ Breaking the law

★ Deviance depends on

➜ Culture

➜ Time period

➜ Social context

★ What is deviant in one country may be normal in another

❖ What is Stigma ?

★ Stigma is a negative label placed on someone who is seen as different or deviant

➜ Student who dresses differently may face stigma from peers for example

❖ What is a Sanction ?

➜ Sanction is a reaction to behavior

★ Types

➜ Positive sanction (reward)

➜ Negative sanction (punishment)

★ Examples

➜ Praise for good behavior

➜ Detention for breaking rules

❖ Grammar Focus

★ Relative Clauses (who, which, that)

➜ Relative clauses give extra information about a noun

★ WHO - for people

➜ Student who breaks the rules may face consequences

➜ People who challenge norms can create change

★ WHICH - for things

➜ The dress code, which was introduced last year, is strict

➜ Social norms, which differ across cultures, influence behavior

★ THAT - for people or things (defining information)

➜ The rule that students must follow is clear

➜ A person that ignores norms may be criticized

❖ Vocabulary Box

➜ Norm - A rule of behavior in society

➜ Conformity - Following social rules

➜ Deviance - Behavior that breaks norms

➜ Stigma - Negative label or judgment

➜ Behaviour - The way someone acts

➜ Sanction - Reaction or consequence