Steve decided to go with his friend Wendy to visit a nudist retreat. Of course, everyone Steve encountered was naked. He didn't quite feel comfortable walking around completely naked, so he chose to be partially clothed. A few people stared at Steve. In that setting, what was Steve violating by being partially clothed?

Question

Steve decided to go with his friend Wendy to visit a nudist retreat. Of course, everyone Steve encountered was naked. He didn't quite feel comfortable walking around completely naked, so he chose to be partially clothed. A few people stared at Steve. In that setting, what was Steve violating by being partially clothed?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Steve was violating a folkway, which is a traditional behavior or custom of a social group that is relatively minor and not enforced by laws. In nudist retreats, it is expected that everyone will be completely naked, so by choosing to be partially clothed, Steve was deviating from the expected behavior. However, this is not a formal norm or a more (a highly codified norm with strong moral significance), and it is not necessarily a taboo (a forbidden or highly discouraged behavior).

Steve Decided to Go with His Friend Wendy to Visit