Abstract
When we define the term “social norm”, these three major points should be clarified. (1) The location of social norms : Where are social norms located? Are they internal or external to members of a social group? (2) Their constraints : Do social norms always have coercive powers? Should the social norms characterized by constraints? (3) The process of their generation : Have social norms always generated by almost all the people in a social group? In this paper, I have clarified these three points.
(1) From an analytical point of view, there are two different kinds of social norms : social expectations and social rules. A social expectation is a set of personal expectations of the members and it is located in the collectivity of members. On the other hand, social rules are located in a social group as a unit. (2) Constraint is not characteristic of a social norm itself but of the norm perceived by members. Social expectations always have compelling powers through the perception, but social rules do not always have them. (3) The social rules are often established by men of power. But social expectations are not made by them.
