Norms Of Society Essay

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Recommended: Social norms within cultures

Parker Berman
Jon Weller
Short Stories
13 February 2014
The “Norms” of Society

The thought of society today can really boggle ones mind. There is a strict set of rules put in place that everyone has to follow, as well as authority that people look up to. Depending on the society, rules can dictate the morality of the people.
However, there are differences based on the society that becomes ones norm. What is considered lawful and civilized in one country, may seem morally wrong in another. Wealth, education, and advancement of a country due to natural resources etc. have influenced the development of its people and society. Third world countries, for example, lack education and money for some of the most basic needs. This sparks corruption, and the need for survival outweighs any law that an average american would consider morally right. Is this where the savage man’s instinct for self preservation take over? According to Rousseau, when there is no compassion, there is no balance in society.
Overtime, the rules have been bended a lot. For centuries, black people had only existed in the eyes of a white american for the sole purpose of slavery. The fact that generations of people were born into a lifestyle that involved slaves meant that those people knew no other way of living. Slavery became a part of everyday life, because society as a whole accepted it for a long period of time. Almost two centuries were spent trying to change what society thought about blacks. Once the majority of the people agree that one idea is right, changing it is close to impossible.
Society seems to have improved through time, but has not yet reached the point of perfection in which everyone is happy. The truth is, not everyone will always be hap...

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...ple is affected by the laws and lifestyles that they follow. Many dislike the idea of change, and reject any new ideas that could alter their societies norm. Civil rights, homosexual relationships, and religious beliefs are three prime examples of how society has been changed over the course of time. Rousseau contradicted himself, stating that religion keeps the peace, however the most bloody battles in history have been over religious beliefs. Change will be adapted to one way or another, even if the morality of the people is set on two different sides. Time, politics, and war will depict the present and the future of society as a whole.

Work Cited

"discourse on Inequality." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.

Volmer, Mary. Crown of dust. New York: Soho Press, 2010. Print.

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