How Do Social Norms Govern Our Society

“Social norms are shared expectations about how people should think, feel and behave and they are the glue that binds social systems together.” (Schaller and Crandell, 2004 cited in Passer, M.W. & Smith, R.E. 2007: 624). Subconsciously our daily lives are regulated and influenced by social norms. We take these social norms for granted. (Passer/Smith, 2007:624) We see these customs as “normal” but as Michel Foucault illustrates in “Discipline and Punish, the Birth of the Prison”, these norms and patterns of behavior are a lot more complex than we may think. After reading “Discipline and Punish” I was able to identify in greater detail how our society is governed by social norms. This is evident in the media, through marketing and advertising, in schools and in various institutions. In this essay I will analyze the effects that groups such as the media, schools, prisons and peer groups have on social norms and subsequently on our behaviour. I will also use Michel Foucault’s book, “Discipline and Punish” to support my point of view.

According to Foucault we are “docile” creatures. We are easily trained and manipulated. “A body is docile that may be subjected, used, transformed and improved.” (Discipline and Punish, Foucault, 1975:136). Social norms and the way in which a person behaves are usually established during early childhood. The ‘normal’ rules and expectations that society conforms to are taught to many individuals in school. Children learn how they are expected to act through discipline and control in school. Foucault believes that, “discipline proceeds from the distribution of individuals in space.” (Discipline and Punish, Foucault, 1975:141). In the book Discipline and Punish, Michel Foucault speaks of four techniques that are used in order to distribute space and therefore discipline individuals. The first technique used is enclosure. In relation to a school or educational institution the enclosure is the school building, a place contrary to other

Bibliography: • Baines, P. & Fill, C. & Page, K. (2008): Marketing. Oxford University Press. New York. • Foucault, M. (1975): Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Penguin Books LTD. London, England. • Macionis, J.J. & Plummer, K. (2008): Sociology: A Global Introduction. Fourth Edition. Pearson Education Limited, England. • Passer, M.W.& Smith, R.E. (2007): Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, New York. • http://www.comm.umn.edu/Foucault/dap.html