In 2005 the Northwestern University women's lacrosse team won an NCAA championship and was invited to the White House to receive congratulations from the president. Controversy erupted after their visit, when the official photograph revealed that several team members were wearing flip-flops. Despite the outcry, the athletes took the criticism in stride, talking about it on the Today Show and auctioning the offending footwear for charity. Given the reaction and the team's response, what sort of norm did the athletes break by wearing flip-flops to the White House?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The athletes broke a folkway, which is a type of informal norm that governs everyday behavior and is not a strict requirement. Wearing appropriate footwear when meeting the president is a generally accepted folkway, but it is not a strict requirement like a law or a more. The reaction to the athletes' behavior was not severe enough to categorize it as a more, taboo, or negative sanction.

In 2005 the Northwestern University Women's Lacrosse Team Won an NCAA