THE 4 MAIN TYPES OF RULES (WITH EXAMPLES) - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The most important types of rules are social, guideline, mandate, or policy. The rules serve to establish an order and structure of behavior that guide the individuals of a group or organization in how to act, proceed and interact, generally to achieve one or more common objectives.

The organization of people includes from two individuals to millions for a myriad of reasons and circumstances: friends, families, neighbors, games and sports, spaces for recreation or dialogue, work spaces, educational and academic areas, among others.

The rules seek to maintain equal opportunities for all members, the same limitations and restrictions. Without rules, people could get hurt or find themselves at some kind of disadvantage.

When used and respected properly, the rules provide a climate of consistency, coherence and security in each person, and from each person towards the group in general and towards common goals.

In essence, the rules are developed to invoke a sense of what is fair for each individual and for the collective; preventing someone from taking advantage of another. Without rules, everyone would definitely do what would suit them best.

In some cases, non-compliance may have consequences, but it will depend on the space, character, intention, severity and type of organization of the group and their common objectives.

In school, if a student ignores the rules for speaking in class, it will be difficult for the teacher to achieve his educational goals while other students will lose concentration.

Therefore, the teacher should decide what type of sanction to apply to reinforce the classroom norms.

Cheating in a chess tournament is not the same as cheating in a driving test. In the first case the person is disqualified but could participate again, but in the other case the person could never drive legally.

Types of rules and their characteristics. Categories

We have already defined that the rules are principles or expected standards of conduct, and serve as a norm to guide people's actions. But depending on the space or objective, the rules could be divided into four general categories:

- Social function rules

They are not written or published anywhere, that is, they are implicit within the collective's thinking.

The environment usually knows them clearly and they are communicated or transferred through everyone's behavior. It begins in the family environment. Respect for these rules tends to be more at the level of the conscience and commitment of each individual.

The consequences of non-compliance are usually very mild and flexible but not legal at all; generally it does not go beyond the dislike or repudiation of the collective.

These rules seek to meet the general objective of a more healthy, harmonious, safe and universal coexistence in society. The rules of etiquette, education, good manners and good manners are the best example.

Among them there are: greeting and saying goodbye with cordiality, asking for permission, respecting personal space, respecting authority figures, not talking with your mouth full, etc.

- Guideline or guide function

These rules are commonly published or written somewhere and their follow-up is recommended to guarantee respect and equality within the space where they were designed.

The interpretation and use of these rules has certain freedom at the discretion of each person, or with the understanding and negotiation of the group or the parties involved.

The consequences of non-compliance can vary and continue to depend on the environment, those involved and the severity. They can range from verbal warnings to expulsions from the group, organization, event or place.

Examples: rules of sports and semi-sports games, rules of board games, rules of conduct in religious and cultural spaces, neighborhood rules, school rules, rules of permanence in hospitals, etc.

- Mandate function

They are the rules that should not be ignored under any circumstances, otherwise their violation is punished. Its compliance must be mandatory for all members of the given group.

These rules are always published and available to everyone, together with the sanctions depending on the type of non-compliance and the procedure for executing the sanction.

Examples: official rules of each sport at official events, all existing laws at all levels.

- Policy function

They are published rules that involve expected behavior and the violation of which may or may not be allowed or tolerated under certain circumstances. Sanctions can range from verbal or written warnings to expulsion from the group or organization.

Some may be legal. Examples: behavior and clothing policies for workers in companies, negotiation policies between partners.

Rules in civilized society

The rules are the basis of the harmonious and respectful coexistence of all civilization. Many historians and sociologists claim that without the rules, society would be in chaos and the human being would still be a wild individual.

Doctors, engineers, farmers, lawyers, all the members of a society expect correct behavior under the established rules.

Through the centuries, the rules have allowed humans to organize their daily activities within society, establishing a series of rights and duties applicable to all members.

In some groups, the rules are partially established from the indigenous traditions, culture and religion of the people of an area and can take years to become a firm block of morals and good customs of a society.

Generally, the last step and evolution of the rules of a society are the creation and implementation of laws, where the rulers of a community give institutional character to the rules, establishing in turn reinforcement mechanisms for their compliance and sanctions for non-compliance.

At first, people usually respect the rules to avoid punishment for breaking them. This usually happens more than anything in the first years of life, understand childhood and youth.

But with the passage of time, the vast majority of the inhabitants acquire the awareness and responsibility to comply with the rules by the simple and important fact of respecting order in society and of each of its members.

References

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