A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted social norms, norms, standards or criteria, often taking the form of a custom. Convention has at least two very distinct but related meanings. ... Look up Agreement in Wiktionary, the free dictionary An agreement may be an agreement in beliefs, rules, practices (policies), or conduct. ... It has been suggested that Convention (norm) be merged into this article or section. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The word standard has several meanings: Originally, standard referred to a conspicuous object used as a rallying point in battle. ... Criterion DVD Series The Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, is dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. ... In law, custom, or customary law consists of established patterns of behaviour that can be objectively verified within a particular social setting. ...

Certain types of rules or customs may become law, and regulatory legislation may be introduced to formalise or enforce the convention (e.g. laws which determine which side of the road vehicles must be driven). In a social context, a convention may retain the character of an "unwritten" law of custom (e.g. the manner in which people greet each other, such as by shaking each other's hands). Lady Justice is a personification of the law. ... Legislation (or statutory law) is law which has been promulgated (or enacted) by a legislature or other governing body. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... // The Unobservable Although the term social is a crucial category in social science and often used in public discourse, its meaning is often vague, suggesting that it is a fuzzy concept. ...

In physical sciences, numerical values (such as constants, quantities, or scales of measurement) are called conventional if they do not represent a measured property of nature, but originate in a convention, for example an average of many measurements, agreed between the scientists working with these values. Physical science is an encompassing term for the branches of natural science, and science (generally), that study non-living systems, in contrast to the biological sciences. ...

General

A convention is a rule or a selection from among two or more alternatives, where the rule or alternative is agreed upon among participants. Often the word refers to unwritten customs shared throughout a community. For instance, it is conventional in many societies that strangers being introduced shake hands. Some conventions are explicitly legislated; for example, it is conventional in America and Germany that motorists drive on the right side of the road, whereas in England, Australia and Barbados they drive on the left. The extent to which justice is conventional (as opposed to natural or objective) is historically an important debate among philosophers. Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...  drive on right drive on left Keeping to either the left or the right prevents vehicles moving in opposite directions from colliding with each other. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... This article is about the concept of justice. ... Naturalism is any of several philosophical stances, typically those descended from materialism and pragmatism, that do not distinguish the supernatural (including strange entities like non-natural values, and universals as they are commonly conceived) from nature. ... It is proposed that this article be deleted, because of the following concern: Limited information sources, article is object for nothing but original research If you can address this concern by improving, copyediting, sourcing, renaming or merging the page, please edit this page and do so. ... A philosopher is a person who thinks deeply regarding people, society, the world, and/or the universe. ...

The nature of conventions has raised long-lasting philosophical discussion. Quine, Davidson and David Lewis published influential writings on the subject. Lewis's account of convention received an extended critique in Margaret Gilbert's On Social Facts (1989), where an alternative account is offered. Another view of convention comes from Ruth Millikan's Language: A Biological Model (2005), once more against Lewis. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Donald Davidson (March 6, 1917 – August 30, 2003) was an American philosopher and the Willis S. and Marion Slusser Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley. ... David K. Lewis David Kellogg Lewis (September 28, 1941 – October 14, 2001) is considered to have been one of the leading analytic philosophers of the latter half of the 20th century. ... Margaret Gilbert is a philosopher best known for her 1989 book On Social Facts. ... Ruth Millikan (1933 - ) is a well-known American philosopher of biology, psychology, and language. ...

Customary or social conventions

The so-called reversed map of the earth is considered unconventional in the majority of societies

Image File history File links Reverse_projection. ... Image File history File links Reverse_projection. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Social

Main articles: Norm (sociology) and Norm (philosophy)

In sociology a social rule refers to any social convention commonly adhered to in a society. These rules are not written in law or otherwise formalized. In social constructionism there is a great focus on social rules. It is argued that these rules are socially constructed, that these rules act upon every member of a society, but at the same time, are re-produced by the individuals. It has been suggested that Convention (norm) be merged into this article or section. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In sociology a social rule refers to any social convention commonly adhered to in a society. ... Young people interacting within an ethnically diverse society. ... Lady Justice is a personification of the law. ... Social constructionism or social constructivism is a sociological theory of knowledge based on Hegels ideas, and developed by Durkheim at the turn of the century. ...

