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VALUES

Values are individual beliefs that motivate people to act one way or

another. They serve as a guide for human behavior. Generally, people are

predisposed to adopt the values that they are raised with. People also tend to

believe that those values are “right” because they are the values of their

particular culture. A value is what is considered important in life, what makes

life worth living. A values is also something that help us decide what is right or

wrong in moral term. There are different kinds of values such as social,

personal, universal, moral, spiritual, cultural etc

I. What are the values in life?

There are different kinds of values such as social, personal,

universal, moral, spiritual, cultural etc.

Friendship, patience, tolerance and love can be consider as social

values. Honesty, creativity, imagination and excellence can be consider

as personal values. Peace, human dignity, equal human rights and

freedom can be consider as universal values. Respect to others and

ourselves, keep promises, show gratitude to others, encourage others are

moral values. Purity, piety, meditation, self-discipline, self-control,

devotion to god can be consider as spiritual values. Cultural values

allows us to situate ourselves in relation to the society we live in.

All these values are important in life to achieve success and live

healthy, happily, trusty.

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II. What are examples of values?

Here are some examples of core values from which you may wish to

choose:

A. Dependability

Dependability is an important quality for a worker to possess

because it enhances a wide variety of job performance

categories. A dependable employee not only shows up for work

on time everyday but also produces consistent work and can

apply company policies and business strategies evenly to each

task and assignment.

B. Reliability

Reliability is the degree of consistency of a measure. A test

will be reliable when it gives the same repeated result under the

same conditions.

C. Loyalty

Being faithful to what you believe is right and not giving up

on yourself. Being loyal to yourself is something people always

forget about. Not changing who you are because of what

someone else says about you is a good way to be loyal to

yourself.

As the definition says being loyal to others is to follow

through with what you say you will do for that person or to a

commitment you made to someone else.

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Being loyal can overlap being loyal to yourself and to others.

Maybe you have a commitment with another person that

includes yourself. You don’t want to break that commitment as

it will make you seem disloyal. Loyalty could be the most

important value that someone possesses or believes.

D. Commitment

Commitment is one of the values that underpin strong and

mutually beneficial relationships. People who can maintain

strong relationships rank high in their emotional intelligence

and they are the most likely to fulfill their commitments or stay

committed. This is so because it takes emotional competence to

sacrifice time, to exercise considerable will, and to exert

substantial effort. People who value commitments are highly

skilled in managing relationships, especially in the area of

interpersonal effectiveness, conflict management, building

bonds, building trust, teamwork and collaboration.

Commitment is also a personal thing. It is a strong indicator

of a self-discipline, resilience and persistence. It is a value that

differentiates the stout- hearted from the weak. People who are

committed, do their very best even outside their comfort zones.

They hurdle difficulties to fulfill their commitments not only to

others but also to themselves. Because they are focused, their

choices in life are clearer and they know their way towards their
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goals. People who are not committed lack focus and usually end

up with many hazy choices. They struggle in sacrificially

working towards their dreams and in holding on to it. They lack

competence in self-management, especially in the areas of:

integrity, achievement drive, realistic optimism, resilience and

integrity.

E. Open-mindedness

Open-mindedness is receptiveness to new ideas. Open-

mindedness relates to the way in which people approach the

views and knowledge of others, and in the words of Dean

Tjosvold "incorporate the beliefs that others should be free to

express their views and that the value of others' knowledge

should be recognized."

F. Consistency

People value consistency in their leaders. Consistency

removes uncertainty and leads to trust. Trust, in turn, leads to

influence.

Most of us have had the experience of working for people

who were hot and cold; one day they were one way and the next

day another. We didn’t feel secure in their leadership because,

in actuality, we didn’t know who they were.

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And, since we didn’t know who they were, we didn’t know

what they were going to do, or where we stood with them from

one day to the next.

While we might have had to comply with their orders and

with their moods, we were probably not as committed to them

as leaders as we might otherwise would have been. Thus, their

ability to influence us was lacking.

G. Honesty

Honesty is a facet of moral character that connotes positive

and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness,

straightforwardness, including straightforwardness of conduct,

along with the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc. Honesty

also involves being trustworthy, loyal, fair, and sincere.

Honesty is valued in many ethnic and religious cultures.

"Honesty is the best policy" is a proverb of Edwin Sandys,

while the quote "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of

wisdom" is attributed to Thomas Jefferson, as used in a

letter to Nathaniel Macon. April 30 is national Honesty Day

in the United States.

H. Efficiency

Obtaining the best possible outcome in the least wasteful

manner by maintaining dynamic, relevant policies and

procedures while consistently supporting a quality workforce.

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III. Three types of Values

a. Personal values: values endorsed by an individual. For example,

some people regard family as their most important values, and

structure their lives so that they can spend more time with their

family. Other people might value success instead, and give less

time to their families in order to achieve their goals.

b. Moral values: values that help determine what is morally right or

wrong, e.g. freedom, fairness, equality, etc, well-being. Those which

are used to evaluate social institutions are sometimes also known

as political values.

c. Aesthetic values: values associated with the evaluation of artwork

or beauty.

IV. What are your personal values?

Living by your personal values sounds easy—at least in theory.

Your values, after all, are simply the things that are important to you

in life, so it should be natural to live by them.

And yet so many of us don’t consistently live by our values. Have

you ever been in any of these situations?

Someone said or did something that you strongly disagreed with,

but you didn’t speak up about it and felt ashamed afterwards.

You set goals for yourself and then failed to meet them.

Your life or career haven’t worked out the way you wanted them to.
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What you want often clashes with what you've got to do or what’s

“practical.”

You’re so busy pleasing other people that you’re not even sure

what your own true values are.

If any of these resonate with you, then this tutorial will help you.

In it, you’ll learn what personal values are and why they’re important.

Then we’ll go through all the steps involved in defining and

prioritising your values, changing them as necessary, and living by

them so that your actions are aligned with your values.

When you live by your values, you feel better about yourself and

are more focused on doing the things that are important to you. In

this tutorial, you’ll see how to achieve that.

Personal values are the things that are important to us, the

characteristics and behaviours that motivate us and guide our

decisions.

For example, maybe you value honesty. You believe in being

honest wherever possible and you think it’s important to say what you

really think. When you don’t speak your mind, you probably feel

disappointed in yourself.

Or maybe you value kindness. You jump at the chance to help

other people, and you’re generous in giving your time and resources to

worthy causes or to friends and family.

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Those are just two examples of personal values out of many.

Everyone has their own personal values, and they can be quite

different. Some people are competitive, while others value cooperation.

Some people value adventure, while others prefer security.

Values matter because you’re likely to feel better if you’re living

according to your values and to feel worse if you don’t. This applies

both to day-to-day decisions and to larger life choices.

