MCAT Basics (from MedSchoolCoach) Social Norms & Deviance
Apr 29, 2025
Explore the intriguing world of social norms and deviance. Discover how folkways, mores, and taboos shape societal values, and learn about anomie, the breakdown of these norms. Delve into collective behaviors like fads and mass hysteria, exemplified by the famous Orson Welles broadcast. Analyze different theories explaining deviance, including labeling and strain theory, and observe how weak community ties influence crime. This engaging discussion connects theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios, making it highly relevant and thought-provoking.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Norms Are Relative To Society
- Social norms are society-specific informal or formal rules that guide expected behavior.
- Deviance is any behavior that breaks these norms and depends on cultural context.
Folkways Are Low-Stakes Rules
- Folkways are informal, low-stakes norms whose violation isn't morally condemned.
- Examples include texting back within a day or facing the elevator door, and breaking them seems odd but not immoral.
Mores Versus Taboos
- Mores are informal norms tied to morality and offend the culture when violated.
- Taboos are stronger moral prohibitions often producing extreme disgust or banishment.
