According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, social norms are the informal rules that govern behavior in groups and societies. Social norms have a huge impact on society, whether it is positive or negative. It can control whether a person chooses to take action in a situation or be ignorant to the case. It can control what we think or believe in. It even has the power to influence our habits and attitudes and control our lives by influencing our everyday actions. The question is why do we let it?
One example of how societal norms influence choices is a more common practice occurring in today’s world. That is the choice and act of recording drama. This includes fights between two or more people (including physical or verbal conflict), instead of doing anything to stop or prevent the quarrel from happening right in front of them, just for some views or likes. Attention really. The sole fact that people in today’s society who do nothing, bystanders, and people who pull out their cell phones and begin recording have become normalized/desensitized is gravely disappointing and frustrating. I myself, thankfully, haven’t been a part of or experienced this. However, I have had people tell me about their own experiences, including my teacher, Mr. Cross.
One day during class, Mr. Cross told the class and me about his unexpected and preposterous encounter with a brick-throwing man. He explained that the event occurred in HELL’S KITCHEN in Manhattan, New York, right after he had finished picking up his freshly dried clean clothes. As he was walking down the street he saw a homeless man holding a brick, who looked ready to launch it at him. Noticing this my teacher dropped his dry cleaned clothes on the ground and quickly darted back in the opposite direction. However, as he was walking back he saw a man wearing a black hoodie who, unlike him, wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings and was knocked down by the brick swung at him. The homeless man had scurried away right after the incident occurred; however, Mr. Cross wasn’t going to let him escape and hastily chased after him.
He told us how even though many people saw him running after the man who had hit the victim in the head, they did nothing and just stood by. If it weren’t for Mr. Cross the man would have probably fled away and avoided being caught. Thankfully though, the assailant was charged with assault and taken to a hospital for a psychiatric assessment after being taken into custody by the authorities. This demonstrates how people in society will often be inclined to follow or lean on pluralistic ignorance, or the normative behavior that occurs when a group of people come to a non-verbal agreement to do nothing. More specifically, “pluralistic ignorance is a social phenomenon where no one speaks up about a prevailing opinion or situation, which leads to the assumption that others have reached a mutual, inaudible agreement to stay silent when, in actuality, the majority are just too afraid, confused or slow to take action,” as stated by lowentropy.org.
This is why people must learn to take action, speak up, and be aware of their surroundings despite what other people/society may think or say because, at the end of the day, it is your opinion that matters not theirs.
As you may know, social norms are a key element of culture — along with language, values and beliefs, symbols, and rituals — and they exist in all human culture. One reason negative social norms are a problem is their influence on toxic socio-culture and this culture’s impact on mental health. In accordance with the National Library of Medicine, the prevalence rates for major depression extended from 2 to 19 percent across countries, to which cultural and social factors seemed to have been larger contributors to the mental illness, alongside poverty and violence. However, social and cultural factors have had the most influence on post-traumatic disorder, with communities of extreme pre-immigration* exposure to trauma having shocking rates of PTSD.
Another reason negative social norms are an issue is their impact on inequality and discrimination. This can apply to cultures here in the U.S. and outside the U.S. For instance, here in the U.S. gender norms can impact the power dynamics in how society views male and female gender roles. This can drive male privilege, the discriminatory treatment of females, and limit what girls or boys can do, whether it is educational or career-related. In Islamic and Christian cultures, gender norms can have the power to deprive young girls of their education, voting rights, and participation/inclusion in social events or gatherings. They view women as inferior and in some countries or cultures, the gap between men and women is quite large leading to the unfair treatment of women and giving them a disadvantage when pursuing a career.
One important example of how gender norms have impacted the U.S. can be dated back to the 1920s during the women’s suffrage movement (1848-1920). The entire conflict occurred when the 15th amendment was created and male African Americans were granted the right to vote, while women were still restricted from voting. Two very important people who played a major role in starting the suffrage movement were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. They were the first to hold the women’s rights convention declaring their demands in the Declaration of Sentiments, which advocated for a better education, career opportunities, and to have married women be able to manage their own wages and property, and the right to vote. This inspired many and encouraged women to protest against the unfair treatment women had been a part of for so long. In 1869, two major women’s organizations were established: the National Woman’s Suffrage Association, which opposed the 15th Amendment due to the exclusion of women, and the American Woman Suffrage Association, which supported the 15th Amendment and disapproved of the NWSA’s direct course of action and wanted women to gain the right to vote at a local and state levels. In 1890, though, both organizations came together and formed the largest women’s suffrage organization in the country renamed the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Many women and suffragists who supported the organization marched down streets to protest, made petitions, and even went to prison as a form of demonstrating the injustices placed on women. This included Susan B. Anthony, who voted and refused to pay the $100 fine.
People including Frederick Douglas, a former leader of the abolition movement, and his family even participated in the women’s suffrage events. Some notable women who were a part of this movement include Sojourner Truth who is known for her impactful and famous speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” and was both an activist and abolitionist. Ida B. Wells-Barnet who was a civil rights advocate and feminist who was also against lynching or the practice of killing someone often by public hanging on a tree, typically occurred to African Americans without a legal trial. Finally, on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified guaranteeing women the right to vote.
Finally, negative social norms can impact poverty. With great gender discrimination comes great poverty. Given the fact that women are not able to work or receive education, many face poverty and aren’t able to receive the income they need to live a debt-free life. People with disabilities and older people are struggling financially because of the economic discrimination of these norms.
In order to solve or change these negative social norms we must all as one society change these norms to be more inclusive, positive, and supportive/responsive. By engaging in positive peer pressure, identifying and impeding these negative social norms, and practicing and spreading positive ones we can start changing the world one norm at a time.
Image Credit: Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash with edits by Rubí Calderon
Rubí Calderon – The Hotchkiss School – DMSF Class of 2028