How do social norms vary across societies?

By understanding norms, we can better understand how societies are shaped and coordinate and collaborate on global issues.

The Global Social Norms network (GSN) is a global research endeavour committed to shedding light on how norms work and change. A core feature of the network is its ability to collect data in countries outside Europe and North America, making the datasets truly global.

GSN is coordinated from the Institute of Futures Studies in Stockholm, Sweden.

PROJECTS

Finding Popular Solutions to Climate Change

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Everyday Norms

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The Second Metanorm Study

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The First Metanorm Study

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Everyday norms across societies — interactive world map
Global Social Norms · 90 societies · 15 behaviours · 10 situations

Average
SD
Min
Max
Countries
−2.5Extremely inappropriate
+2.5Extremely appropriate

Country-level mean appropriateness ratings on a −2.5 (extremely inappropriate) to +2.5 (extremely appropriate) scale, from the Global Social Norms study ( societies). Kuwait and Saudi Arabia did not rate Kissing or Flirting (greyed for those scenarios). See the Global Social Norms project for methods and citation.