folkways
folkways Lexical Profile
folkways Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The traditional behavior, customs, or way of life of a particular community or social group.
"Anthropologists spent years documenting the regional folkways of the Appalachian mountain communities."
In sociology, informal social norms that govern everyday behavior and etiquette without carrying strict moral significance or severe penalties when violated.
"Shaking hands upon meeting someone is one of the most common folkways in Western society."
Word Nuance & Usage
In sociology, 'folkways' are distinguished from 'mores': folkways govern everyday etiquette and routine behavior without strict moral weight, whereas mores represent deeply held moral standards whose violation provokes severe social sanction.
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined by the American sociologist William Graham Sumner in his 1906 treatise 'Folkways', combining 'folk' (from Old English 'folc', meaning people) and 'ways'.