Beliefs, Ideologies, Values, and Norms in Society
Beliefs and Ideologies in Society
When we discuss the ideas prevalent in a society’s culture, we refer to the system of beliefs and values shared by most members. This encompasses both perceptions of reality and aspirations (values that shape beliefs). These concepts are intertwined, forming a basis for understanding societal ideas.
These ideas encompass technical and instrumental knowledge, including techniques, procedures, and tools deemed effective and valuable for achieving goals. While tools are essential, techniques are paramount as they represent socially learned knowledge applied through tools. Techniques, such as carpentry or medicine, have a specific purpose and are considered effective within a cultural context.
It’s crucial to recognize that expertise is always linked to a society’s belief system, with instrumental and expressive aspects being inseparable. Each culture provides its members with explicit or implicit answers to fundamental questions about the world, humanity, and relationships. This leads us to the complex realm of beliefs, encompassing our understanding of the cosmos, our place within it, and human interactions.
Beliefs as Socially Constructed Realities
Beliefs are ideas about reality, developed and transmitted socially. Some beliefs are specific, relating to aspects of the world or actions. Others address the relationships between different domains, such as the connection between religion and cosmological myths. Within a culture, beliefs tend to form a coherent and mutually reinforcing system, creating a sense of order and understanding.
However, this coherence doesn’t preclude contradictions. Belief systems may exhibit internal consistency while still containing inconsistencies. Beliefs widely accepted within a society constitute its ideology. Beliefs held by a subset of society are considered subcultural, while those unique to individuals are aspects of personality.
Ideology: A System of Beliefs and Values
While often used pejoratively to label extremist views,”ideolog” in a broader sense refers to the part of culture actively involved in establishing and defending patterns of belief and value. Like science and religion, ideology is a cultural system offering insights into social situations and events. However, the information conveyed differs significantly.
Ideology provides a framework for understanding the significance of events, science offers a critical and diagnostic perspective, while religion provides a transcendent dimension, often focused on salvation. The same social phenomenon can be viewed through these different lenses, coexisting within a culture.
Many individuals navigate life with an implicit ideology, their values and beliefs embedded in their social roles and institutions. Systematic ideologies often emerge during times of tension and conflict when established norms are challenged, and new models for addressing social problems are needed. Ideologies are not random; they reflect the expressive patterns of a culture.
Values: Guiding Principles of Desirability
Closely tied to beliefs, values represent what we consider desirable and influence our choices. Unlike objective qualities, values are relational and subjective. They are conceptions of the desirable that guide our selective behavior.
Values encompass everything that matters to us, shaping our judgments and actions. They serve as criteria for evaluating what is positive or negative, influencing our preferences and choices. Values are not static; their importance varies across cultures and individuals.
Social Norms: Regulating Behavior
Social norms are rules that govern behavior within a society. They specify appropriate conduct in specific situations and can be categorized into four main groups:
Types of Social Norms:
- Popular Uses: Conventional behaviors considered appropriate but not mandatory.
- Customs: Rules or institutions with strong ethical and moral implications, often carrying significant penalties for violations.
- Habits: Practices established over time and accepted as appropriate forms of behavior, enforced by tradition and group pressure.
- Laws: Rules established and enforced by political authorities, with compliance ensured through state mechanisms like courts and law enforcement.
In conclusion, beliefs, ideologies, values, and norms are interconnected elements that shape individuals and societies. Understanding these concepts is crucial for comprehending the complexities of human behavior and social dynamics.