Mores in Sociology: Definition & Examples

Characteristics of Mores

1. Moral Significance and Function

• Standards of Morality: Mores are deeply held standards of what is right and wrong. Unlike folkways, which govern politeness (e.g., table manners), mores define behavior as moral or immoral.

• Regulators of Social Life: They act as the primary regulators of behavior by tying morality directly to action, strongly influencing how individuals conduct themselves within a community.

• Protectors of Values: They function to protect the underlying values of a society and are viewed as social requirements rather than personal choices.

• Universal Understanding: They are usually unwritten rules that are instinctively understood by everyone in a community.

2. Stability and Institutional Support

• Persistence and Stability: Mores are passed down through generations. While they can evolve over time, they are much more stable and persistent than casual folkways.

• Spiritual Foundation: Major institutions like religion often provide the spiritual or moral foundation for a community’s mores.

• Educational Reinforcement: The education system reinforces these values by teaching them to children through both the formal and “hidden” curriculum.

• Legal Codification: The legal system ensures mores are obeyed by transforming some of them into formal laws.

3. Sanctions and Social Enforcement

• Severe Sanctions: Because they are essential to a group’s welfare, violations elicit strong social disapproval and severe negative sanctions.

• Social Ostracism: Violators may be shunned, banned from social groups, or labeled as “shameful” by the public.

• Loss of Status: Breaking these norms can lead to public ridicule, a “spoiled identity,” or the loss of employment.

• Institutional Punishment: In formal settings, such as the U.S. school system, violating mores like academic integrity (e.g., plagiarism) can result in extreme consequences like expulsion.

Examples of Mores

Mores are norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance. Mores include gossiping, stealing, lying, bullying, and breaking a promise.

1. Sexual and Relationship Mores

• Cohabitation and Sex: Historically, sex outside of marriage was viewed as a violation of mores and was met with significant social stigma. While attitudes have shifted toward acceptance in many Western societies, these remain core mores in more conservative or religious cultures.

• Dating and Marriage: Mores often dictate dating etiquette, such as whether a man should take the lead or pay for expenses. In some cultures, these mores extend to arranged marriages, where failure to follow family negotiations is seen as a major moral failing.

2. Respect for Authority and Institutions

• Academic Integrity: In educational settings, the prohibition against plagiarism is a significant more. Violating this norm, submitting another’s work as your own, is considered shameful and can lead to severe formal sanctions like expulsion.

• Classroom Conduct: Aggressively cursing at a teacher is a violation of mores regarding respect for authority and results in much stronger social responses than minor behavioral issues.

• Work Ethic: Many societies, particularly the United States, hold a strong more that able-bodied individuals should work. Those who are perceived as “lazy” or indifferent may be scorned or negatively labeled by society.

3. Respect for the Sacred and Rituals

• Religious Contexts: Using profanity or behaving disruptively during a religious service is a violation of mores. While some societies now view the desecration of symbols as freedom of expression, many still see it as a serious offense against the community.

• Funeral Etiquette: Mourning rituals, such as wearing formal attire (typically black or white depending on the culture), are governed by mores. Wearing casual or “loud” clothing to a funeral is seen as a profound sign of disrespect to the deceased and the grieving family.

4. Interpersonal Honesty and Responsibility

• Core Moral Conduct: General mores observed across most cultures include the prohibitions against stealing, lying, and breaking significant promises.

• Bullying: In modern contexts, the more against bullying, especially cyberbullying, has strengthened. Severe violations can lead to social ostracism and legal prosecution as society moves to protect vulnerable members

FAQs

What is the difference between mores and norms?

Mores are the regulator of social life while norms are expectations that govern the behavior of individuals in a community. Mores are a subset of norms, representing the morality and character of a group or community.

Generally, they are considered to be absolutely right. On the other hand, norms can involve customs and expected behaviors that are more flexible and can change over time.

They usually deal with day-to-day behavior and are not as deeply ingrained as mores. While the violation of a norm may be uncomfortable, the violation of a more is usually socially unacceptable.

What is the difference between mores and taboos?

Taboos are bans or prohibitions against certain behaviors that are considered to be unclean or immoral. They are often based on religious beliefs and usually carry a strong emotional reaction.

The violation of a taboo can result in social ostracism or even death. Mores, on the other hand, refer to the traditional customs and conventions of a particular society.

That is to say – while taboos refer to what is prohibited and morally reprehensible, mores are behaviors that are expected. While monogamous relationships were a more in 20th-century European societies – the expected behavior – polygamy was taboo (Nicolaisen, 2004).

What is the difference between mores and folkways

Folkways are informal rules and norms that are not necessarily offensive to violate, but are nonetheless expected to be followed.

Mores, in contrast, while not officially written, can result in severe punishments and social sanctions when violated. For instance, shaking hands firmly when meeting a new person is a folkway, but not more. Not shaking someone’s hands – or shaking hands too loosely – will not necessarily cause offense and will probably not lead to sanctions.

Meanwhile, not lying is more. Being considered a liar can result in severe sanctions on one’s ability to communicate and gain the trust of others (Meltzer, 2005).