Social Norms In The United States

Social norms set a standard for behavior and can influence the behaviors and actions of people in different social situations. Social norms differ from one culture to the next, and they can be modified over an extended period of time. Social norms can also change based on the subcultures of people and their location (GoodTherapy). With social norms come different types of subcultures as well as sanctions and consequences to go along with them.
There are many types of social norms that exist in the United States. Some examples of public social norms in the United States would be shaking hands when meeting someone and keeping eye contact when speaking with someone; stopping at stop signs or red lights, and going when the light is green or when it is the person’s right-of-way; and being punctual. There are also social norms that people follow in the classrooms such as not listening to music while the teacher is speaking, not being on a digital or mobile device, and coming to class with the necessary items (books, pens/pencils, notebooks, etc.) (YourDictionary). People in the United States also have the social culture of being informal (dress, actions, etc.) and individualistic.

In the United States, individuality is very important to the country’s culture.

This is a very prominent social norm. Many Americans tend to view themselves as their own person before they associate themselves with their family or the United States. From a young age, children are taught that individuality is extremely important as long as he or she does not defy any social norms. Numerous adult Americans believe that being unique and having different abilities can improve the country. In many countries, American individualism is viewed as ill-mannered, although American individualism is not as it always seems

(UCSF).
Social norms can be positive, or they can be negative. Two examples of negative social norms are sexism and racism. Many unspoken social norms may not have strong reasoning behind the rule’s existence. This makes it difficult to make these rules into a law. Often, as social norms change, many people hold on to the norms they have become accustomed to (GoodTherapy). A positive social norm is how people rush to help others in immediate need. For instance, if someone became trapped beneath a burning vehicle, there is a chance that a few brave bystanders may rush to lift the car while another person pulls the injured individual out.
When social norms are violated, they tend to result in a social sanction. The kind of social norms broken depends on the resulting sanction or consequence. There are different kinds of sanctions for different kinds of deviance – the violation of social standards. For example, if someone runs a red light, or stop sign, they will most likely be ticketed or fined. This is an example of a formal deviance, or the violation of authorized laws put in place by a government. If a student came into a classroom without the proper supplies and did not focus on the lesson, they are participating in informal deviance – the violation of the unspoken and accepted social standards (Boundless, 2016).
There are also consequences for going against the standard social norms. Depending on which social norms are broken, people may become emotionally distressed and begin to regard those who broke the norm with a cool demeanor. If someone breaks a social norm that has become a written law, the consequence may be that the offender must be punished in some manner. The punishment may be accompanied by public disgrace. The offender will most likely have to pay money, do community service or jail time, or may have to pay the ultimate price—a subject that is currently being reviewed in many states.
Social norms are located all over the world. They are different in each corner of the globe. Social norms vary from country to country. From the smallest ideas to the biggest actions, social norms are there.