folkway

folkway
folkway [fōk′wā΄ ]
n.
first used (1906) by SUMNER William Graham〛
any way of thinking, feeling, behaving, etc. common to members of the same social group: see MORES

* * *

folk·way (fōkʹwā') n.
A practice, custom, or belief shared by the members of a group as part of their common culture. Often used in the plural.

* * *

      the learned behaviour, shared by a social group, that provides a traditional mode of conduct. According to the American sociologist William Graham Sumner (Sumner, William Graham), who coined the term, folkways are social conventions that are not considered to be of moral significance by members of the group (e.g., customary behaviour for use of the telephone). The folkways of groups, like the habits of individuals, originate in the frequent repetition of acts that prove successful for satisfying basic human needs. These acts become uniform and are widely accepted. Folkways operate primarily at an unconscious level and persist because they are expedient. They tend to group themselves around major social concerns, such as sex, forming social institutions (e.g., the family). Sumner believed that folkways from diverse areas of life tended to become consistent with each other, creating definite patterns.

      Tradition, habit, and religious sanctions tend to strengthen folkways as time passes, making them more and more arbitrary, positive, and compelling. Some folkways become mores (borrowed from the Latin word for customs by Sumner) when they become ethical principles, the behaviours considered essential to the welfare of the society. Mores are more coercive than folkways: relatively mild disapproval follows an infringement of a folkway; severe disapproval or punishment follows the breaking of mores. Polygamy violates the mores of American society; failure to wait one's turn in line is a breach of folkways.

      Sumner saw folkways and mores as essentially conservative and doubted the ability of members of the society to change them consciously. The small variations introduced by individuals in their observance, however, allows for some change, according to Sumner. See also norm.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • folkway — ☆ folkway [fōk′wā΄ ] n. [first used (1906) by SUMNER William Graham] any way of thinking, feeling, behaving, etc. common to members of the same social group: see MORES …   English World dictionary

  • folkway — noun Date: circa 1906 a mode of thinking, feeling, or acting common to a given group of people; especially a traditional social custom …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • folkway — noun A custom or belief common to members of a society or culture …   Wiktionary

  • folkway — Synonyms and related words: acculturation, action, actions, activity, acts, address, affectation, air, bearing, behavior, behavior pattern, behavioral norm, behavioral science, bon ton, carriage, civilization, complex, comportment, conduct,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • folkway — n. custom or practice or way of life which members of a group share as part of their common culture …   English contemporary dictionary

  • folkway — folk•way [[t]ˈfoʊkˌweɪ[/t]] n. soc a traditional way of living, thinking, or acting in a particular social group; custom …   From formal English to slang

  • folkway — ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun : a mode of thinking, feeling, or acting common to a people or to a social group; especially : a social habit that has not been rationalized or given ethical force * * * folkˈway noun (usu in pl) a traditional way of thinking,… …   Useful english dictionary

  • The Paupers — are a Canadian rock band that recorded two albums for Verve Forecast in 1967 and 1968 and appeared at the Monterey International Pop Festival.OriginsThe group was formed as The Spats in Toronto during 1964 by ex Riverside Three drummer Skip… …   Wikipedia

  • The Country Gentlemen — Country Gentlemen Gründung 1957 Genre Bluegrass Aktuelle Besetzung Gesang, Gitarre Randy Waller Banjo, Gesang Mark Delaney Bass Gary Creed …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • MiWay — Slogan my destination. my route. mi way. Founded 1969 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”