Leah Coon

10/06/15
Journal 3
In William Graham Sumners Folkways and Ethical Relativism, a clear distinction is
drawn between folkways and mores based on instinct and consequence. Both are mostly
unconsciously learned by existing in an environment in which they are necessary. This means
that in another place, the folkways and mores would be different. Furthermore, the two are both
passed down based upon practice and lessons learned by earlier generations. They represent how
things are done and how they have always been done. They can also escalate into laws and
overall are based off how society views certain actions and ideas. However, while they are very
similar, there are several key differences.
Folkways began as a method of survival. They are behaviors that are dictated by basic
needs and the desire to succeed in the world on a primitive level. Even if there is no longer a
basis for them, they are still things that have developed into societal norms. Folkways are
essentially traditions and customs that should be followed, but do not necessarily need to be.
Folkways also seem to arise from things like superstition and religion. They dictate what is right,
though not doing them does not necessarily make a person wrong or bad. Furthermore, in
another society they could be completely different. Folkways are absolutely relative to the place
and people that they were created to appease, and do not decree a universal truth or right. They
seem to be much more specific to culture than mores, as well as being more applicable to casual
settings because they are so unconsciously acted upon. An example of a folkway would be
shaking hands with someone when you greet them, or holding a door open for the person behind
you. While not doing either of these things would be considered rude, it would not cause any sort

of real punishment. Folkways do affect how society views you, but thats primarily because they
are behaviors that are familiar, rather than specifically good or bad.
On the other hand, mores have much more to do with good or bad. The consequences for
violating a more is often much more severe than that of a folkway. Mores have to do with
societal taboos rather than just customs, and are so deeply ingrained that people feel very
strongly about them. Whether or not mores are right or wrong on a completely objective level
cant be truly determined, but they are seen as such in society. Continually, mores are more
learned than folkways. They are widely known throughout the society, but they do not always
come instinctually. Essentially, mores are the moral values that people believe. Morals can be a
particularly sensitive topic for many, especially when based off of things like religion. Thus, it
makes sense for mores to have a more detrimental effect on a person when they are violated. An
example of a more based on religion could perhaps be that of gay marriage. For a long time, it
was a more that marriage was between a man and a women. This has changed recently and was
set in stone by the Supreme Court decision. While I feel that all sexualities should absolutely be
accepted and am glad for the change, some people still feel as if its wrong and their rights are
being violated. The traditional regulations of marriage are no longer applicable in a modern
sense, but because they were held in place for so long, the change has come with much difficulty.
People have been killed over sexuality, thus exhibiting the consequences that going against a
more can have. Conclusively, feelings about mores can escalate much more quickly than those
about folkways.