SOC 201 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: William Graham Sumner
Document Summary
Having observed lots of norm violations and responses to norm violators in many societies, social scientists realized that there were different categories of norms. In his book folkways (1906), sociologist william graham sumner divided norms into two categories: folkways. These represent casual norms; violations are not taken very seriously. For example, when riding in an elevator, face the door; do not look at strangers" faces, do not enter into strangers" conversations. At worst, the punishment for violating a folkway might be a dirty look, rolled eyes, or disapproving comment: mores. Mores reflect important rules, such as the norms against unjustified assaults on other persons. Later, sociologists added a third category: taboos. There are norms that are so deeply held that even the thought of violating them upsets people. For example, in the united states, there is a taboo against eating human flesh.
