A theory of norm collapse

Abstract

How a social norm emerges has been studied extensively. However, how a norm collapses has rarely been addressed in the literature. In this article, extending the theories of norm emergence by Coleman and Axelrod, I propose a theory of norm collapse. This theory specifies one micro mechanism and macro–micro–macro process through which a norm likely decays and eventually collapses. Then, as a test, I use computer simulation to simulate the process of the norm emergence and collapse. The result of the computer simulation demonstrates that the proposed theory has internal logical consistency. Finally, I conclude by discussing some implication of this research.