If you value adventure, for example, you’ll probably feel stifled if

you let yourself be pressured by parents or others into making “safe”

choices like a stable office job and a settled home life. For you, a

career that involves travel, starting your own business, or other

opportunities for risk and adventure may be more appropriate.

On the other hand, if you value security, the opposite applies.

What some people would view as a “dream” opportunity to travel the

world and be your own boss may leave you feeling insecure and

craving a more settled existence.

Everybody is different, and what makes one person happy may

leave another person feeling anxious or disengaged. Defining your

personal values and then living by them can help you to feel more

fulfilled and to make choices that make you happy, even if they don’t

make sense to other people. You’ll see how to go about doing that in

the following sections.

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 How to Define Your Personal Values

What makes you feel good? That’s a good place to start when

figuring out what your values are.

No, “ice cream” isn’t a value. What we’re talking about here

are characteristics or ways of behaving in the world. As we saw

above, someone who values honesty will feel good when they tell

the truth.

Conversely, that same person will feel bad about themselves

when they don’t tell the truth. So negative emotions can also be a

good guide to your values. When have you felt disappointed in

yourself or like you were a fraud? What behaviour led up to that?

Here are some more questions to get you started:

1. What's important to you in life?

2. If you could have any career, without worrying about money or

other practical constraints, what would you do?

3. When you’re reading news stories, what sort of story or

behaviour tends to inspire you?

4. What type of story or behaviour makes you angry?

5. What do you want to change about the world or about yourself?

6. What are you most proud of?

7. When were you the happiest?

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Take a blank sheet of paper and quickly brainstorm some

answers to these questions. Then use those answers as guides

to figuring out your personal values.

In some cases, the values will be easy to figure out. If you wrote

“a loving relationship” in response to the question about what’s

important to you, then “love” is an important personal value for

you. If you wrote “being happy,” then you value happiness.

Others may require a bit more work, though. For example, if

you’re inspired by stories of successful entrepreneurs, maybe you

value determination or achievement, or maybe it’s wealth and

success. If you’re inspired by activists trying to change the world,

maybe you value courage or integrity, or maybe it’s justice or

peace. Try to examine what exactly it is about those stories or

experiences that you relate to.

 List of Personal Values

To help you, here’s a short list of personal values.

1. Achievement

2. Adventure

3. Courage

4. Creativity

5. Dependability

6. Determination
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7. Friendship

8. Health

9. Honesty

10. Independence

11. Integrity

12. Intelligence

13. Justice

14. Kindness

15. Learning

16. Love

17. Peace

18. Perfection

19. Security

20. Simplicity

21. Sincerity

22. Spontaneity

23. Success

24. Understanding

25. Wealth

This is by no means an exhaustive list of personal values. I’m sure you

can think of plenty more. The idea isn't to pick items from a list, but to come

up with your own based on your own experiences and personality, so please
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use these as examples of personal values, but don’t feel limited by them. Let

your imagination run free!

When you’ve finished brainstorming, you may have half a dozen values,

or you may have a huge list of dozens. If you’re in the second camp, try to cut

the list down to something manageable—perhaps ten values that mean the

most to you. If you’re struggling, try assigning scores to each one and then

sorting the list in order.

 How to Prioritise Your Personal Values

Once you’ve come up with a list, it's important to prioritise

your values.

Why? Because prioritising can help you get even closer to

defining what’s important to you.

Your overall list of values may include quite disparate

values. If you value honesty, health, kindness, adventure and half

a dozen other things, it doesn’t give you a clear direction. But if

you put “health” right at the top of your list, you’ll know that

establishing a daily exercise routine and cutting out the junk food

should be priorities for you. If “adventure” is at the top, on the

other hand, maybe planning that trip to South America will come

first.

Ideally, of course, you’ll live according to all the values on

your list. But your time and energy are limited. Prioritising helps
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you to ensure that you’re spending them on the most important

things that'll have the biggest payoff in your life.

So take some time to reorder the items in your list by using

the scoring system we covered in the last section. Or you could

compare each item in turn and ask yourself which you would work

on if you could do only one. Take your time, and keep going until

you end up with a final order you’re happy with.

 How to Live Your Values With Integrity and Use Them to Make

Decisions

Having a list of values on a sheet of paper is nice, but it

doesn’t change anything. To see a difference in your life, you’ll have

to start living by your values. As we’ve seen, that can be easier said

than done. So in this section, we’ll look at how to use your values

to actually live your life and make decisions.

 Use Your Values for Goal Setting

First, let’s look at the big picture. Are you living according to

your values in your life as a whole? Does your career choice reflect

your values? How about your activities outside of work? Are you

spending your time on things that matter to you?

If not, don’t worry—it’s quite common for our lives to diverge

from our values for any number of reasons. Here’s how to get

things back on track.

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For each of your values, make a list of things you could do to

put those values into practice. For example, if you wrote

“Learning,” you could go back to college and do that degree you’ve

always dreamed of. Or you could commit to read a book every week

on a subject that you care about. Or you could take online training

courses or sign up for classes at your local adult education centre.

There are so many possibilities.

Don’t be constrained by practical considerations at this

stage. Just write down possibilities, even if you think you can’t

afford them or don’t have time. Make a list of things you could do

to live by your values.

 Make Decisions According to Your Values

Living your values is about more than the big, long-term goals, however.

It’s also about the small, day-to-day decisions. In the moment, do you react to

situations in ways that align with your values?

If you value compassion, for example, do you regularly display

compassion towards others, or do you sometimes slip into judgment and

blame? If you value health, do you always take care of your body, or do you

sometimes end up eating burgers instead of bulgur?

It’s not always easy to make your actions align with your values.

Anything from force of habit to the lure of immediate gratification can be

powerful enough to make us forget those good intentions and act in ways that

don’t reflect our values.

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You've got many techniques available to you to help you change your

reactions and live more consciously in accordance with your values. For

example, you could:

1. Make a habit of reading your list of values every morning when you wake

up.

2. Visualise the day ahead and plan out how you'll live by your values

throughout the day.

3. Print out your values and keep them close to you to refer to through the

day.

4. Make them the background on your mobile phone or computer.

5. Set up reminders to pop up on your phone.

6. Whenever you find yourself straying from your values, analyse the

situation afterwards and ask yourself what you could have done

differently.

 Possible Barriers to Overcome

So far, it sounds quite simple, doesn’t it? So why do so many of us still

struggle to live according to our values?

Sometimes it’s about lack of clarity or not knowing what your values

really are. The values exercises in this tutorial should deal with that

problem quite effectively.

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But there are other possible barriers, too. What if your personal values

come into conflict with those of your family or the wider society? For

example, you may value tolerance, but the society you live in may stand

quite strongly against tolerance, at least of certain groups.

