What are social norms?

Social norms refer to mostly unwritten and informal rules that are perceived to define appropriate and acceptable actions within a group or community, hence guiding human behaviour. Social norms encompass what people do, what they believe that others do, and what they expect others to approve of and expect them to do. Social norms are learned from an early age and maintained by social rewards for adhering to the norm and social sanctions when individuals do not conform to it.

When is it not a social norm?

Some behaviours are not driven by social norms, but by lack of knowledge, low risk perception, inability to perform alternative behaviours, and emotions associated with the behaviour.

Why do social norms matter?

Social norms can have beneficial or harmful consequences for people’s well-being, and are integral to producing and maintaining social order, guiding collective behaviour. Social norms matter because they can promote collective-level change that goes beyond individual-level activities and leads to lasting positive change.

Descriptive norms: “what I think others do”

Descriptive norms refer to beliefs about what others do and drive a particular behaviour or practice when an individual engages in it, thinking others in their community will do the same. For instance, in some communities, menstruating girls are forbidden from participating in social or household activities, including going to school or playing, as a result of gender-based social norms.

Injunctive norms: “what I think others approve of”

Injunctive norms refer to people’s beliefs about what others approve of or expect them to do. They influence behaviour when people engage in a practice because they believe that those who matter to them expect them to do so, will reward them socially if they do, and sanction them if they do not.

Moral norms: “what I think is the right thing to do”

Moral norms influence behaviour when an individual engages based on what they believe is morally correct, rather than feeling they are socially expected to do so. Unlike injunctive norms, moral norms are followed out of personal moral duty regardless of others’ expectations.

Reference group: “the people whose opinions matter to me”

Social norms inherently require a reference group, indicating whose opinions, behaviours, and expectations people consider when deciding whether to engage in a normative behaviour. Reference groups are the people we compare ourselves and our behaviour with.

Social networks: “the people I am connected to”

A social network refers to the connections, interactions, and relationships between individuals. Social networks can exist in-person and virtually and are often formed with people having similar interests or identities, and for different reasons, such as social, economic or political.

Gender norms

Gender norms are collective beliefs and expectations within a community or society about what behaviours are appropriate for women and men, and the expected interactions between them. Gender norms, as a subset of social norms, reinforce power dynamics in a society’s valuation of gender roles.

Finally, the report recommends that, before designing an intervention, it is important to assess the behaviour and its determinants to establish whether norms are at play and to use a combination of behavioural insights and traditional communication approaches. Specifically, an appropriate combination of mass media and interpersonal communication can also be effective in maintaining behavioural change.