Introduction

Abstract

The ubiquity of norms is overwhelming. There are (detailed) norms regulating our behavior in the community at large, norms that regulate our actions in the schools we attend, in the organizations we join, in the workplace we frequent. There are norms that tell us what to wear, how to eat and how much real fruit there should be in orange juice. There are norms regulating spoken language, as well as our communications on electronic mail and on paper. The sequence of characters on this page is, dictated by a norm. There are detailed norms guiding our behavior in traffic. The important occasions in our lives ranging from birth to burial are structured by norms. In addition, there are norms regulating property, economic transactions, taxes, and there are norms which form the basic structure of society. Our lives are pervaded by norms of all kinds. Some of these norms are rules we have set only for ourselves. They determine bur individual actions and habits. For example, I have made it a rule never to leave home without my keys. However, many norms regulate the interactions between people. These norms are such that we expect each other to observe them. We believe that others expect the same of us. By these characteristics, these norms can be identified as social norms.