Or perhaps you're facing a conflict between your personal values and the

practical situation you find yourself in. You may value creativity, but you've

got family members to take care of, so you can’t take the risk of embarking

on an art career. Or you may value honesty, but feel that there are certain

lies you need to tell in order to preserve important relationships, to keep

your job, or whatever else.

These are important barriers, and they're worth reflecting on seriously.

But it’s also worth remembering that there are many ways to live your

values, and you don’t have to reject all compromises and ignore practical

considerations.

For example, it’s quite possible to live according to a value of honesty

while also inserting a caveat like “... as long as my honesty doesn’t hurt

other people.” That would help preserve those important relationships. And

if you've got to be dishonest in order to keep your job, maybe that’s a signal

that, in the long term, you need to find a new job. But in the short term, you

don’t need to get fired by telling your boss exactly what you think. You can

compromise for now, while moving in the long term towards a solution that’s

more in line with your values.

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If your values come into conflict with those of others or the wider society,

you may face some difficulties, but you can still live with integrity in your

own life. If your circumstances allow, you can also fight to change society

according to your own beliefs. Look at many of the heroes of history like

Susan B. Anthony or Martin Luther King, Jr., and you’ll find people whose

personal values came into conflict with those of their time. But if you don’t

feel ready for that kind of struggle, then you could choose to focus on your

own actions and on living according to your own values, without challenging

those around you who live differently.

 How to Adapt and Change Your Values When Needed

Your personal values aren't set in stone. While some of your

core values will probably stay the same throughout your life,

others may change as your life circumstances change or simply as

you get older and start to have a different view of what’s important.

Or even if the values stay the same, the order in which you

prioritise them may shift.

For example, starting a family and having children to take

care of may cause you to value security and financial stability

more highly than you did when you were single. Or a divorce may

result in a renewed desire for freedom and self-discovery.

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So it’s worth checking in regularly to see if your values have

changed. Repeat the process of brainstorming, listing and

prioritising, and see if your results are different.

How often should you do this? At least once a year is

probably a good idea, and any time you go through a major life

change like job loss, bereavement, illness, divorce, etc.

Of course, you’ll also want to keep reading your values and

referring to them much more regularly than once a year, and if at

any time you notice that something just doesn’t feel right any

more, feel free to revise your values then and there.

Once you’ve come up with your new list, re-examine your

goals and rewrite them where necessary to reflect your new or

newly prioritised values. And start using your revised list of values

to inform and direct your daily life, as discussed in the previous

section.

 Five Core Values

1. INTEGRITY. Know and do what is right. Learn more.

2. RESPECT. Treating others the way you want to be treated. Learn

more.

3. RESPONSIBILITY. Embrace opportunities to contribute. Learn more.

4. SPORTSMANSHIP. Bring your best to all competition. Learn more.

5. SERVANT LEADERSHIP. Serve the common good. Learn more.

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 17 Common Values

1. Integrity (Ethics, Honesty)

2. Respect (Trust, Dignity)

3. Excellence (Quality, Performance)

4. Responsibility (Accountability, Commitment)

5. Teamwork (Collaboration, Cooperation)

6. Innovation (Creativity, Ingenuity)

7. Achievement (Results, Success)

8. Fairness (Diversity, Inclusive)

9. Care (Service, Compassion)

10.Passion (Enthusiasm, Fun)

11. Leadership (Influence, Competitive Advantage)

12. Learning (Continuous Improvement, Knowledge)

13. Customers (Customer Satisfaction)

14. People (Employee Engagement)

15.Safety (Health)

16. Community (Corporate Citizenship)

17. Environment (Sustainability)

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 These values are the most important for me to live by and the

ones I want to pass along to my children and everyone in my

life:

1. Appreciation

Appreciation is a key to any relationship. Appreciating

someone makes them feel good about what they do, and

that it makes a difference to their lives. It makes them feel

better about themselves, urging them to go on with new

vigor, strengthening your relationship.

2. Belief in Others

Here are five ways to help others believe in themselves:

1. Encourage them.

2. Simple words of encouragement are among the easiest

and most efficient things that we can do to help other

people believe in themselves. ...

3. Acknowledge the good. ...

4. Challenge them. ...

5. Listen to them. ...

6. Recognize good decision-making.

3. Caring. ...

The definition of caring is someone or something that

shows kindness and concern for others. A person who is

concerned about others and who does kind things for

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them is an example of someone who would be described

as caring.

4. Commitment. ...

Making a commitment involves dedicating yourself to

something, like a person or a cause. Before you make a

commitment, think carefully. A commitment obligates you

to do something. Some commitments are large, like

marriage.

5. Compassion. ...

If someone shows kindness, caring, and a willingness

to help others, they're showing compassion. This is a

word for a very positive emotion that has to do with being

thoughtful and decent. Giving to a charity takes

compassion. ... When you feel compassion for someone,

you really want to help out.

6. Cooperation. ...

Doing and/or working together to achieve a goal(s)

which is frequently a (gaming and/or social) and/or

(economic and/or political) and/or religious goal(s)

Individuals have goals but in order to achieve them

they must join groups of humans which have similar

goals. The smallest cooperative group is the family and

beyond that humanity can be described as pack animals

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trying to achieve common goals and cooperating trying to

achieve them.

Cooperation within a relatively small group assumes a

common morality, common beliefs, similar opinions, and

frequently a similar lifestyle.

Larger political groups have much less in common. There

are different moralities, different beliefs, different

opinions, and widely differing lifestyles yet they must

believe in some fundamental similar goals such as what

just taxation should be. Ultimately the efficiency of a

government depends on a just taxing and welfare system

which distributes money justly to each individual and

group or organization.

Cooperation between groups is made easier if there is a

market flow of information, goods, and services across the

groups in a basically voluntary manner only limited by

the constraints of money.

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Worldwide cooperation is a must to ensure the survival

of biodiversity and the efficient use of the natural

resources of this endangered precious planet.

Worldwide peaceful cooperation will only be possible

with a worldwide secular morality taught everyone in

elementary school. Except in emergency situations-don't

destroy biodiversity, don't lie, don't be inefficient, don't

steal, don't commit adultery if married, and don't

murder!!!!!!

7. Courtesy. ...

Polite behavior that shows respect for other people.

They treated us with courtesy and kindness. He didn't

even have the common courtesy ;he was not even as

polite as people can usually be expected to be to say

goodbye when he left.

8. Dedication.

A person who is dedicated is defined as: devoted to a

task or purpose. Having single minded loyalty or integrity.

V. What is the importance of values?

Our values inform our thoughts, words and actions.

Our values are important because they help us to grow and

develop. They help us to create the future we want to experience.

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Every individual and every organisation is involved in making

hundreds of decisions every day.

