NORMS AND IMPORTANCE OF NORMS IN A SOCIETY

Social norm is a rule that is socially enforced.
In sociological theory, norms are prescriptions or proscriptions about behavior in the Form of “should” and “should not”; they are supported by consensus; and they are enforced through various mechanisms of social control, particularly social sanctions - positive, to keep people “on track”, and negative, to bring straying individuals “back into line”(Settersten and Mayer, 1997)”.