A norm is a shared standard of acceptable behavior by groups. It can be an informal understanding that governs the behavior of members of a society, or it can be codified into rules and laws. Norms are statements that regulate conduct and are the prescriber of acceptable behavior in specific instances. In sociology, norms are seen as rules that bind an individuals actions to a specific sanction in one of two forms: a punishment or a reward. Norms create unique patterns that allow for distinguishing characteristics to be made between social systems, creating a boundary that allows for a differentiation between those that belong in a specific social setting and those that do not.
In mathematics, a norm is a function from a real or complex vector space to the non-negative real numbers that behaves in certain ways like the distance from the origin. It is a set standard of development or achievement usually derived from the average or median achievement of a large group.
Norms are important because they are a “social contract” that supports a group’s collaborative work. In collaborative situations, it’s helpful to explicitly define and agree on a set of norms to guide how the group works. Norms that are explicit and visible to the entire group can provide a framework for addressing behavior that might be distracting from the goals of the group.
