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Dana Williams deposited Why Revolution Ain’t Easy: Violating Norms, Re‐socializing Society on Humanities Commons 4 years, 6 months ago
Society is not only structured by major hierarchical institutions, but also by the unwritten rules, called norms, that govern the practice of daily life within those institutions. Peoples’ unreflective observance of these norms helps to perpetuate inequality and domination in society. Norms are transmitted through a process of socialization, by which every member of society is subtly trained to appreciate and follow these norms. While disobeying norms, or deviance, is possible, it is also fraught with problems and challenges. Ultimately, many things prevent the creation of new, anarchistic norms. Still, even with formidable obstacles in their path, anarchists have attempted to re-socialize themselves and others in order to adhere to more egalitarian, horizontal, and cooperative norms.