Normative laws are timeless unarticulated laws that are observed by all members of society. It is the epitome of civilization due to its magical ability to be influential but invisible. Think of why we do not cut a queue and wait for our turn. Why do we reciprocate favours without any reminders? Why are we polite to strangers? Due to the presence of mutual expectations.
In any given society, people have expectations of what others do and approve of in their relevant social network. Behaviour based on these expectations creates social norms. Long before any form of state or governance, social norms were the dominant force to decide right from wrong. These norms are extremely hard to shake; so much so that laws fall insufficient. For example, child marriage is a very common practice in Indian traditional societies due to reasons such as low dowry, less burden on the daughter’s family, and general perspectives on women. The seeming lack of autonomy makes child marriage the only logical ending for a 14-year-old. Even after child marriage became illegal in 2006, 1 in 4 rural women are married off before the age of 18. Why did such a law fail so miserably? Because the risk of divergence from the social norm is too high. People tend to be ostracized, and deprived of resources and social networks.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is also a very common malpractice that has become a high stakes social norm in many African and Middle-East countries. This practice results from the notion of ensuring that females remain pure, worthy, and miles away from pleasurable feelings of sex. Therefore, many people consider people from these societies to be backward and rigid in their thinking. Though, an interesting finding revealed that the prevalence of FGM is much higher than its support among 15-49-year-old females in all 30 African countries, indicating that legislation against FGM is not enough to curb this practice. Laws work best when they are aligned with the norms and customs of a society. This is the potent power of norms and negative sanctions- it overpowers legislation. Though, a well-informed understanding of the social background of a society can lead to better outcomes.
Social norms and customs are embedded in the culture of people and cannot be foregone through educational interventions. For example, open defecation is a prevalent practice in inner parts of India and scientific interventions have rarely worked. This is because unhygienic elements of the practice are not directly visible, and it is based on convenience. 15% of the Indian population still openly defecate. Unlike urban societies, this is primarily due to a lack of social norm that prohibits this behaviour. Imagine somebody in a metropolitan city openly defecating, what would your reaction be? Most would be appalled. Therefore, not only social norms are relevant only when they exist but behaviour is also influenced by the lack of adequate social norms.
So why do scientists claim such superiority in maintaining norms? These mutual expectations in society glue diverse individuals together, guarantee effective cooperation between individuals, and develop solid institutions. Think of vaccinations and mask-wearing protocols during the COVID-19 era. These abnormal demands spurred up out of the blue and no amount of fines could ever guarantee compliance with these rules. Though, mutual expectations of all individuals to live responsibly during these tumultuous times created a norm. The beauty of maintaining norms is the belief of individuals in others’ actions and thoughts- ‘I think other people believe in the vaccine and I also see other people getting both doses, I should too, for the sake of my fellow citizens.’ This is the mode of thinking that may have led 80% of people to be fully vaccinated. Man is not a rational animal but a social one, we are driven and punished by the very society we create.
Swaranjali Sharma
