Folkways in sociology are informal norms or customs that guide everyday behavior within a society. They are socially accepted but don’t carry the strong moral significance of mores.
Folkway is a sociological term that refers to socially approved and traditional norms or standards of everyday behavior.
William Graham Sumner coined the term in his 1096 book, Folkways: A Study of the Sociological Importance of Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals.
Folkways guide people’s behavior in the same way laws do, but they are not codified as laws are. Folkways are passed down from generation to generation and become part of our social heritage.
They govern the small details of everyday life, such as how people dress, eat, greet others, and use utensils at the dinner table (Sumner, 2007).
While folkways are not laws, violating them can result in sanctions from others. Sanctions can be either positive or negative. Positive sanctions reward people for conforming to a folkway.
Meanwhile, negative sanctions punish us for violating a folkway. For example, if someone wears a suit to a job interview, they may receive positive sanctions in the form of compliments from the interviewer and a perception of professionalism.
On the other hand, if someone comes to the interview in ripped jeans and a t-shirt, they may receive negative sanctions in the form of being told that they are not dressed appropriately for the occasion through rejection.
Folkway Patterns
There are four main patterns of folkways:
- Secularization: the process by which folkways become less important and lose their hold over people’s behavior.
- Diffusion: the process by which folkways spread from one group to another.
- Assimilation: the process by which folkways are adopted by a new group of people.
- Persistence: the process by which folkways resist change and remain unchanged over time.
Examples
Receiving gifts
The act of giving and receiving gifts has a long history, and there are many different customs associated with it. In some cultures, gifts are given to mark important occasions, such as births, weddings, and holidays. In other cultures or contexts, gifts are given to show appreciation or gratitude.
Folkways can also concern how and when someone is supposed to open a gift. For example, in American and British Cultures, people are generally expected to open a gift upon receiving it and provide the giver a positive affirmation. In many Arab cultures, however, opening a gift as it is received would be considered rude.
Covering one”s mouth when they cough or sneeze
The act of covering one”s mouth is a way to be polite and prevent the spread of germs. There are also folkways concerning how people may react to coughing or sneezing.
For example, people may say “bless you” as a polite gesture when witnessing a sneeze.
Alcoholic Consumption Customs
Generally, in Anglophonic cultures, alcoholic beverages are most acceptably consumed during the evening. Still, in other cultures, drinking wine or beer at lunchtime may be typical, or unacceptable altogether.
Not Spitting on The Sidewalk
Spitting on the sidewalk, in most cultures, is seen as impolite and unsanitary. Folkways typically dictate that one should expectorate in an appropriate receptacle, such as a waste bin, and not in public spaces where others have to see or step in it.
This folkway has become a law in Singapore, which legally banned the act of spitting on the sidewalk (Austin, 1987).
References
Austin, W. T. (1987). Crime and custom in an orderly society: The Singapore prototype. Criminology, 25 (2), 279-294.
Lemert, E. M. (1942). The folkways and social control. American Sociological Review, 7 (3), 394-399.
Sumner, William Graham. [1906] 2002. Folkways: A Study of Mores, Manners, Customs, and Morals. Mineola, NY: Dover
Sumner, W. G. (2017). Folkways and mores. In The sociology of law (pp. 50-54). Routledge.
Sumner, W. G. (2019). Folkways: A study of the sociological importance of usages, manners, customs, mores, and morals. Good Press.
