Dynamics of a Social Norm: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
1 readings Dynamics of a Social Norm: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Reading 1.1: Bicchieri, C. Norms In The Wild How To Diagnose, Measure And Change Social Norms, Cambridge University Press, 2016. Cristina(Bicchieri( Norms(in(the(Wild:(How(to(diagnose,(measure(and(change(social(norms( 1( Cambridge(University(Press( ( ( Chapter 1 Diagnosing norms Collective behaviors, behavioral patterns shared by a group of individuals, may be studied in a variety of ways. We may explore the functions that they perform in a society or group and investigate the environments within which they emerge or dissipate. Alternatively, we may focus on the reasons why people engage in such behaviors by investigating the incentives and constraints that they face when engaging in an established behavior or adopting a new one. These two approaches are fully compatible, and the importance of stressing one or the other depends upon our intellectual and practical goals. Especially in light of wanting to change or promote particular behaviors, it becomes important to understand a collective behavior’s nature: some, but not all, may be interdependent. People’s behavior may depend on what others who matter to them do or believe should be done. Conventions, fads, fashions, and social norms are all interdependent behaviors, and social norms are the primary example. However, not all collective behaviors are interdependent, and not all interdependent behaviors are social norms. Habits, social customs and moral injunctions are instead independent, in the sense that they all involve us undertaking certain actions regardless of what others do or expect us to do. For example, we wear warm clothes in winter and use umbrellas when it rains, independently of what our Readings ( Cristina(Bicchieri( Norms(in(the(Wild:(How(to(diagnose,(measure(and(change(social(norms( 2( Cambridge(University(Press( ( (friends or neighbors do, and we may obey kashrut dietary laws whether or not other Jews respect them.
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