VI. What are values in society?

Social values are cultural standards that indicate the general good

deemed desirable for organised social life. These are assumptions o

what is right and important for society. They provide the ultimate

meaning and legitimacy for social arrangements and social behaviour.

They are the abstract sentiments or ideals. An example of an

important social value is, “equality of opportunity”. It is widely

considered to be a desirable end in itself.

The importance of such a value in social life can hardly be

exaggerated. A social value differs from individual value. An individual

value is enjoyed or sought by the individual which a man seeks for

himself. Even though these values are commonly shared, they do not

become social values. As distinct from individual values, a social value

contains a concern for others’ welfare. Social values are organised within

the personality of the individuals. They regulate his thinking and

behaving.

The process of socialization aims to include these values in his

personality, the ethos or fundamental characteristics of any culture are a

reflection of its basic values. Thus if the American culture is dominated

by a belief in material progress, the Indian culture is marked by

spiritualism, the forgetting of self, abandonment of personal desire and

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elimination of the ambition. The “Indian way” is different from the

“American way”.

The differences in social values result in divergent social structures

and patterns of expected behaviour.

 Meaning of Norms:

 Norms are standards of group behaviour:

An essential characteristic of group life is that it is possessed of a set of

values which regulate the behaviour of individual members. As we have seen

already, groups do not drop out of the blue with stabilized relationships among

members. Groups are the products of interaction among individuals.

When a number of individuals interact, a set of standards develop that

regulate their relationships and modes of behaviour. These standards of group

behaviour are called social norms. That brothers and sisters should not have

sexual relations; a child should defer to his parents and an uncle should not

joke with his nephews and nieces are the illustrations of norms which govern

relationships among kinsmen

 Norms incorporate value judgements:

Secord and Buckman say “A norm is a standard of behavioural

expectation shared by group members against which the validity of perceptions

is judged and the appropriateness of feeling and behaviour is

evaluated.”Members of a group exhibit certain regularities in their behaviour.

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This behaviour is considered desirable by the group. Such regularities in

behaviour have been explained in terms of social norms. Norm, in popular

usage, means a standard. In sociology our concern is with social norms, that

is, norms accepted in a group. They represent “standardized generalizations”

concerning expected modes of behaviour.

As standardized generalizations they are concepts which have been

evaluated by the group and incorporate value judgements. Thus it may be said

that norms are based on social values which are justified by moral standards

or aesthetic judgment. A norm is a pattern setting limits on individual

behaviour. As defined by Broom and Selznick, ‘The norms are blueprints for

behaviour setting limits within which individuals may seek alternate ways to

achieve their goals.”Norms do not refer to an average or central tendency of

human beings.

They denote expected behaviour, or even ideal behaviour. Moral values

are attached to them. They are model practices. They set out the normative

order of the group.

 Norms are related to factual world:

It may not, however, be presumed that norms are abstract representing

imaginary construct. Sociologists are interested mainly in “operative” norms,

that is, norms that are sanctioned in such a way that violators suffer penalties

in the group. For example, most of the norms of the Sermon on the Mount,

although often referred to as norms, are not sanctioned; one is not punished

sociality for refusing to “turn the other cheek”.

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Norms in order to be effective must represent correctly the relations

between real events. They must take into account the factual situation. A rule

requiring all men to have two wives would be valueless if the sex ratio did not

permit. Therefore, the normative system, since it is meant to achieve results in

the factual world, should be related to the events in the real world.

 Importance of Norms:

 A normless society is impossibility:

Norms are of great importance to society. It is impossible to imagine a

normless society, because without norms behaviour would be unpredictable.

The standards of behaviour contained in the norms give order to social relation

interaction goes smoothly if the individuals follow the group norms. The

normative order makes the factual order of human society possible.

If there were no normative order there could be no human society. Man

needs a normative order to live in society because human organism is not

sufficiently comprehensive or integrated to give automatic responses that are

functionally adequate for society.

Man is incapable of existing alone. His dependence on society is not derived

from fixed innate responses to mechanical social stimuli but rather from

learned responses to meaningful stimuli. Hence his dependence on society is

ultimately a dependence upon a normative order.

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 Norms give cohesion to society:

We can hardly think of a human group apart from norms. A group

without norms would be to use the words of Hobbes, “Solitary, poor, nasty,

brutish and short.” The human organism in order to maintain itself must live

in a normatively regulated social system. The normative system gives to society

a cohesion without which social life is not possible. Those groups which cannot

evolve a normative order and maintain normative control over their members

fail to survive because of the lack of internal co-operation.

 Norms influence individual’s attitudes:

Norms influence an individual’s attitudes and his motives. They impinge

directly upon a person’s self-conception. They are specific demands to act

made by his group. They are much more stable. They have the power to silence

any previously accepted abstract sentiment which they may oppose. They take

precedence over abstract sentiments. Becoming a member of a group implies

forming attitudes in relation to group norms. The individual becomes a good

member to the extent he abides by the norms.

The norms determine and guide his intuitive judgments of others and his

intuitive judgments of himself. They lead lo the phenomena of conscience, of

guide feelings, of elation and depression. They are deeper than consciousness.

Becoming a member of guilt consists of internalizing the norms of the group.

Through internalization they become a part of himself automatically expressed

in his behaviour.
 29

 Conformity of Norms:

Norms are not formed by all groups in relation to every kind of behaviour

and every possible situation. They are formed in matters of consequence to a

particular group. What matters are of consequence to a group depends upon

the main purposes and goals of the group, the relationship of that group to

other groups, and other conditions in which it operates.

Likewise, the scope of behaviour regulated by norms varies considerably

in different groups. For example, the norms of some groups may pertain chiefly

to ethical matters, while the norms of other groups may cover a broader area of

life including dress, forms of entertainment, education and so on.

Further, a social norm operative in one social system may not be

operative in another. Thus, Mohammedan societies permit polygyny, but

Christian ones do not. Likewise norms do not apply equally to all members of a

society or to all situations.

They are adjusted to the position people hold in the society and to the

occupations they practise. Thus what is proper for a woman is not always

proper for a man, or what is proper for a doctor may not be proper for a

teacher. Thus conformity to norms is always qualified in view of the socially

defined situations in which they apply.

A norm by definition implies a sense of obligation. It lays down a

standard of behaviour which one ought to follow. Many of the problems of

personality as well as society are mostly the problems of non-conformity to

norms. Conformity to norms is normal.

 30

The individual having internalized the norms, feels something like a need

to conform. His conscience would bother him if he did not. Further people

would disapprove his action if he violates the norm. Thus both internalized

need and external sanctions play an effective role in bringing about conformity

to norms.

The violators of norms suffer the following kinds of sanctions:

(i) Violators of norms suffer loss of prestige:

(ii) Violators are subjected to ridicule, fines, imprisonment.

