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Mores and Sanctions

The mores represent the norms of modes of behavior in society-they present to us the most accepted and the most standardized ways of doing this or that. They are regulative and therefore it is essential for the member of the groups to conform to them.Behaviour contrary to mores is not permitted by society.

They may even compel the individual to follow practices that are contrary to his physical well being. There are several causes for the people obeying the mores.

Some obey them in order to win praise or reward; others obey them because of fear of social boycott, imposition of fine or even loss of life. The non acceptance of mores marks out one as a stranger, rebel as a fit object for ostracism for persecution. Most people conform to mores because they think it right to do or because they have become habituated to do it. The motives of the individual are always manifold and hard to disentangle. Every group has its own form of sanction and mores try to guarantee their own enforcement.

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