Royal University of Phnom Penh Department of

English
Institute of Foreign Languages Course: Introduction to Sociology in
English 101

Part 2: Culture and Social Structure

Norms and Values (p.81-87)
▣ SECTION A: GROUP DISCUSSION
Discuss the following questions with your classmates.
1. Can you give one example of appropriate behavior and one inappropriate behavior in Khmer culture?
2. What do you think of these actions: cutting the queue, talking loudly in public places, behaving rudely to
elders, cannibalism (the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food), stealing,
raping? Do you think they deserve the same kind of response? Why or why not?
3. Can you share a personal experience when you encountered someone who did an inappropriate thing?
How did you react to that person?

▣ SECTION B: DEFINING KEY TERMS

Define the following terms with your own words.
1. Norms: ______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Folkways: ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Mores: ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Taboo: _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. Law: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

▣ SECTION C: TRUE FALSE STATEMENTS

Decide whether each statement is TRUE or FALSE according to the course book.
____ 1. Anything that is accepted by the norms can be deemed suitable. T
____ 2. Once ingrained in a society, norms serve as a guide for its members' social interactions. T
____ 3. Because norms are so embedded, we are unaware of how they influence our conduct. T
____ 4. People who violate folkways are not greatly disliked since they are not seen as essential to the well-
being of the group. T
____ 5. There are folkways that are more significant than others, and when they are violated, society reacts
more strongly. T
____ 6. Morality is the study of behavior in relation to right and wrong; rules of moral significance are
known as mores. T
____ 7. In India, followers of Hinduism are forbidden to kill the cows. This is an example of folkways. F
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____ 8. All mores have the potential to become laws, and all laws were once mores. F
____ 9. In Florida, the same fees as for a car must be paid if an elephant is left chained to a parking meter. T
____ 10. Even after societal mores have evolved, regulations frequently stay in effect for a very long period.
T

▣ SECTION C: COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions based on what you have read from the course book.
1. What are the three examples from the course book that reflect cultural norms?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What the three basic types of norms? Give an example of each type.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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3. What are the most serious mores called? Give example(s) in Khmer culture and other cultures.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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4. What is the consequence to those who break each type of norms?

i. Folkways: _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
ii. Mores: __________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
iii. Taboos: _________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
iv. Laws: ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

5. What is the difference between folkways and laws?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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