Social norms are unwritten standards of behavior which guide behavior of people. They are based on tradition, culture, custom and practises of society which have evolved with the evolution of society.
Since social norms are derived from society, they become a sort of foundation for all other values & standards including moral and ethical standards although social norms differ society to society because each society is different & so its traditions, customs & values.
Example: India has three major societies – North, South, Northeast. Similarly, the entire world is divided into the west and the rest and it’s not also bad to have different social norms rather they are manifestations of diversity. However, still all social norms are not good. There are some social taboos, especially against women which are discriminatory. But some social norms are also of universal standards and in this case, social norms will also be considered ethical like in the case of India, universal social norms are peace, harmony, inclusiveness and plurality. As far as frictions and conflicts are concerned, they are due to changes in society. Social norms should also change & they should have diversity but not discrimination. The relevance of social norms is that they determine the nature of conduct and character of people as they profoundly influence the socialization process.
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