The word "norm" has Latin roots. In translation, it means "standard", "rule", "sample". Norms can relate to a wide variety of processes and phenomena: social, natural, technical. The rules indicate the limits within which an object retains the ability to function, its qualities and does not lose its essence. Next, we consider the concept of social norms. 
Areas of distribution
Social norms are the rules by which the actions of people are regulated. They have a number of features. In particular, social norms of behavior concern directly people, relations between them.
Objectivity
Being a complex structure, the sphere of relations between people needs constant regulation. In accordance with this, social norms are also developing. Society itself shapes them. They are formed naturally and historically. A system of social norms is created under the pressure of reality. They act as a generalization, fixing the repeating stable relationships and acts of interaction. The need to reproduce and consolidate the necessary relationships creates, in turn, the structure of social and regulatory regulation. Along with this, the influence of the subjective factor should be taken into account. Social norms cannot arise and exist separately from people's consciousness. The need for certain rules must be recognized. 
Abstractness
The concept of social norms is of a general nature. Rules are defined in an abstract, not specifically related to the individual. They act as typical regulatory mechanisms. Addressees are determined by indicating their characteristics: sanity, age, status and so on. Abstractness is also expressed in repeated repetition. So, the rule takes effect every time a typical case arises, which is provided as a condition for the operation of the norm, its entry into the regulatory process. In this case, it should be noted that the norm always has a certain content. But it is expressed in a typical way, acts as a general behavioral model.
Other signs
Social norms reflect the degree of freedom of the individual. They establish the limits of his legal capacity, activity, ways of satisfying his needs and interests. One of the most important signs of norms is binding. In a given situation, they have a prescriptive character. Social regulation is procedural. This means that there are certain forms, detailed procedures for the implementation and operation of the rules. Social norms are also characterized by sanction. Each regulator has its own mechanisms to ensure its action. A distinctive feature of the norms is their consistency. It can apply both to a set of rules, and to individual regulations. 
Classification
Human social norms operate in different relationships. Most clearly they are manifested in the political, religious, corporate, cultural spheres. Law occupies a special place in the system of social norms. At the same time, all kinds of rules and regulations interact rather closely, being implemented within the relationship. A comparative assessment of their regulatory features is carried out taking into account their sources, subject of management, degree (nature) of internal organization, form of existence, methods of influence, means of support,goals and more. Morality and law in the system of social norms act as the main regulatory mechanisms.
Political Prescriptions
In a broad sense, they include social norms of law. However, there is an opinion that the law acts as a political tool. Moreover, law has a natural basis and reflects the degree of freedom of the individual. In this regard, legal social norms cannot be called an instrument of politics. In this area of prescription, they are classified primarily by their content and scope, as well as by subject of regulation. In this regard, such norms can be found not only in political documents (manifestos, declarations, and so on), but also in acts of public associations, legal regulations. They can also act as ethical rules.
When a political norm is fixed in a legal document, it acquires a certain legal status. The formation of such rules is carried out on the basis of ideas, assessments, principles and value orientations. In this case, they act as the social norms of the state, as a result of people's awareness of the politics of special interests. First of all, they include economic needs. Political norms govern the activities and relations of individual politicians, classes, nations, peoples, the state and citizens. 
Customs
These social norms are formed historically, within the framework of specific relations and as a result of repeated repetition. Customs become a habit. These standards have the following features:
- They are in the public mind, and specifically in social psychology.
- They are least prescriptive in their regulatory abilities.
- Customs penetrate into the sphere of consciousness of an individual, sometimes deeper than moral principles.
- Their formation occurs spontaneously, due to the repeated repetition of identical behavioral acts.
- Each custom has a social basis - the cause of occurrence. Subsequently, this symptom may be lost. In this case, the custom itself will continue to operate.
- Customs have a local distribution.
- The means of ensuring these standards are public opinion and the power of habit.
- Customs do not form a holistic education. This is due to the spontaneity and spontaneity of their appearance, as well as the duration of these processes.
Custom Specifics
First of all, it should be noted the features of education and the operation of customs. In this regard, they often act as a form of other social norms. These include, for example, moral principles, hygiene rules, and so on. They may also be in legal form. For example, it may be the custom of business or legal circulation. However, any norm during its transformation loses its special mechanism of influence and regulatory specificity. Becoming a custom, it begins to rely on the power of habit. 
Types of customs
Norms that have moral foundations are called morals. Business customs (customs) are developed in the process of functioning of state institutions, in the course of commercial, economic activity. They act in conjunction with legal regulations. The rules governing the rituals also serve as a variety. The latter are quite complex procedures that are carried out in the religious, family, household spheres. Customs of this type are called rituals. The rules governing official ceremonies are called ceremonies.
Traditions
As a variety of custom is tradition. Its occurrence is associated with the action of subjective factors. In society, people can consciously create certain traditions, and also contribute to their development. Therefore, the emergence of these norms is not always due to a long historical process. Tradition relies more on public opinion.It expresses the desire of people to save these or other useful models of behavior, values, ideas. 
Legal regulations
They supplant unwanted, harmful customs (blood feud, for example). Socially necessary, useful norms can be endowed with legal sanction. In this case, they acquire the status of legal custom. At the same time, customs mean less than morality for the realization and formation of legal opportunities.
Corporate Rules
They have some similarities with legal norms. In particular, the following should be classified as common features:
- Consolidation in documents - provisions, charters, instructions and so on.
- Consistency.
- The presence of a fixed set of collateral.
- Clearly binding character.
- The need to provide external implementation control.
Distinctive features of corporate rules should be considered:
- The expression in them of the interests and will of the members of a particular organization and the spread of action on them.
- Regulation of relations within the enterprise.
- Sanctioned by specific measures specific to each organization.
Features of the interaction of regulations
Legal norms form the basis for the formation and functioning of various associations. Several articles are devoted to this issue in the Constitution. The law does not allow the creation of organizations harmful to the state and society. It is also forbidden to leave associations in their activities beyond the scope of tasks and goals established by the charter. Corporate and legal norms interact in determining the legal personality of organizations - the sphere of relations into which the enterprise is allowed to enter. 
Technical and legal rules
On the issue of considering their status, there are two positions. According to some authors, these rules cannot be classified as social norms; according to others, on the contrary, it is possible. In these norms, the technical rule acts as the regulatory requirement, and the legal rule as the sanction. Their content is determined by the laws of technology and nature. The subject of regulation is not human interactions, but the attitude of people towards the object. From this perspective, they are recognized as non-social norms. Measures to ensure them are the adverse consequences of violations of technical regulations, natural laws. Nevertheless, a number of authors consider these rules a kind of social norms, because:
- The main object of regulation is the actions of people.
- The rules have a social orientation, the importance of which is growing rapidly with the development of the technical side of life.
Today, one of the most relevant technical standards is one that regulates the relationship between people and the environment.