Sociologists representing symbolic interactionism argue that social rules are created through the interaction between the members of a society. The focus on active interaction highlights the fluid, shifting character of social rules. These are specific to the social context, in particular time and space. That means a social rule changes over time within the same society. What was acceptable in the past may no longer be the case. Similarly, rules differ across space: what is acceptable in one society may not be so in another. Symbolic interactionism is a sociological perspective which examines how individuals and groups interact, focusing on the creation of personal identity through interaction with others. ...

Social rules reflect what is acceptable or normal behaviour in any situation. Michel Foucault's concept of discourse is closely related to social rules as it offers a possible explanation how these rules are shaped and change. It is the social rules that tell people what is normal behaviour for any specific category. Thus, social rules tell a woman how to behave in a womanly manner, and a man, how to be manly. Other such rules are as follows: Michel Foucault (IPA pronunciation: ; English-speakers pronunciation varies) (October 15, 1926 – June 25, 1984) was a French philosopher and historian. ... Discourse is a term used in semantics as in discourse analysis, but it also refers to a social conception of discourse, often linked with the work of French philosopher Michel Foucault (1926-1984) and Jürgen Habermas The Theory of Communicative Action (1985). ...

• strangers being introduced shake hands, as in Western society, but
  • bow toward each other, in Korea, Japan and China
  • do not bow at each other, in the Jewish tradition
  • in the US, eye contact, a nod of the head toward each other, and a smile, with no bowing; the palm of the hand faces sideways, neither upward nor downward, in a business handshake.
  • present business cards to each other, in business meetings
  • in Japan, removal of dark eyeglasses when meeting, as dark eyeglasses indicate association with the underworld.
• click heels together, in past eras of Western history
• a woman's curtsey, in some societies
• in the Mideast, never displaying the sole of the foot toward another, as this would be seen as a grave insult.
• In many schools, even though seats for students are not assigned they are still "claimed" by certain kids, and sitting in someone else's seat is considered an insult

Bowing is the act of lowering the head, or sometimes the entire upper body from the waist, as a social gesture. ... Korea (Korean: 한국 or 조선, see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ... A curtsey (also spelled curtsy) is a traditional gesture of greeting, predominantly done by women, in which the woman bends her knees while bowing forwards. ...

Others

There are generic conventions which are very closely tied to a particular artistic genre, and may even help to define what that genre is. Terms such as fan conventions and science fiction conventions could be interpreted in this manner, but more often refer to the meaning of "convention" as a gathering or the physical location of a gathering. Look up genre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A fan convention, or con, is an event in which the fans of a particular TV show, comic book, or actor, or an entire style of entertainment such as science fiction or anime, gather together to meet famous personalities (and each other) face-to-face. ... Science fiction conventions are gatherings of the community of fans (called science fiction fandom) of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. ... Metro Toronto Convention Centre, late 2004. ...

Other conventions that may simply be expectations are:

• paintings are rectangular or square
• stock devices (a comedy ends with a marriage, but a cowboy film can end with the hero riding off into the sunset)

For building painting, see painter and decorator. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... For other uses, see Cowboy (disambiguation). ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ...

Government

In government, convention is a set of unwritten rules which the participants in the government are expected to follow. These rules can be ignored only if justification is clear, or can be provided. Otherwise, consequences are sure to follow. Consequences may include ignoring some other convention that has until now been followed. According to the traditional doctrine (Dicey), conventions cannot be enforced in courts, because they are non-legal sets of rules. Convention is particularly important in the United Kingdom and other governments using the Westminster System of government (e.g. Canada and Australia) where many of the rules of government are unwritten. The Houses of Parliament in London The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modeled after that of the United Kingdom system, as used in the Palace of Westminster, the location of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

International law

Main article: International law

The term convention is also used in international law to refer to certain formal statements of principle such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Conventions are adopted by international bodies such as the International Labour Organization and the United Nations. Conventions so adopted usually apply only to countries that ratify them, and do not automatically apply to member states of such bodies. These conventions are generally seen as having the force of international treaties for the ratifying countries. The best known of these are perhaps the several Geneva Conventions. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Convention on the Rights of the Child Opened for signature 20 November 1989 in - Entered into force September 2, 1990 Conditions for entry into force 20 ratifications or accessions (Article 49) Parties 193 (only 2 non-parties: USA and Somalia) The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child... The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations to deal with labour issues. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... Single European Act A treaty is a binding agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely states and international organizations. ... Development of the Geneva Conventions from 1864 to 1949. ...

External links

• Law-Ref.org index of important international conventions
• Global Business Events Portal