Posts published in “Culture, Norms and Social Order”

Culture, Norms and Social Order

Societies are held together not only by laws and institutions, but also by norms, assumptions and informal rules. Culture defines what is considered normal, deviant, desirable or unacceptable—and, in doing so, determines which lives are granted space and legitimacy.

This theme brings together analyses of cultural systems of norms and social order. The focus is on sexuality, relationships, moral panics, identity, gender and power, as well as the unspoken agreements that shape everyday life and social interaction. The articles explore how norms are reproduced, how they are defended, and how deviations are sanctioned.

Here, culture is understood as a structuring framework for social life. The analysis encompasses both explicit conflicts and more subtle forms of social control: shame, respectability, boundary-making and belonging.

This theme creates space for analysing phenomena that are often individualised or psychologised, but are in fact collective and structural in nature. It is concerned with understanding how culture functions as a form of power—and how that power can be challenged.