By contrast, those who conform to norms enjoy the expected co-

operation from others, maintain good prestige in the group and receive positive

rewards such as praise, bonuses and promotions.

Three questions have been posed in regard to conformity of norms:

(i) Why are some behaviours and attitudes subjected to normative controls and

others are not?

(ii) Why is much conformity to norms found in some groups than in others?

(iii) Why some members of a group conform more closely to norms than others?

These three questions deal respectively with focus, extent and

distribution of conformity to norms.

Why some behaviours and attitudes subjected to normative control and

others are are not? As we have already seen people form groups to satisfy

a variety of needs. Normative controls arise in the areas of behaviour

where members have become more dependent for the satisfaction of their
 31

needs. These norms encourage behaviour that ensures maximum

satisfaction of these needs and discourage behaviour that might interfere

with satisfaction.

As remarked earlier, it is only in relation to matters of consequence that

norms are formed. Matters of consequence are generally those that contribute

to accomplishment of the group purposes. Thus norms develop in relation to

those matters which are relevant to group goals. It is the necessity for

successfully achieving group goals which leads to the formation of norms.

Secondly, the needs whose satisfaction is necessary for socio- emotional

satisfaction also lead to the formation of norms. These needs are, for example,

the needs for friendship and love, for opportunities to share one’s triumphs and

defeats and for belonging, acceptance and support. In the family norms arise to

ensure fair treatment and to prohibit competition and aggression. Thus, there

are norms regarding the behaviour of the children towards their parents, the

relations of brothers and sisters, wife and husband, father and son.

It may also be referred that one’s public behaviour is compelled by norms

to a greater extent than one’s private behaviour or beliefs because while public

acts are open to surveillance, private behaviour is not. Where sanctions cannot

be applied, norms generally do not arise.

Why is much conformity to norms found in some groups than in others?

According to Festinager, Schachter and Back, the extent to which a group can

secure conformity to its norms depends upon the cohesiveness of the group—

the forces which hold a member to stay on in the group.

 32

Members are attracted to the group because:

(i) High reward-cost outcomes stem directly from the interaction between

members,

(ii) Group activities are rewarding for their sake,

(iii) Membership in the group serves as a mean to attaining other ends.

The cohesiveness of a group also depends on the alternatives available

outside the group. Some groups are able to impose severe sanctions upon its

members because the members have no alternatives or because they can

command little respect in alternatives. Thus forced they continue to be the

members of the group and conform to its norms. Members of a caste, because

they are often not accepted in other castes have few alternative sources of

satisfaction.

Consequently the caste may very effectively control its members through

such techniques as ostracism should they deviate from caste norms. Likewise

in primitive and rural comp unities conformity to norms is more prevalent than

in urban community. Thus the more cohesive a group is, the more uniform

would be the attitudes and behaviour of its members and the more their

conformity to the norms.

Further in groups where satisfaction of socio-emotional needs is

dominant or where the tasks themselves are enjoyable, conformity is likely to

be high. Thus when the tasks to be performed are during, fatiguing or

dangerous, conformity will be low, unless the costs of non-conformity are

 33

correspondingly high. In situations where sanctions for non-conformity are

weak the level of conformity also may be low.

Conformity to norms also depends upon surveillance and sanctions.

Unless behaviour is monitored and sanctions are imposed for failure to

conform, the desired behaviour is unlikely to occur. Supervision of examination

and disqualification of an examinee is necessary to check cheating in the

examination. Under conditions of low supervision there is more cheating. In a

factory the foreman maintains surveillance over the workers to ensure a

minimum interruption of work.

In a group where members feel that they were moderately accepted by other

members of the group and that they had the possibility of becoming completely

accepted, a high degree of conformity to the norms is to occur. Likewise the

members who feel that they have a low degree of acceptance and are likely to

be rejected by the group will clearly conform less to the norms.

Why some members of a group conform more closely to norms than

others? It is seen that members of the same group conform to norms in varying

degrees. Many a factor explain this phenomenon. Firstly, those members who

have important satisfactions outside the group will frequently deviate from the

norms than those who do not have such satisfactions.

Similarly, members who do not find much satisfaction in the group will

also deviate from the norms. Secondly, conformity to norms will differ

according to the varying pressure exerted upon different persons in the

 34

group. Pressure is exercised because the deviant behaviour has reduced

the rewards and increased the costs of other members.

Thirdly, conformity lo norms differs according to the member’s

susceptibility to pressures. It has been seen that in a group where members

are more submissive, low in self-confidence, less inclined to nervous tension,

more authoritarian, less intelligent, less original, low in need achievement, high

in need for social approval and conventional in values, there is more conformity

to norms than in a group whose members vary markedly in these

characteristics. Fourthly, the higher the status of a person the more likely he is

to conform to norms.

The leaders conform to norms more closely than others because of their

central role in the group. As leaders they are supposed to represent group

norms, not their own desires. But it is also the role of the leader to introduce

changes in the norms.

Though it may involve deviation from group norms, on the pari of the leader, it

is at the same Lime conformity to the expectations the group has towards his

role. A leader is often both a conformist and a deviate. Fifthly, some members

conform to the norms not only because it leads to the accomplishment of group

goals but also because it satisfies certain of their needs for example, the needs

of friendship and recognition.

Lastly, the degree of conformity to norms on the part of an individual is

determined by the extent to which he exposes himself to public view. Persons

with high status positions are more exposed to public view and hence feel
 35

strong pressures to conform to norms. Fear of lowered prestige is, for most

people, a stronger motive than desire for higher prestige.

Regarding conformity to norms three more points may also be seen.

Firstly, a norm need not be carried out lo the letter in order to influence

behaviour. It is a mistake to suppose that absolute fidelity to norms is essential

to society. Complete adherence would not only be impossible in the case of

many norms but would be disadvantageous for the society.

Of course, it is a duly of an individual to conform to norms but in some

particular situations a moderate rather than a maximum level of performance

may achieve what the society needs. Secondly, some norms may set such a

high level for desirable conduct that average behaviour of members could

approach it only at exceptional levels. Many norms do not become internalized.

Many of them do not even become habitual, and some of them are, not even

obeyed.

Thirdly in modern differentiated groups, the degree for conformity Lo

norms is affected by the fact that members frequently belong to a number of

groups. These various groups may have conflicting norms. Therefore, the

degree of conformity lo norms may be in part a function of the extent to which

norms of the other groups are congruous with them.

 Conflict in Norms:

Conformity to norms depends largely upon agreement as to what the

norm demands. Without this agreement there would be a wide range of

 36

behaviour. As already seen norms are agreed upon standards of behaviour.

Without such agreement, norms have a weaker force.

