Which of the following statements best explains the relationship between formal and informal rules?

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Informal rules have an intimate relationship with formal laws, policies and standards. Formal rules often exist, and are most effective, when they codify informal norms that are already widely accepted. Equally, informal rules, norms and conduct do not only emerge from past traditions and habits influenced by culture, religion and gender: sometimes they also emerge as a response to formal institutions that fail to function to the benefit of the majority or a dominant group.

In many developing countries with weak judicial systems, written contracts are very difficult to enforce. Building trust and personalized relationships in value chains through repeated transactions can be more effective. For example, the suki system (or preferred supplier-buyer relations) in the Philippines exists to reduce risks of cheating and opportunistic behavior in a business environment where formal rules (e.g., written contracts) are not reliable.

Suki Trading Relationships in the Philippines

People in the Philippines generally do not believe that a written marketing agreement will protect them from opportunistic behavior and cheating. Likewise, there is a general perception especially in rural areas that written agreements can protect the rich but not the poor who lack the resources and power to enforce them. The depth of the suki relationship varies, but over time repeated transactions with the same person leads to the emergence of trust. On both sides, there are reduced search, negotiation and monitoring costs because the suki lives up to the norms and values of reciprocity and comes close to becoming part of the family mindset. The bonds between people engaged in the exchange are determined by informal rules or social institutions and serve to enforce the terms of the exchange.[1]

Informal rules contribute to the effectiveness of formal rules: most obviously where the norm is compliance with formal rules (e.g., adherence to grading standards even if the buyer does not always check). This vastly reduces enforcement costs. When the chances of detecting violations are negligible, most laws or regulations are ‘paper tigers’ unless such social compliance or civic cooperation exists. For more on nurturing value chain norms, see the 'Facilitating Behavior Change for Improved Competitiveness & Poverty Reduction' breakfast seminar presentation.[2] and the ‘Transforming Inter-firm Relationships to Increase Competitiveness’ briefing paper[3]

The breakdown of informal social norms or rules can, paradoxically, create the opportunity to formalize new rules in ways that challenge traditional patterns of economic exclusion. For example, traditional social norms that allocated and protected certain lagoon fishery resources for women in Sri Lanka were collapsing due to social and political changes. As a result, poorer women were being increasingly excluded. When it came time to formalize the lagoon fisheries management, Practical Action helped local fishery groups ensure that women regained access and a voice in the management of the common natural resource.

Footnotes

the conscious being, personified in a human body, which is made and reformulated through social interaction

the extent to which our own self-understandings are dependent on how others view us

individuals close enough to us to have a strong capacity to motivate our behavior

a set of individuals who share similar preferences or social positions and have influence on an individual or members of a group

a specific individual who exhibits significant influence on others and acts as a reference for how to act

the social control exercised by commonsense understandings of what is appropriate given a specific time and place

According to sociologists, ________ is developed through social interaction and the concept of ________ helps describe a way that we develop this.

the self; the looking-glass self

According to the research of Craig Haney, what can cause prison inmates to hallucinate, be confused, or lose the ability to concentrate?

Which of the following best defines the term "generalized other"?

social control exercised by commonsense understandings of what is appropriate in a specific time and place

Ron decides to go to the same college as his best friend Ken. Which of the following sociological terms best describes the nature of Ron and Ken's relationship?

Which of the following best describes a sociological view of uniqueness?

we are each unique because we have a unique array of social interactions

a line of sociological inquiry (introduced by Harold Garfinkel) that studies the ways (tools and methods) members of a particular group construct social order and make sense of their everyday lives. (The study of people's methods)

the act of ignoring other people to an appropriate degree even while noticing that other people are present

Which of the following is most likely an experiment conducted by ethnomethodologists?

observing when people lower their eyes in conversations

According to sociologists, which of the following is an important result of conversationalist inequalities?

some people are insulted when they are interrupted, causing a rift in the conversation that is difficult to repair

According to sociologists, what is a main difference between how people express anger and how people express joy?

angry people are likely to take turns yelling, whereas joyful people are likely to laugh at the same time

How could an emoticon such as :-), help during an e-mail conversation?

an emoticon can indicate he feeling of the person writing the e-mail

According to sociologists, civil inattention is used to describe ______.

the act of ignoring other people to an appropriate degree even when you notice they are there

a distinct social category that is set off from others and has associated with it a set of expected behaviors and roles for individuals to assume

a position within an institution or organization that comes with specific social expectations for how to behave and be treated. Some roles may be ascribed, that is, assigned to us by birth (man, woman, white, black), and some may be achieved, that is, acquired through our actions (doctor, professor, class clown)

when two or more discordant demands are placed on individuals, rendering them unable to fulfill their own or others, expectations

an individual whose actions or attitudes fall outside the generally accepted norms of a given group of society.

the process by which someone is defined in a particular way and then comes to fulfill the expectations of that definitions

A sociologist would consider the titles of doctor, professor, or president as ________ and parent, employee, or student as ________

Elementary school student, parent, employee, and spouse are all examples of different _______.

From a very young age, a child is told that he is good at sports by his parents. As he gets older, he tries out for many different sporting teams, spends time practicing, and wins many awards. This scenario illustrates _______.

the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy

According to a sociologist, what can make a person a successful member of society?

knowing when to follow formal and informal rules

Which sociologist conducted a conformity experiment in which people believed they administered painful electric shocks to others?

Conversational precision refers to _______.

body language cues and brief pauses that people use in their conversations

All individuals associate themselves with _______, or groups of people who share similar preferences or social positions

How do status changes impact the social roles of individuals ?

status changes confer different role expectations for individuals

Because sociologists understand ..... as a social phenomenon, how we ..... individuals can have unintended consequences

Which of the following statements best explains the relationship between formal and informal rules?

Informal rules fill the spaces between formal rules by allowing for exceptions in social behavior that are generally agreed upon.

Which of the following best exemplifies how self-understanding can be influenced by others' reactions?

a child feels good about a test score after receiving a hug from a parent

Which of the following is an example of a study a sociologist would conduct in the field of ethnomethodology?

a study of how people of different genders talk to one another.

In terms of social interaction, strangers not making eye contact as they walk past each other is best described as ________ but could also be considered ________

civil inattention; an informal rule

Which of the following us the best example of the generalized other?

everyone riding on a bus is wearing clothing.

Which of the following describes a way that significant others, role models, and reference groups are alike?

They all adhere to the generalized other.

Sociologists suggest the people reveal different parts of their personalities to others in different social situations. What is another way to describe this phenomenon?

Everyone shares different parts of his or her identity at different times.

Which of the following is true according to ethnomethodologists?

When it is appropriate to cry can depend on the society in which a person lives

Eliza wants to post a picture of herself on her Facebook account from her family vacation to the beach. She takes multiple pictures of herself to get the right light angle on angle on her face. Se then applies filters and touches up the picture until she is satisfied with the way her picture looks. What sociological concept best describes Eliza's actions with the social media and digital technology?

management of self-presentation

One worker at a local grocery store chain is unhappy with the company's sick leave policy. The workers want to start a petition to present to upper management. According to what sociologists know about social conformity, which of the following situations would most likely result in the worker actually starting this petition?

The worker has at least one other ally to support the petition.

A person is the vice president of a department in a company. Which of the following would illustrate the most significant change in the person's social status?

The person is fired from vice president and is unemployed.