Which term refers to everyday customs, such as dress and manners, that are not serious if broken?

• A. Norms
• B. Values
• C. Mores
• D. Folkways

Answer: (D)

Folkways are everyday customs that guide routine social behavior, like how we dress and use manners. When someone breaks a folkway, the response is typically mild—people might notice or be briefly embarrassed, but there aren’t serious penalties or moral judgments attached. This is in contrast to mores, which are norms with strong moral significance and come with harsher sanctions if violated. Norms is the broader category that includes both everyday customs (folkways) and moral rules (mores), while values are deeper beliefs about what is desirable, not specific behaviors. Because the description emphasizes ordinary, non-moral rules that govern daily conduct and only mild social consequences, the term that fits best is folkways.