Further we have seen that norms differ from society to society and from

group to group in the same society. It is obvious that norms do not apply

equally to all members of all societies or to all members of a society. They are

adjusted to the needs of a society and to the positions people hold in particular

social orders or to the occupations they practise, etc. Since there are different

norms for different groups, a conflict among them is inevitable.

While norms set limits to individual behaviour, variation in conformity is

often permitted and exceptions also are provided for. Some norms are more

specially stated than others; some have wide range of application than others;

some permit individual interpretation to a greater extent than others.

There are reasons why norms are not followed without deviation:

(i) Some norms are perceived less important than others and so the less

important ones are violated when one has to make a choice between two

norms. In this case it may be said that strictly speaking there is conflict

because the relative importance of the norms is clear.

(ii) Norms may so conflict with each other that an individual must disobey one

if he is to conform to the other. A student who sees a friend cheating in an

examination must choose between conflicting norms. One norm instructs him

to be loyal to his friend while another instructs him to see that honesty is

upheld.
 37

(iii) An individual may deviate from a norm because he knows it is weakly

enforced. Using college stationery for personal use, letter writing is rarely

punished.

(iv) Some norms are not learned by all persons even in the same society. For

example, there are wide differences in life styles, food habits and etiquette. „

Thus, though the normative element in society is millions of years old,

yet it is not so old as to make the human organism completely passive in its

conformity. The organism is still resistant to normative control. The students

resist any such control over them by the authorities. The children resist the

control by the parents. The conflict between organic resistance and social

control is one of the unsolved problems of human life.

It may not, however, be supposed that individual resistance to norms

necessarily threatens them or shakes the solidarity of the group. But when

large numbers of people resist the norms and evade them for over long periods

of time, they are weakened and group is shaken. However, some norms may be

so important that they persist inspite of deviations.

We know that the norms regarding sex behaviour are often evaded but it

is unlikely that these deviations will change the sex norms. Inspite of the fact

that there are conflicts between norms and there are deviations from norms,

they have, nevertheless, evolved as part of human society because they helped

to satisfy the fundamental social and individual needs thus enabling societies

and the human species to survive.

 38

 Deviance

 Meaning of Deviance:

An essential feature of social life is that it is possessed of a set of

norms which regulate the behaviour of individual members. All societies

provide for certain standards of human behaviour. These standards of

behaviour, as we have seen earlier, are called norms. But no society

completely succeeds in getting all its members to behave in accordance

with the social norms.

Some of them fail to conform to these norms. Failure to conform to

the customary norms of society is deviant behaviour or deviance. Thus

deviant behaviour is any behaviour that fails to conform to some

specified standard. Parsons defines deviance in two ways. Firstly, he

defines it as “a motivated tendency for an actor to behave in

contravention of one or more institutionalized normative patterns.”

Secondly, he defines it as “the tendency on the part of one or more of the

component actors to behave in such a way as to disturb the equilibrium

of interactive process.” Deviant behaviour disturbs the social

equilibrium.

It is contravention of the social norms. It is a departure from the

usual modes of behaviour. It consists of disapproved activities. Cheating,

unfairness, malingering, delinquency, immorality, dishonesty, betrayal,

corruption, wickedness and sin are examples of deviant behaviour. The

 39

delinquent, the saint, the ascetic, the hippie, the leader, the miser all

have deviated from conventional social norms.

Deviation is relative, not absolute. Deviation is relative to the

prescriptions and anticipations that govern particular patterns of

behaviour at specified times and places. Societies are undergoing

continual change. Along with social change the social norms also change.

What is considered as intolerable at one time, becomes a norm at

another time.

Thus attitudes towards woman have changed dramatically over recent

decades. Formerly women were not permitted to go out of the home. But

today they work in the offices and recreate in the clubs. Thus what was

once considered deviant behaviour; has now become the accepted

standard of behaviour.

Further, norms differ from society to society. Thus what is considered

deviant behaviour in one society may be considered the approved

behaviour in another society. The Hindu society regards polygyny as

deviant behaviour, but the Mohammedan society permits it.

The West permits free-mixing of sexes but the East does not approve

it. The scope of behaviour regulated by norms varies considerably in

different groups. The norms of some groups relate chiefly to ethical

matters, while the norms of other groups may cover a wider area of life.

Thus non-conformity to norms is always relative to the society.

 40

Two strategies have been developed to decide who is deviant.

According to the first strategy developed by Robert K. Merton and Talcott

Parsons, deviant behaviour is conduct that objectively appears to violate

a norm. According to the second strategy developed by Edwin M. Lemert

and Howard S. Becker, deviant behaviour is conduct that is perceived by

others as contrary to the norms. In the later conception, less attention is

paid to abstract standards, and more attention is paid to the actual

social definitions of conduct by members of social groups. A conduct is

regarded as deviant because it is harmful and dysfunctional.

It may also be noted that deviant behaviour is usually related to

specific situations. A person may be deviant in certain ways but may- be

conformist in others. A sex deviant may be fairly conventional in dress,

food habits and many other activities. He may be honest and

industrious. Similarly a non-conformist who is regarded a fool at one

time may be regarded a genius at another time.

The geniuses of all ages have suffered from the hostile attitude of the

members of their communities. Socrates, Christ and Galileo suffered,

who are now recognized as outstanding intellectuals of their time. It has

been said that people are not completely conformist or completely

deviant. A completely deviant person would find it difficult to stay alive in

society. And nearly all normal people are occasionally deviant.

 41

Most people have been guilty of deviant behaviour at one time or the

other in one or the other respect. Nearly everyone in our society is

deviant to some degree. Whether one is labelled as deviant depends upon

the specific circumstances, attitudes, interests and tolerance limits of a

specific society.

It may also be noted that while deviation is condemned, in some cases

it is praised. The genius, the hero, the leader and the saint are among

the culturally approved deviants. However, the values of a culture will

determine whether a particular deviant is praised or condemned. Each

culture encourages some deviations and discourages others.

 Deviant Sub-cultures:

When an individual deviates from the norms of his sub-culture he

is an individual deviant. But in a complex society there may be a number

of deviant sub-cultures. By deviant sub-culture we mean me norms of

deviant persons It “refers “to a set of shared understandings, values and

ways of doing things that are at odds with conventional society, and yet,

are accented in common by members of a particular community.”

In such a sub-culture the participating members gain some of the

gratifications and rewards, though it may be at the cost of rejection by

the conventional world. Such a sub-culture usually develops whenever a

relatively large number of individuals share a common problem of

adjustment lo conventional society and find difficulty in solving that

problem within the conventional framework.

 42

Thus in an area we may find a delinquent sub-culture in which

many of the youths participate. In such areas delinquent behaviour is as

normal as law-abiding behaviour. It is the group not the individual that

is deviant from the conventional norms of society. A criminal gang has a

deviant sub-culture. The members of such a gang are conform alive

within the deviant sub-group but at the same lime they are alienated

from the main institutional structure.

