Standards

We explain what the rules are and what their characteristics are. Also, the types of standards that exist, their importance and some examples.

What are the rules?

The rules are restrictions, prohibitions or mandates through which the behavior of individuals in a society is controlledarising from social consensus and certain coexistence agreements. Its essential function is to promote the harmonious coexistence of society, establishing certain common guidelines.

In general, norms are often spoken of as synonymous with social norms, that is, those that regulate social interaction. But the truth is that the rules They can belong to different areassuch as religious, legal or political.

The set of specific rules of a field or an institution is usually called “regulations” or “regulatory code”, and some of them may be held in greater respect than others. To some extent, norms have points in common with laws and customs.

Characteristics of the standards

In general terms, the standards have the following characteristics:

They respond to a context

The standards are not universal. They arise from a specific contextthat is, from a certain time and place, and can vary from one place to another or from one era to the next, as society also changes its values.

For example, in the West, eating with your hand is considered a breach of etiquette, while in other regions of the world, such as India, it is the norm.

They have a collective character

In general, the rules They are collective in naturesince they must serve to establish the behavior of different people in a specific room or situation, and, for that, there must be two or more individuals who willingly accept them.

A norm cannot govern a community that ignores or rejects it, just as it cannot operate if only one of the members of the community adheres to it and the others do not. Norms are a social fact and, therefore, collective.

They are imposed by society

Although every rule requires the acceptance of the participants to operate, Not all standards require approval or the prior consideration of all the individuals to whom they concern.

Some rules are autonomous, that is, they depend on free will and may or may not be followed, depending on the case. Others, however, like laws, are heteronomous: they are imposed by society, and its institutions force individuals to accept and abide by them.

They are unilateral or bilateral

Since norms are imposed by society, its fulfillment can or not be required of individuals.

Thus, unilateral norms are those that must be accepted by all individuals in society, even though they may clearly disagree with what they propose. And, on the other hand, bilateral norms are those that establish a power and an obligation, that is, they may or may not be followed, depending on the particular case.

They have different degrees of coercibility

There are coercible and non-coercible normsthat is, they may or may not be imposed by force.

Coercive norms are characterized by their obligatory nature: they force people to act in a certain way, under pressure from others or the threat of the use of force. Non-coercible norms, on the other hand, are left to the free interpretation of each person, and can be understood as a recommendation or suggestion. Therefore, these types of rules can be followed to a greater or lesser degree.

Types of standards

The following types of norms can be distinguished, according to the type of human interaction they seek to regulate:

• Moral standards. They are those that distinguish good from evil, with everything subjective that may be, or that separate what is socially acceptable from what is repugnant.
• religious norms. They are those dictated by a creed or faith, that is, dictated by a specific church or religion.
• Social norms. They are those rules of courtesy or protocol that mediate between people to guarantee a friendly and respectful interaction.
• Legal regulations. They are those that regulate the legal interaction of people, that is, those referring to the laws and regulations of jurisprudence.
• Etiquette rules. They are those that govern behavior in formal environments and establish a specific class code about, for example, how to eat and how to speak.
• Professional standards. They are those that govern work contexts, not from a legal or legal point of view, but from respect and consideration for others and for the work carried out.

Importance of standards

The rules They play an important role in forms of human organizationsince they allow the establishment of a common code of conduct. By being shared by everyone, this common code allows members of society to know the rules of the game and know how to behave in certain situations.

As with laws, Breaking the rules may result in some form of punishment.although not necessarily of a legal or criminal nature. Many times, the risk one runs when breaking a regulation consists of expulsion from an institution or society, or rejection by others.

Examples of standards

Some examples of standards are the following:

• Pray before eating a bite of food (religious rule).
• Shake hands when you meet (social norm).
• Do not chew with your mouth open or talk with your mouth full (etiquette).
• Do not have intimate relationships with minors (moral norm).
• Do not appropriate other people's property (legal rule).

References

• Hans Kelsen, K. Ringhofer, W.R. (2018). General theory of norms (Trans. M. Á. Rodilla). Marcial Pons.
• Ministry of Human Capital of Argentina. (2008). The meaning of the rules. Educ.ar Portal. https://www.educ.ar/
• National Autonomous University of Mexico. (2017). What is a norm? Coordination of Open University and Distance Education. https://uapa.cuaieed.unam.mx/