Identity, Norms, and Ideals

Abstract

By linking social systems and individualities, norms of behavior define who we are and how we are perceived, our social identities, and who we are able to become, our human capabilities. Social norms can be broadly defined as tacitly agreed regularities observed amongst groups of individuals. Those rules of behavior are set according to certain standards of behavior, or ideals, attached to a group’s sense of identity. Beliefs and ideals draw a picture in individuals’ imagination of what a perfect being should be if one is black, white, male, female, American, Chinese, Christian, Muslim, Republican, Democrat, and so on. Unconsciously, this picture sets the benchmark of behavioral expectations. Individuals have multiple social identities and behave according to identity-related ideals, and they also expect others sharing a common identity to behave according to these ideals. Norms of behavior related to these ideals affect people’s perception of oneself and others, thus engendering a sense of belonging to particular groups of identity.1