What Is an Example of Folkway in Sociology?
An example of folkway in sociology is if someone attempts to shake your hand in greeting and you shake theirs in return. Folkways are not as strict as rules, but are accepted behaviors that certain cultures have come to accept as proper.
Other examples of folkways include allowing a person to finishing speaking rather than cutting him off, and addressing him by his correct name. Instead of legal or illegal, a folkway leans more towards distinguishing what society considers rude or polite behavior, according to Study.com. A folkway is an unwritten guide to social interaction that may be taught in the family or learned through observations in school, on the job or any other place where humans connect and form relationships.
Folkways can be different for various regions or communities, according to Boundless.com. In more provincial areas, the folkway may be for people to wave at people walking or driving by. However, in a metropolitan locale the accepted folkway might be for people to be more reserved around strangers and to keep to themselves. Another folkway is the way people dress. While there is no law preventing a person from wearing biker shorts or a halter top to church, most people follow the folkway of dressing more conservatively in places of worship.
