Social norms can differ from governmental rules as they are not written in constitutions or official governmental documents. Societies build specific standards that might vary in diverse countries, but some norms are common around the world. According to van Kleef et al. (2019), people expect others to have stable psychological conditions outside their homes and follow ethical rules. The break of these social norms might be considered deviant by people of different working positions, ages, and genders because people regularly encounter this problem in public transport, and some could violate this norm once in their lifetime. However, some of them are rarely punishable by the law. One of the common violations of social norms is riding public transport without a ticket. In some countries, people rarely check to buy tickets, and they avoid spending money every time they need to get to another part of the city.
Individuals may believe that avoiding paying for the bus might save money and use this tip every time they travel by public transport. Consequently, this form of deviance occurs in society. However, not all people understand the causes of the violation of such a norm. For instance, Trifan (2019) states that not paying for the ticket is like avoiding monthly payments for the flat, which is shared with the other person. Neighbors agree to live together to ensure they do not overpay and have shelter. The same happens with public transport, as buses and trams need fuel to provide people with high-quality service.
This issue is closely related to Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. The philosophy proposes that people should be honest with themselves, and parents should teach their children to avoid immoral tricks that do not greatly influence their financial or psychological stability (Mathes, 2021). The theory prevents people from acting violently and considers being wiser. People who adhere to the concept of morality would not comment on the person who rides without a ticket, but they will evaluate all negative and positive aspects of this action and try to consider changes in their behavior and teach their relatives.
References
Mathes, E. W. (2021). An evolutionary perspective on Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. Current Psychology, 40, 3908-3921.
Trifan, I. (2019). What makes free riding wrongful? The shared preference view of fair play. Journal of Political Philosophy, 28(2), 158-180.
van Kleef, G. A., Gelfand, M. J., and Jetten, J. (2019). The dynamic nature of social norms: New perspectives on norm development, impact, violation, and enforcement. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 84.