The deviant persons usually tend to join with similar other persons

into deviant groups or they force others to their line. The bad boys in the

college tend to form a clique. Individual hippies, drug addicts or homo

sexual Lend to drift together into groups of deviants.

These groups reinforce and sanction the deviation and give THE

members emotional projection against critics. These groups of deviants

develop a set of rigid behavioral norms of their own. These norms are

called deviant sub- culture. The hippie culture may be called a deviant

sub-culture.

 Causes of Deviant Behaviour:

Deviant behaviour may be caused due to inability or failure to

conform. The inability to conform may be the result of mental or physical

defect. On account of mental defect the individual has limited capacity Lo

learn.
 43

On account of mental illness a person is unable to perceive and

respond to realities in an orderly and rational manner. Hence he

becomes a social deviant. The causes of mental illness may be both

physical and social. The stresses and strains of modern social life

produce menial illness. Culture introduction to sociology conflicts also

are responsible for mental illness.

But some people fail to conform even though they are physically and

mentally capable of learning conventional behaviour.

To explain such cases of deviation some theories have been put

forward. These are:

(i) Physical-type Theories:

These theories seek to relate deviant behaviour with body type.

Lombreso was of the view that certain body types are more given to

deviant behaviour than others. Deviants were classified into physical

types to explain their behaviour. However, the physical type theories are

no longer accepted. A number of serious errors have been pointed out in

the method of their classification.

(ii) Psychoanalytic Theories:

These theories attribute deviant behaviour to the conflicts in

human personality. Freud was a leading psychoanalyst. He gave the

concepts of id, ego and super ego. Deviant behaviour is the result of

conflicts between the id, and the ego, or between the id and the super

ego. The psychoanalytic theory is still unproved by empirical research.

 44

Sometimes, culture frustrates biological drives and impulses

leading thereby to deviant behaviour. Thus our culture makes no

approved provision for the satisfaction of sexual drives of the unmarried,

widowed or separated. If one gratifies such impulses in contravention of

social taboo, he is engaging in deviant behaviour.

(iii) Failures in Socialization:

Both the above types of theories fail to explain deviant behaviour

adequately. Everyone affected with physical or mental illness does not

become a deviant. Likewise, every member of a society is frustrated by

the clash of his biological drives with the taboos of, his culture, but not

everyone becomes a deviant.

The social scientists are of the opinion that some persons are

deviant because the socialization process has failed in some way to

integrate the cultural norms into the individual’s personality. Where the

socialization process is successful, the individual internalizes the social

norms and he behaves in the expected manner.

His lapses are rare. Family, as we have studied earlier, is the most

important agent of socialization. Behaviour norms are mainly learnt in

the family. Although it is difficult to prove direct relationship between

deviant behaviour and family atmosphere, yet a variety of behaviour

difficulties have been traced to some disturbance in the parent child

relationship.
 45

(iv) Cultural Conflicts:

The society is an extremely heterogeneous society. There are many

sets of norms and values which compete with one another. The family

norms may come into conflict with the norms of trade union. One

religion teaches one thing, another teaches a different thing. The school

teaches respect and obedience, the party teaches resistance and revolt.

The family teaches God-worship, the state teaches secularism.

The religious system teaches that one should be generous and self-

sacrificing, but our economic system rewards those who are ruthless and

selfish. Our formal mores demand chastity until marriage, but our films

present too much sex. The young people are exposed to obscene

literature.

Thus culture conflicts are a unique feature of the modern complex

and changing society. They are found virtually in all societies. And

wherever they exist, culture conflicts encourage deviant behaviour. It

may be said that a high rate of deviation is the price we pay for a

complex, rapidly changing society.

(v) Anomie:

Anomie is a condition of normlessness. By normlessness we do not

mean that modern societies have no norms; instead it means that they

have many sets of norms with none of them clearly binding upon

everybody.
 46

As we have seen, in the modern society with its elaborate division

of labour and complex institutional patterns, the difficulty of

coordinating all the parts and of socializing all the humans to mesh their

behaviours smoothly is formidable.

The individual does not know which norm to follow, whether to

follow the norms of the family or of the school. Anomie thus arises from

the confusion and conflict of norms. People, in modern society move

about too rapidly to be bound to the norms of any particular group. In

traditional societies people were guided by a coherent set of traditions

which they followed with little deviation.

But the modern society lacks coherent traditions, different

groupings having different norms. The society provides him no guide.

Consequently his behaviour lacks consistency and conforms to no

dependable norm. According to Durkheim, “When there is a sudden

change, the normative structure of the regulating norms of society is

slackened, hence, man does not know what is wrong or what is right, his

impulses are excessive; to satisfy them, he seeks anomie”.

In the words of Merton, “Anomie may be conceived as breakdown

in the cultural structure occurring particularly when there is an acute

distinction between cultural norms and goals and the socially structured

capacities of members of the group to act in accord with them.”

According to him, there is in our social structure “a strain towards

 47

anomie.” The degree of anomie may range from slight contradiction and

confusion to serious deterioration and disintegration.

(vi) Personal Factors:

Sometimes personal factors may also be involved in the genesis of

deviation. As a result of their particular experiences, many of the people

acquire deviant attitudes and habits. An ugly face may deprive some

people of the opportunity to participate in the affairs of the community.

Some persons are so seriously affected by an experience that they isolate

themselves from certain groups or situations.

Thus some people may refuse to ride trains or automobiles

because of some accident in which they were involved. The sight of a

dead man led Lord Buddha to renounce the crown. A mouse eating the

food offered to the idol made Swami Dayanand a critic of idol-worship. In

some cases a deviant behaviour is supported by myths and legends.

(vii) Social Location:

The location of people in the social structure also causes deviant

behaviour. The position a person occupies in the stratification system,

his position in the age and sex structure of the society and his position

in the special arrangements of the society make a difference in how he

behaves. The life chances of people depend on the particular position

they occupy in the society. The people who live in slums and are at the

bottom of social hierarchy are more induced to certain forms of deviation

than the people who form the upper strata of society.

 48

 Significance of Deviant Behaviour:

 Institutionalized evasion:

When the mores forbid something that many people strongly wish

to do, norms of evasion are likely to appear. !n such cases a particular

norm stands violated. When such violation is recognized and sanctioned

by one’s group, it becomes a norm of evasion. In becoming group-

sanctioned the evasion loses its moral censure.

Among some groups seducing a woman may earn one the

admiration of his followers. The cocktail functions facilitate discreet

sexual offences between high status people and young women. Norms of

evasion thus get institutionalized and we may call it institutionalized

evasion.

Deviant behaviour generally threatens social stability:

A culture can function efficiently only if there is order and

predictability in social life. We must know what behaviour to expect from

others, what they expect of us, and what kind of society our children

should be prepared to live in. Deviant behaviour threatens this order and

predictability.

