Differentiating Folkways and Mores in Social Norms

Every society has unwritten rules that guide how people behave in everyday situations. These rules, known as social norms, shape our interactions, from how we greet strangers to how we respond to serious ethical dilemmas. Among these social norms, two concepts stand out as fundamental to understanding human behavior: folkways and mores. Understanding the distinction between these two types of norms is essential for anyone studying social dynamics, including healthcare professionals who navigate complex social environments daily.

What are social norms? 🔗

Social norms are the shared expectations and rules that guide behavior within a group or society. These rules can exist as both formal and informal expectations that community members enforce through various means. While formal norms include written laws and regulations, informal norms operate through social pressure, approval, and disapproval. Informal social control relies on peer opinion and everyday interactions to ensure people conform to dominant values rather than relying on official punishments.

The terms “folkways” and “mores” were both introduced to sociology by American sociologist William Graham Sumner in his influential 1906 book “Folkways.” Sumner’s work examined how customary behaviors and moral practices regulate social conduct, and his terminology remains central to sociological discourse today.

Folkways: the informal customs of everyday life 🔗

Folkways are informal norms that govern routine, casual interactions in daily life. These are norms for more routine or casual interaction, including appropriate greetings and proper dress in different situations. Think of folkways as the social lubricant that makes everyday interactions run smoothly without explicit rules.

Characteristics of folkways 🔗

Folkways are informal social rules that are expected to be followed, but violating them does not result in punishment because they lack a moral component. They emerge naturally through repeated group behavior over time rather than being consciously designed. Key characteristics include:

Spontaneous origin: Folkways develop unconsciously through habitual actions within a community. People follow them without necessarily thinking about why.

No moral significance: While violating a folkway might be considered impolite or awkward, it is not viewed as morally wrong. Folkways are customs that are not morally significant but remain important for social acceptance.

Mild sanctions: Breaking folkways typically results in mild social disapproval. You might receive a strange look, a gentle correction, or feel social embarrassment, but nothing more severe.

Examples of folkways 🔗

Common examples of folkways include appropriate dress codes for various occasions, table manners and eating etiquette, greeting behaviors like handshakes or waves, queuing in lines, maintaining appropriate personal space, and workplace customs such as the five-day work week. In healthcare settings, folkways might include how staff members address patients, the informal communication patterns between colleagues, or the unwritten rules about break room behavior.

Mores: the moral boundaries of society 🔗

Mores (pronounced “MOR-ays”) represent a more serious category of social norms. Mores are norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance. They embody a society’s fundamental values about right and wrong, and violations provoke strong negative reactions from the community.

Characteristics of mores 🔗

Mores are also informal rules that are not written down, but violating them can lead to punishment and social exclusion because doing so is considered immoral. The key features that distinguish mores include:

Moral weight: Mores carry deep moral significance tied to collective notions of good and evil. They reflect what a society considers fundamentally right or wrong.

Sense of obligation: People feel a strong internal obligation to observe mores. Breaking them is not just uncomfortable-it feels wrong.

Severe consequences: Violations of mores can result in strong negative reactions including moral outrage, ostracism, or formal sanctions. In some cases, mores become codified into laws with legal penalties.

Examples of mores 🔗

Examples of mores include prohibitions against lying, cheating, and stealing; expectations of honesty and fidelity in relationships; respect for elders and parents; and norms around appropriate sexual behavior. In healthcare, mores encompass professional ethics such as maintaining patient confidentiality, obtaining informed consent, and never deliberately harming a patient.

Key differences between folkways and mores 🔗

Understanding the distinction between these two types of norms is crucial for navigating social situations effectively. Mores distinguish the difference between right and wrong, while folkways draw a line between right and rude. This fundamental distinction affects every aspect of how these norms function in society.

Intensity of reaction: Folkway breaches elicit mild disapproval or embarrassment, while mores violations provoke deep moral condemnation and outrage.

Flexibility: Folkways tend to be more flexible and can change relatively quickly with shifting social customs. Mores are more resistant to change because they are tied to core values.

Enforcement mechanisms: Folkways are enforced through informal social pressure like raised eyebrows or gossip. Mores may be enforced through serious social sanctions, exclusion from the community, or even legal consequences when they overlap with laws.

Cultural variation: While both folkways and mores vary across cultures, folkways show greater variation in everyday customs, whereas core mores around issues like harm and honesty show more cross-cultural consistency.

The role in social control 🔗

Both folkways and mores function as mechanisms of informal social control, helping maintain order and predictability in social life. The main purpose of informal social control is to regulate behavior and enforce social norms so that society stays stable, orderly, and predictable.

How folkways maintain social order 🔗

Folkways create predictability in everyday interactions. When everyone follows the same customs around greetings, dress, and daily routines, social life becomes smoother and less confusing. People know what to expect from others, reducing friction and misunderstandings.

How mores protect core values 🔗

Mores guard the fundamental moral principles that hold communities together. By establishing clear boundaries around serious ethical matters, mores protect individuals from harm and maintain trust within the group. The strong reactions to mores violations serve as powerful deterrents.

Relevance for healthcare professionals 🔗

For nursing students and healthcare professionals, understanding folkways and mores has practical significance. Healthcare settings involve complex social environments where multiple norm systems interact.

Professional socialization: Entering the nursing profession involves learning both the folkways of healthcare settings (informal communication patterns, unwritten workplace customs) and the mores that govern ethical practice (patient confidentiality, professional boundaries, honesty).

Patient interactions: Healthcare professionals must navigate patients’ diverse cultural folkways while respecting universal mores around dignity and care. What constitutes a polite greeting or appropriate family involvement may vary (folkways), but the fundamental obligation to protect patient welfare remains constant (mores).

Ethical decision-making: Distinguishing between folkways and mores helps healthcare professionals prioritize appropriately. While adapting to different folkways shows cultural sensitivity, mores related to patient safety and professional ethics must never be compromised.

Evolution of folkways and mores 🔗

Neither folkways nor mores are static. Both evolve in response to social changes, though at different rates. What was once a serious more may become a mere folkway over time, and vice versa. For instance, attitudes toward certain social behaviors have shifted dramatically across generations.

Societal changes including urbanization, globalization, and technological advancement continuously reshape normative frameworks. New folkways emerge around technology use, while debates continue about which behaviors should be considered mores worthy of strong social enforcement.

When folkways become mores 🔗

Sometimes, repeated adherence to a folkway over generations can elevate it to the status of a more. As a practice becomes increasingly tied to group identity and moral significance, the consequences for violation become more severe. Sumner himself noted that folkways and mores exist on a continuum, with practices moving between categories as their moral weight changes.

Conversely, some behaviors once considered serious mores have become mere folkways as social attitudes change. Understanding this dynamic nature helps explain why norm violations that upset older generations may seem trivial to younger people, and why social change often involves conflict over which norms should be enforced and how strictly.

What do you think? Consider the folkways and mores operating in your own community or workplace. Are there behaviors that people treat as serious violations even though they are not illegal? How do informal social norms shape your daily interactions in ways you might not consciously notice?

References

1. https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Introduction_to_Sociology/Sociology_(Boundless)/03:_Culture/3.02:_The_Symbolic_Nature_of_Culture/3.2J:_Folkways_and_Mores
2. https://www.simplypsychology.org/informal-social-control.html
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Graham_Sumner
4. https://helpfulprofessor.com/mores-vs-folkways-similarities-differences/
5. https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/ccj230/chapter/1-3-folkways-mores-taboo-behaviors/
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mores
7. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/social-sciences-and-law/sociology-biographies/william-graham-sumner