Definition of Customs – Behavioral sciences explore the cognitive processes within organisms and the behavioral interactions between organisms in the natural world. It involves the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behavior through the study of the past, controlled and naturalistic observation of the present and disciplined scientific experimentation and modeling.
It attempts to accomplish legitimate, objective conclusions through rigorous formulations and observation. Generally, behavior science deals primarily with human action and often seeks to generalize about human behavior as it relates to society.
Customs
A custom is a cultural idea that describes a regular, patterned way of appearing or behaving that is considered characteristic of life in a social system. Examples: Shaking hands, bowing, and kissing are all customary ways of greeting people that distinguish one society from another.
In general, customs regulate the whole social life of man. Law itself cannot cover the whole gamut of social behavior. It is the customary practices that contribute to the harmonious social interactions in a society which normal times of peace and tranquility. The influence of custom, at times, extends beyond one’s own community.
Definition of Customs
According to kingsley Davis:
“Practices that have been repeated by a multitude of generations, practices that tend to be followed simply as they followed in the past”
According to Ginsberg:
“Rules or norm of action supported on the emotional side of forces, sentiments”
According to Anderson:
“The uniform socially approved ways of acting which are passing from one generation to other”
Other Definition
Custom is a traditional practice or usual way of doing something followed by a social group or people.
Characteristics/ Nature of Customs
- Customs is a social phenomenon, which is socially recognized got social significance and normative in nature. Custom represents routine acts of daily life of the people, they enjoy social sanction.
- Normative, maintains social order, external social sanction.
- It has great social significance, inherited.
- Custom are considered to be conductive to the welfare of the society.
- Unconsciously customs are maintained as they are strongly imbedded in group life.
- Customs are varied in nature, e.g. for the performance of marriage, varied religion performs in different manner. Origin of custom is obscure-it is very difficult to ascertain the exact way in which customs are emerged.
- Customs are relatively durable, spontaneous in nature.
- All customs are not traditional.
Customs control the society
Customs are the long established habits and usages of the people. They are those folkways and modes, which have persisted for a very long time and have passed down from one generation to another. They arise spontaneously and gradually. There is no constituted authority to declare them to apply them or to safeguard them. They are accepted by society. They are followed because they have been followed in the past. The importance of custom as a means of social control cannot be minimized.
They are so powerful that no one can escape their range. They regulate social life to a great extent. They bind men together. They control the purely selfish impulses. They compel the individual to conform to the accepted standards. They are held so sacred that any violation of them is regarded not only a crime but also a sacrilege. In primitive customs are main agencies of social control but in modern times their force has loosened.
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