NORM
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2315 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics |
1. A behavioral standard or model applicable to a specific class of systems.
Norms systems are practical codes for any type of transactions at a wide social level.
Norms translate values to the level of enacted behavior. They settle down as a consensus through repeated interactive feedbacks between users, because they permit a great economy of resources by avoiding uncertainties, incompatibilities, conflicts, and unnecessary iterative experiences and complexity. They also increase the systems predictability and make it more easy, i.e. less costly, to maintain.
Hierarchies of norms may appear, as encompassing global norms are produced through the interactions of local and specific needs of systems entering a more global one. (e.g. European norms superseeding national ones).
Norms may however need to evolve as for example technical ones. This is generally a difficult process, because they precisely are designed to enhance stability. As a result, there is a general tendency to cling to established norms and to resist new ones.
2.$^$ The most common behavior of a system, as defined by “normal” distribution.
This is a mathematical concept, which is in no way connected with the former one.