What Are Norms?: A Study of Beliefs and Action in a Maya Community

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Cambridge University Press, Apr 25, 1975 - History - 212 pages
What are Norms? challenges the traditional Parsonian theory of the basis of social order and proposes a theoretical perspective that emphasises shared definitions of reality rather than personal motivation. The book begins by describing conceptions of good and bad in a Maya community. Then it explores how such normative beliefs relate to the actions of individuals and the organisation of society. Parsons' theory is not supported by previous research on attitudes and behaviour. The final chapter describes a new theoretical approach to norms and society that provides a better explanation of how people's norms relate to their actions and how norms change.

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Contents

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF NORMS
1
STRATEGIes for DescrIBING AND MEASURING NORMS
11
THE MAYA COMMUNITY OF ZINACANTAN
29
THE FRAMeSorting Method for Describing NORMS
37
ZINACANTeco Norms anD THE SOCIAL Order
54
VERIFYING THE MODEL OF ZINACANTECO NORMS
82
THE THEORY of the Socialized AcTOR V THE EVIDENCE
105
DISCORFIRMING EVIDENce from the ZINACANTAN SURVEY
114
Explanations and attempted remedies for the failure of some of the Nachih interviews
164
Association of norms with action
167
Intercorrelations of norm scores
170
Correlations of norm scores and action for Apas and Nachih
172
Intercorrelations of measures of action and social position
176
Normative statements used in sorting tasks in Tzotzil and English
179
English translation of questionnaire
187
References cited
201

AN ALTERNATIVE THEORETICAL APPROACH 201
137
Classification of statements elicited by substitution frames by informant
160
Distribution of ratings on Person Perception Interview
162

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