Importance of Norms and Values Essay Example

an individual in his or her endeavors of undertaking an action considers if it acceptable by relating it to norms in terms of its acceptability as being right. Thirdly, a norm maintains social order and provides cohesion in the society, though them are being controls that campaign for cooperativeness and collectiveness which results in a coherent structure in the society. Norms enable an individual to acquire and possess attributes such as self- control through the constraints it imposes on individuals. In the process of conforming and exercising the resultant disciplines over the behaviors by themselves, the self- control attribute is created.

In our case, we will look at the norm of avoiding the violation of one's personal space. This is a norm because it is a rule that is not written anywhere but followed in various societies. There are various ways through which one could invade another's personal space, including taking their time or item without their permission among others. The role of this social rule is to enlighten on respecting other people's space, be it their ideas, belongings or time among others. It campaigns upon being courteous and realizing that not everything is for everybody. Apart from respect and courtesy, this social norm is connected to other values such as discipline and it is connected to others norms such as not just saying hello to everyone and anyone for instance in a public place which might prove to be awkward and absurd. It is also connected to the norm which disapproves the use of someone else’s item without permission just because he or she is your friend.

I once violated this norm of not violating one's

personal space by interacting with a stranger I met in the park. I constantly went on telling him stories while he smiled all the time thinking he was interested only to learn later that he wished I had kept quiet just after the greetings. The individuals seated next to us seemed to murmur and backbite me in low tones and eventually laughed out loud when the man I was telling stories to finally stand up and discredited me for the disturbances I caused. The guard had to warn me to stop causing disruption, failure which I would be evicted from the park. I wished I had heard, learnt earlier from another socialization instant such as one with my family members who are my primary socializers or my friends.