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Why do groups tolerate different amounts of rule-breaking?

A small deviation can pass unnoticed in one setting and draw an immediate objection in another. Cultural tightness and looseness offer a vocabulary for differences in the strength of norms and reactions to breaking them. The same person or household can favor strict rules in one area and flexibility in another.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • Which kinds of deviation does a particular group tolerate, and why?
  • What would be lost by turning a group average into a claim about every member?

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