Norms
The mostly unwritten rules of acceptable behavior in a given place and time. Enforced by others, even without law or in spite of it. (see also Reasonable, Normal, or Law)
How We Say It
norms
Where It Comes From
Latin norma — carpenter's square, rule, pattern. Originally a physical tool for ensuring right angles. By analogy, a standard or rule of behavior. The sociological sense — shared expectations governing conduct in a group — was developed by Emile Durkheim and later sociologists in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
How It's Been Used
Distinguished by sociology and political science from laws (codified, enforced by the state) and customs (informal, varying by group). Constitutional democracies are widely understood to rely on unwritten norms — the willingness of officials to follow conventions not strictly required by law. Erosion of democratic norms became a major theme of political analysis in the 2010s.