What is 'Normal' Behaviour?
Is it possible to define ‘normal’ behaviour?
- ‘Normal’ behaviour could be defined as any behaviour which falls within accepted social norms e.g. washing regularly; walking on the pavement; speaking in grammatical, coherent sentences
- ‘Normal’ behaviour could be said to obey behavioural conventions as laid down by specific societies and cultures
- ‘Normal’ behaviour in one society or culture may not be considered normal by another society or culture e.g. marrying someone of the same sex is considered normal in some cultures and countries but not in others; belief in demonic possession may be considered normal in some countries or cultures but not in others
- When ‘normal’ behaviour is adhered to it tends to go unnoticed and not draw attention to itself
- Normality is subjective and may operate at an idiosyncratic level e.g. one person may eat boiled cabbage for breakfast and cornflakes for dinner every day which may be viewed as abnormal by others but for the individual concerned this diet represents their own version of ‘normal’
Cabbage for breakfast: normal, abnormal or just quirky?