Norms are unwritten rules.

Values are the beliefs we think are important.

Norms are usually based on values.

For example, a norm in British culture is to queue in an orderly fashion at checkouts, at bus stops, while waiting to be served, and so on.

The values of politeness and fairness underpin this. (Although these are contextualised. After all, the value of fairness may give rise to different norms in another culture. And someone from a different culture may push into a British queue and not see that as impolite or unfair.)

If people break norms, they may be considered deviant.

The extent to which they are depends on the norms they have broken, the extent to which they have broken them, and the concomitant judgement of their peers (or, sometimes, society).

This indicates the fact that not all deviance is the same, and that not all norms are equally important.

Thus, if I eat my boiled egg with a knife my friends may think me slightly odd, but if I take to shouting at the top of my voice while at work, I am likely to face a rather more significant response from those around me.

Deviance is often responded to through social control.

This can be formal (laws, police, prison) or informal (everything else).

The latter includes things like disapproving looks, shaming, isolation, telling off, avoidance and so forth.

All those things that seek to reinforce and sustain the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable and appropriate in social life.

Norms can change, as can values.

Taking photos of yourself used to be uncommon.

Now selfies are ubiquitous.

Shopping online was unheard of twenty years ago.

Now it is entrenched.

In both cases, technology has changed the norms of society.

When it comes to values, change can sometimes be a little harder to judge. It often takes longer as well.

And there is the possibility that values may be in conflict. Or that competing conceptions of values may exist.

For example, one group might define fairness in a certain way, while another group may see things differently.

One thing that is true, however, is that norms and values can change, and often do change over time.

And if this is true, it means that cultures are malleable. Albeit, to varying extents.

That they are is demonstrated by the time and tides of history.

That the extent of their malleability differs can be seen simply by comparing two or more cultures with which you are familiar.

Of course, to say that a culture is malleable is not to say that it can be changed easily or completely, just to say that at least parts of it can be changed and that, on a wider scale, norms and values are not set in stone.

They are social constructions.

And what does this mean for positive behaviour management?

Well, it means that you can construct the norms and values of your classroom.

And it means that these norms and values will define the culture you seek to create.

And it means that deciding what you want, communicating this to learners, and then working to make it a reality is what behaviour management is all about.

And it begs the question:

• If you don’t set, define and maintain the norms and values of your classroom, who will?