What Is One Difference Between a More and a Folkway?
Mores are norms tied to morality whose violation brings serious consequences such as ostracism or legal punishment. Folkways are minor everyday customs and etiquette whose violation brings only mild disapproval, not moral condemnation.
The answer
The key difference is moral significance and the severity of the consequences. Mores (pronounced "more-rays") are norms rooted in a society's sense of right and wrong. Breaking them is seen as morally offensive and provokes strong reactions ostracism, loss of reputation, or even legal punishment. Folkways are the routine customs and etiquette of everyday life. Breaking them is considered rude, odd, or improper, but not immoral, and it draws only mild disapproval.
A concrete contrast: cheating on a spouse or stealing violates a more and brings serious social or legal consequences. Facing the back wall in a crowded elevator, chewing with your mouth open, or wearing pajamas to a formal dinner violates a folkway people may stare or judge you, but no one considers you a bad person.
Why the common confusions are wrong
- "Mores and folkways are basically the same, just different words." False the whole point of the distinction (from sociologist William Graham Sumner) is the intensity of the norm and the reaction to breaking it.
- "Mores are the same as taboos." Not quite. A taboo is the strongest kind of more so deeply forbidden that the act is met with revulsion (for example, incest or cannibalism). Taboos are a subset/extreme of mores, not a synonym for all mores.
- "Folkways are enforced by law." Generally no. Folkways are enforced informally through social pressure. When a more is considered important enough to be formally codified and enforced by the state, it becomes a law.
The bigger picture: the four types of norms
Sociologists usually rank norms by how strongly society enforces them:
- Folkways everyday customs and manners; mild disapproval when broken (table manners, dress codes).
- Mores morally charged norms; strong disapproval and serious consequences (honesty, fidelity, respect for life).
- Taboos the most powerful mores; acts so forbidden they provoke disgust (incest, cannibalism).
- Laws norms formally written down and enforced by the government, often mores that a society has decided to back with official sanctions.
The unifying idea is a spectrum of strength. Folkways sit at the low-consequence end (they shape how we should behave for smooth social interaction), while mores, taboos, and laws sit at the high-consequence end (they define what is right and wrong). That is why violating a more carries harsher penalties than violating a folkway the more is tied to a group's core moral values, and breaking it threatens the social order in a way that a breach of etiquette does not.
| Folkway | No everyday custom/etiquette | Mild disapproval, seen as rude | Chewing with mouth open; cutting in line |
| More | Yes core sense of right/wrong | Strong disapproval, ostracism | Adultery; stealing |
| Taboo | Yes strongest more | Revulsion, disgust | Incest; cannibalism |
| Law | Codified moral norm | Formal legal punishment | Assault; theft |
Frequently asked
What is an example of a folkway vs a more?
A folkway is a minor custom like facing forward in an elevator or using correct table manners breaking it just seems rude. A more is a moral norm like fidelity in marriage or not stealing breaking it brings serious social or legal consequences.
Are mores the same as taboos?
No. A taboo is the strongest type of more an act so deeply forbidden it provokes disgust, such as incest or cannibalism. All taboos are mores, but not all mores are taboos; most mores carry serious disapproval without triggering revulsion.
What are the four types of social norms?
Folkways (everyday customs and etiquette), mores (morally charged norms), taboos (the most strongly forbidden mores), and laws (norms formally written down and enforced by government). They range from low to high consequence when violated.
Why do violations of mores carry harsher penalties?
Because mores are tied to a society's core moral values and sense of right and wrong. Breaking one is seen as threatening the social and moral order, so it provokes strong reactions like ostracism or legal punishment, unlike folkways, which only govern everyday manners.