Social norms operate through common-knowledge approval and disapproval rather than enforcement.
Evidence
That a pattern of behaviour is a civil norm in a certain group means that nearly every relevant party conforms to it, nearly every party approves of conformity and or disapproves of deviation, and this approval-cum-disapproval helps to promote or secure the behaviour; moreover, it usually means that those conditions are a matter of common knowledge in the group. — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 1288
Categorization
- DEFINE: Precise definition of what a functioning civil norm is — useful because the reader’s solidarity research hinges on norm-based rather than sanction-based cohesion.
- XREF: connects to: The empire of law works only when informal social norms sustain legal compliance. — Frank Lovett, Republicanism, 66; Social norm effects hinge on beliefs that others will enforce them. — Ernst Fehr, Third-Party Punishment and Social Norms, 28; Social norms persist because group members have interests in sanctioning violators — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 270 (+4 more)
Broader Connections
- Social norm effects hinge on beliefs that others will enforce them.
#contradicts(0.90) — Ernst Fehr, Third-Party Punishment and Social Norms, 28 - Norms work mainly through external sanctions, not internalized motivation
#contradicts(0.90) — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 168 - Social norms persist because group members have interests in sanctioning violators
#contradicts(0.85) — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 270 - Social norms exercise overwhelming force over even trained observers of behavior
#contradicts(0.85) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1507 - Costly norm enforcement by unaffected bystanders reveals strong reciprocity.
#contradicts(0.80) — Ernst Fehr, Third-Party Punishment and Social Norms, 2 - Social norm enforcement may be a defining trait of humanity.
#qualifies(0.70) — Ernst Fehr, Third-Party Punishment and Social Norms, 4