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In recent years, norms, normalities, and normativities have been disrupted. Although the idea of'normal'is local and subjective, norms are essential to social and collective behaviours, thus the meanings, ideologies, and relationships of power that structure those behaviours. At the same time, the disruption of norms can create disagreements about what is'normal'and inspire novel ways of being. This volume explores – from various discourse-analytic perspectives – the complex relationships between norms and discourse, and draws attention to the thematically and methodologically pluralistic work in Discourse Studies investigating these relationships across various social domains.

This book proposes the study of norms as a method of explaining human choice and behaviour by introducing a new scientific perspective.The science of norms may here be broadly understood as a social science which includes elements from both the behavioural and legal sciences. It is given that a science of norms is not normative in the sense of prescribing what is right or wrong in various situations. Compared with legal science, sociology of law has an interest in the operational side of legal rules and regulation. This book develops a synthesizing social science approach to better understand societal development in the wake of the increasingly significant digital technology. The underlying idea is that norms as expectations today are not primarily related to social expectations emanating from human interactions but come from systems that mankind has created for fulfilling its needs. Today the economy, via the market, and technology via digitization, generate stronger and more frequent expectations than the social system. By expanding the sociological understanding of norms, the book makes comparisons between different parts of society possible and creates a more holistic understanding of contemporary society. The book will be of interest to academics and researchers in the areas of sociology of law, legal theory, philosophy of law, sociology and social psychology.

How Groups Encourage Misbehavior explores the psychological and social processes by which groups develop a tolerance for and even encourage misbehavior. Drawing from decades of research on social, cognitive and organizational psychology, as well as a deep well of historical research, this book shows how commitment to groups, organizations and movements can turn moral individuals into amoral agents.Pulling together what have been traditionally distinct areas of study, How Groups Encourage Misbehavior provides a detailed and unified account of how good organizations go bad and how groups of all types can push otherwise honest and upright individuals to behave in ways that violate laws and social norms. This text describes how social norms, rationalization, the characteristics of formal and informal groups, attachment to groups and organizations, and the structure of organizational life can all contribute to misbehavior. Each chapter includes one or more sidebar discussions of relevant and interesting examples to illustrate the ways groups and organizations encourage and support misbehavior. The final two chapters discuss how many of these same attributes and processes can be used to encourage positive behaviors and foster recovery from dysfunctional and corrupt cultures and modes of behavior.A valuable text for a broad range of psychology courses, How Groups Encourage Misbehavior will especially appeal to practitioners, scholars, and students interested in ethics in organizations and the intersection between social psychology and organizational behavior.

A celebrated social psychologist offers a radical new perspective on cultural differences that reveals why some countries, cultures, and individuals take rules more seriously and how following the rules influences the way we think and act.In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, Michele Gelfand, “an engaging writer with intellectual range” (The New York Times Book Review), takes us on an epic journey through human cultures, offering a startling new view of the world and ourselves. With a mix of brilliantly conceived studies and surprising on-the-ground discoveries, she shows that much of the diversity in the way we think and act derives from a key difference—how tightly or loosely we adhere to social norms. Just as DNA affects everything from eye color to height, our tight-loose social coding influences much of what we do. Why are clocks in Germany so accurate while those in Brazil are frequently wrong? Why do New Zealand's women have the highest number of sexual partners? Why are red and blue states really so divided? Why was the Daimler-Chrysler merger ill-fated from the start? Why is the driver of a Jaguar more likely to run a red light than the driver of a plumber's van? Why does one spouse prize running a tight ship while the other refuses to sweat the small stuff? In search of a common answer, Gelfand spent two decades conducting research in more than fifty countries. Across all age groups, family variations, social classes, businesses, states, and nationalities, she has identified a primal pattern that can trigger cooperation or conflict. Her fascinating conclusion: behavior is highly influenced by the perception of threat. “A useful and engaging take on human behavior” (Kirkus Reviews) with an approach that is consistently riveting, Rule Makers, Ruler Breakers thrusts many of the puzzling attitudes and actions we observe into sudden and surprising clarity.

The Sociology Reference Guide series is designed to provide a solid foundation for the research of various sociological topics.

The Sociology Reference Guide series is designed to provide a solid foundation for the research of various sociological topics. This volume provides a theoretical and methodological introduction to the study of deviance and the violation of social norms. While deviance is generally defined as nonconformity to a set of norms that are accepted in a given community, the very nature of what constitutes a norm is constantly evolving, as is society's comprehension of and response to deviance.

Societies and groups attribute greater value to some behaviours and some judgments. These'norms'are what is most important for understanding how behaviours and judgments are socially regulated. The approach presented examines in particular the social foundations of our judgments.