Some important terminologies
Custom
- It refers primarily to practices that have been repeated by a multitude of generations, practices that tend to be followed simply because they have been followed in the past. Custom is generally confused with habit.
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Custom |
Habit |
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Social phenomenon |
Individual phenomenon |
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Socially recognized |
Socially unrecognized |
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Normative |
Not normative |
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Has great social significances |
Is of more personal importance |
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Maintain social order |
Facilitate personal activity |
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Are inherited |
Are built |
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Has external sanction |
Has no external sanction |
Folkways
- It is a set of norms governing commonly accepted practices, customs, and habits that make up the fabric of everyday life. g. Good Manners.
- Persons who do not follow folkways may subject to criticism or to be considered strange, but would not necessarily penalize. E.g.; entering home only after removal of shoes, lady touching the feet of her mother-in-law, greeting others with folded hands.
Mores
- Mores are socially acceptable ways of behaviour that do involve moral standards, violation may result in severe social action such as exclusion from the society; e.g., murder.
- The mores are the customs or patterns of behaviour, which are regarded by members of social system as vital and essential to the welfare of the group.
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Mores |
Folkways |
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Are socially accepted ways of behaviour that involve moral standards |
Are customary ways of behaving in society |
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Rigidly enforced and if not followed gets penalty from the society |
Person who doesn’t conform may be subjected to criticism or be considered strange but not necessarily penalized. |
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Patterns of behaviour which are considered essential by the society |
Expected form of behaviour but not rigidly enforced |
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If violated, the society may be disturbed or divided. |
If violated, will not have severe effect on society |
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Eg: Monogamy, Honesty, etc. |
Eg: Good manners, greeting others, etc. |
Taboo
- Taboo refers to anything (food, place, activity) which is prohibited and forbidden.
- The observance of a taboo has the social sequence of binding a social group together behind common rituals and sentiments.
- The taboo is a symbol of group membership. E.g.; Total abstinence of eating beef in a Hindu village (eating beef in Hindu religion) and eating pork in Muslim religion.
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Mores |
Taboo |
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Refers to positive action |
Refers to negative action |
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Customs regarded by the members of the society as vital or essential |
Are the customs which are forbidden |
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Things ought to be done |
Things ought not to be done |
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Eg: Monogamy, honesty, etc. |
Eg: Eating of beef in hindu religion, etc. |
Rituals
- Rituals are typically the practical aspects of a religious system and they express sacred values rather than seek to achieve some utilitarian end. For e.g.; playing with crackers on Dipawali.
Tradition
- Tradition refers to any human practice, belief, in-situation or artifact which is handed down from generation to the next.
- While the content of tradition is highly variable, it typically refers to some element of culture regarded as part of the common inheritance of a social group.
There are various origins and fields of tradition; they can refer to;
- the forms of artistic heritage of a particular culture.
- beliefs or customs instituted by societies and governments, such as national anthems and holidays
- beliefs or customs maintained by religious institution that share history, customs, culture,
- For e.g.; thanking God before eating, school tradition of wearing Nepal caps on Wednesdays.
Role of Cultural Concepts in Agricultural Extension
- Learning the customs, folkways, mores, taboos, etc. of a group of people will help one to predict what they will do in a given situation. Without such predictability expectations of what the other would do in a given situation the result would be a chaos in society.