When too many people fail to behave as expected, the culture

becomes disorganized and social order collapses. Economic activity may

be disrupted. The mores lose their force. Individuals feel insecure and

confused. The society fails to function efficiently.

 49

But deviant behaviour is sometimes socially useful:

It is one way of adapting a culture to social change. As we know no

society is static, Social change is a universal phenomenon. Even the

traditional societies are undergoing changes. The technological change

will require new norms of behaviour. But new norms are not produced by

deliberate assemblies of the people. New norms emerge from the daily

behaviour of individuals.

The deviant behaviour of a few individuals may be the beginning of

a new norm. As more and more people join in the deviant behaviour, a

new norm will eventually be established. The emergence of new norms

through deviant behaviour can be easily seen in the family relationship.

In the nineteenth century a woman going out of the home to work in an

office and earn an independent living was a deviant, but today she is

common place.

Thus the deviant behaviour of one generation may become the

norm of the next. A changing society “needs deviant behaviour for the

emergence of new norms which it must develop if it is to function

efficiently.

It may, however, be noted that all forms of deviation are not

socially useful. The behaviour of the criminal, the sex deviant or the

drunkard rarely contributes to the creation of a socially useful norm. It is

only a few forms of deviant behaviour which may become future norms.
 50

 Sanctions

Society, as we have seen earlier, is a harmonious organisation of

human relationships. Unless the people live upto the expected norms of

behaviour, the social organisation may not be effectively maintained. But

people often do not live upto the expected behavioural norms and often

violate them.

The reasons for violation of moral norms may be several. Violations

may occur because two norms are contradictory. A man’s obligation to

his family may conflict with his obligation to the state. As during a strike,

an industrial worker cannot be faithful to both the employer and union

leaders.

Sometimes, a person’s desire may prove stronger than his respect

for the norm which forbids it. It is not always convenient to regularly

attend the class in the school, to be faithful to one’s friend and to pay

one’s debts. Often one satisfies one’s desire through modes not socially

approved. Thus there is black marketing, adulteration, stealing, bribery,

and adultery.

The society is thus faced by continuous noncompliance of its

norms by the members which may threaten its solidarity. Therefore, to

enforce norms the society takes recourse to sanctions. Sanctions are

thus the means of controlling human behaviour.

 51

They may take the form of both rewards and punishments.

Generally speaking, sanctions are understood to mean punishments or

deprivations, but rightly understood sanctions refer to both rewards,

gratifications and punishments or deprivations. They are used to

persuade or force an individual or group to conform to social

expectations.

 Aims of Sanctions:

The basic purposes of sanctions are to bring about conformity,

solidarity and continuity of a particular group, community or larger

group, in primary groups and small societies, sanctions are not so much

needed as in secondary group and large societies. As societies become

heterogeneous, not only complexity of interaction increases but there are

found cross-currents of warring factions.

Employers get at odds with labour unions over hours of works and

wages. Caste groups conflict with each other over jobs. Communal

groups argue over theological differences. Professional classes are in

competition and conflict. There is always a danger that strong vested

groups may disrupt the ongoing of the society and threaten its existence.

Sanctions control the individuals or groups who threaten solidarity. They

prevent social disorganisation and ensure conformity to expected norms

of social behaviour.
 52

Sanctions make possible the prediction of behaviour. It need not be

emphasized that to ensure an established and peaceful order people

should know what to expect from others and what others will do.

Through regulation of behaviour it can be anticipated what an individual

will do or what his punishment will be if he fails to act.

Sanctions also make possible continuity. They form a part of the

culture which is passed on from generation to generation. Thus each

generation gets a pattern of control which keeps the social order running

smoothly. Each generation is not required to develop its own code.

However, since society is undergoing rapid changes, so continuity is

disturbed and lo meet new situations and problems new codes have to be

developed. Sometimes the new codes come into conflict with old ones

which creates difficulties in regulating behaviour and controlling it. The

present sense of insecurity, impersonality and dissociation in mass

society has threatened continuity of the traditional Indian society.

 Types of Sanctions:

Sanctions have been classified variously. Sanctions can be positive or

negative. Positive sanctions are essentially pleasant or rewarding such as

praise, flattery, promotions, honours, medals etc.

Negative sanctions are essentially unpleasant. They inflict pain or

threaten to do so. Such sanctions may vary from a mild expression of

disapproval to fines and imprisonments or death.

 53

Sanctions can be formal and informal. The informal sanctions are

illustrated by customs, the mores and public opinion. The formal

sanctions are worked out by a legally constituted authority.

Sanctions can be symbolic or take the form of overt force. Symbolic

sanctions are praise and flattery, promises, persuasion, propaganda,

rewards, satire, commands, censure and threats. The form of overt force

includes fines, punishment, imprisonment, torture and death.

A brief description of sanctions used in all human societies may be

desirable:

(i) Conscience:

Conscience is self-imposed sanction. It is the inner acceptance of

certain moral norms as right and necessary, with the feeling of guilt if

one violates them or is even tempted to do so. Conscience is an

automatic warning signal that is tripped off when one wanders from

one’s right path.

Conscience checks the self from doing things that might bring

ridicule or punishment. Though all the moral norms are never

internalized as conscience, yet it is sufficient if the majority show respect

for such social ideals which are necessary for the preservation of order.

(ii) Symbolic Sanctions:

Symbolic sanctions are in the form of words and gestures. Praise is

a reward in words, especially from higher to lower strata. Flattery is

undue, exaggerated and somewhat false praise. It appeals directly to the

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ego. Indoctrination advertising and propaganda condition persons to act

along lines which they like or imagine they like.

Persuasion is a form of suggestion. Slogans help define situation

and direct behaviour along desired lines. Gossip is largely critical in tone.

Satire employs wit and scorn as in direct criticism of actions felt to be

socially harmful. It exposes by ridicule the danger of behaviour. Laughing

at others is one of the oldest sanctions. It isolates its object from his

fellows. Name—calling is an old device of control.

It does damage to those against whom it is cast. Commands are a

direct verbal form of ordering and for bidding. They are issued by those

in authority. Threats are the most severe form of verbal sanctions. If the

threat does not prove effective to control behaviour then the person

threatened is made to suffer physical punishment. A threat puts two

alternatives before the person threatened either to do or not to do the

act, otherwise face punishment.

(iii) Overt Force:

When the above sanctions fail, the final sanction of force is

resorted to. It signifies that if the individual does not do as he is told,

pain, suffering and even death may be inflicted on him. This sanction

includes fines, imprisonment, whipping, mutilation, torture, banishment

and death. It must be borne in mind that overt force is applied by

legitimate, vested authority in the name of a group or the total society.