Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Norms of Decency and Conventionality
Norms of Decency and Conventionality
NORMS
A principle of right action binding upon the
members of a group and serving to guide,
control, or regulate proper and acceptable
behavior.
Examples
For Westerners, it is improper for a person to
be too close or near a guest when having a
conversation. This western belief is opposed
to the practice of many Asian countries that
value proximity as a sign of intimacy and
friendliness.
Exhibited on the type of clothing a person
wears in a specific occasion.
Norms of Conventionality
Example
Bagobo inhabitants of Davao bury their dead
within their neighborhood and the T’boli of
South Cotabato hangs corpses of dead infants on
trees. While traditional burial practices like these
preserve indigenous culture, they are not
approved by other societies, especially lowland
communities that value sanitation and fear the
spread of virulent diseases.