A civil norm requires both widespread conformity and public approval of conformity

Evidence

Rules are conceived and spoken of as imposing obligations when the general demand for conformity is insistent and the social pressure brought to bear upon those who deviate or threaten to deviate is great. — HLA Hart, The Concept of Law (Clarendon Law…, 299 (#expands, via linked claim)

An aspect of the question alluded to elsewhere of “Dilettantism and Discipline”, 250 from the point of view of the organising centre of a grouping is that of the “continuity” which tends to create a “tradition”—understood of course in an active and not a passive sense: as continuity in continuous development, but “organic development”. This problem contains in a nutshell the entire “juridical problem”, i.e. the problem of assimilating the entire grouping to its most advanced fraction; it is a problem of education of the masses, of their “adaptation” in accordance with the requirements of the goal to be achieved. This is precisely the function of law in the State and in society; through “law” the State renders the ruling group “homogeneous”, and tends to create a social conformism which is useful to the ruling group’s line of development. The general activity of law (which is wider than purely State and governmental activity and also includes the activity involved in directing civil society, in those zones which the technicians of law call legally neutral—i.e. in morality and in custom generally) serves to understand the ethical problem better, in a concrete sense. — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 800 (#qualifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Obligation arises when social pressure and general demand for conformity are intense — HLA Hart, The Concept of Law (Clarendon Law…, 299; Law functions to make the ruling group homogeneous and create social conformism — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 800; Restoring beauty requires public understanding, not just legislation — Freeman Tilden, Interpreting Our Heritage, 619

Related

• Law functions to make the ruling group homogeneous and create social conformism (similarity 0.85)
• Obligation arises when social pressure and general demand for conformity are intense (similarity 0.83)
• Conformity benefits both individuals and societies and does not imply weakness (similarity 0.78)
• The state educates populations by shaping customs beyond formal legal sanction. (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Obligation arises when social pressure and general demand for conformity are intense #expands (0.72) — HLA Hart, The Concept of Law (Clarendon Law…, 299
• Law functions to make the ruling group homogeneous and create social conformism #qualifies (0.70) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 800