Gourt > Society > Relationships > Weddings > Help and Advice > Etiquette
Etiquette, also known as decorum, is the code that governs the expectations of social behavior, the conventional norm. It is an unwritten code, but it may evolve from or into a written code. The Greek equivalent of etiquette was protokollon, protocol, the written formula for ceremonial. It usually reflects a theory of conduct that society or tradition has invested heavily in. Like "culture", it is a word that has gradually grown plural, especially in a multi-ethnic society with many clashing expectations. Thus, it is now possible to refer to "an etiquette" or "a culture", realizing that these may not be universal.
Norms and effects of etiquette
Etiquette fundamentally prescribes and restricts the ways in which people interact with each other, and show their respect for other people by conforming to the norms of society. Modern Western etiquette instructs us to: greet friends and acquaintances with warmth and respect, refrain from insults and prying curiosity, offer hospitality equally and generously to our guests, wear clothing suited to the occasion, contribute to conversations without dominating them, offer a chair or a helping arm to those who need assistance, eat neatly and quietly, avoid disturbing others with loud music or unnecessary noise, follow the established rules of a club or legislature upon becoming a member, arrive promptly when expected, comfort the bereaved, and respond to invitations promptly.
Roman etiquette varied by class. In the upper strata of Roman society, etiquette would have instructed a man to: greet friends and acquaintances with decorum, according to their rank, refrain from showing emotions in public, keep his womenfolk secluded from his clients, support his family's position with public munificence, and so on.
More on [ Etiquette ]
Letter About Palin Goes Viral
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:05:00 -0400
This week in Wasilla, Alaska, a woman named Anne Kilkenny sent a letter to some college friends about her former mayor, Sarah Palin. By week's end, the letter was pinging around the country and Kilkenny's phone was ringing off the hook.
Teen Sex, Sex Education And Sarah Palin
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:39:00 -0400
Gov. Sarah Palin has been a strong supporter of programs that advocate abstinence until marriage, and she also opposes explicit sex education. Alaska's law is silent on these issues, however, and it provides no specific funding for sex education in the schools.
Examining Palin's Pentecostal Background
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:14:00 -0400
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has electrified religious conservatives who see her as one of their own. The Republican vice presidential candidate brings evangelical credentials to the ticket and has a Pentecostal background.
The Talk of the Town
Dorothy Wickenden: An old-style, Los Angeles feminist on Obama.
Dorothy Wickenden Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Rosalind Wyman--seventy-seven years old; doughty feminist; political fund-raiser and philanthropist; hostess to J.F.K., Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton, and Hollywood types too numerous to count; youngest elected member of the Los Angeles City Council (at the age of twenty-two); first woman to run a national political . . .
Lauren Collins: The Brooklyn painter Kehinde Wiley.
Lauren Collins Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
The painter Kehinde Wiley first travelled to Nigeria in 1997. He was trying to find his father, whom he had never met, or, more crucially for a portraitist, seen. (His mother didn’t have any photographs.) After several weeks in Lagos, he found his dad, who welcomed him. But--like any . . .
James Surowiecki: What drives market volatility?
James Surowiecki Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
American investors are frazzled. True, oil prices have fallen from their most vertiginous highs, the dollar is a bit stronger, and the stock market has actually risen over the past month. But none of those things have happened in a smooth and steady fashion. The stock market’s “ascent,” in particular . . .
Emily Post Wedding Etiquette - Advice from the late etiquette guru, Emily Post, for weddings, showers, gift giving and engagements.
Meta Description: [ Emily Post Institute offers etiquette advice and answers to manners questions such as wedding etiquette, parenting issues and table manners. Peggy Post, Peter Post and Cindy Post Senning are spokespersons who are available for speeches and seminars., The Emily Post Institute provides advice, book... ]
Engagement and Wedding Etiquette - Advice on engagement and wedding etiquette. Includes wedding definitions and information on superstitions.
Etiquette Schmetiquette - A humorous look at wedding etiquette.
Meta Description: [ A humorous look at wedding etiquette. ]
Free Wedding Advice - Advice on wedding etiquette.
Meta Description: [ Once you're engaged you'll be looking for a bridal gown, headpiece, flowers, invitations, etc. Remember - “it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that zing!” Get it at our wedding supply store.
]
Frugal Bride: Etiquette Do's and Don'ts - Offers etiquette advice specific to cost-conscious brides.
Guest Etiquette - Etiquette advice for wedding guests; including tips on gift-giving, photo-taking and promptness.
Meta Description: [ Many first time wedding guests are unaware of their responsibilities. Here are some easy things to remember so that you can be an gracious guest. ]
Los Angeles Times Wedding Etiquette - Article from April 2005 that offers etiquette advice for dealing with feuding parents, meddling mothers and planning anxiety.
Meta Description: [ latimes.com Southern California wedding guide. Find information on budgets, etiquette, fashion, locations and more. ]
Manners Culture and Dress of the Best American Society: Courtship and Marriage - Excerpt from the book by Richard A. Wells highlighting wedding practices from the Victorian era.
On Common Ground - Destination Weddings and Wedding Etiquette - Information and tips on bridal etiquette for planning a destination wedding.
Meta Description: [ Read the daily rants of The Missus. She blogs on search marketing, fashion, news, pop culture and other things that need babbling on about. ]
Second Weddings - Advice and information on etiquette for second weddings.
SuperWeddings Etiquette Issues - Wedding etiquette advice from professional bridal consultants.
Meta Description: [ Wedding etiquette advice from professional wedding consultant Linda Kevich. Find reliable and accurate answers in our wedding etiquette articles and wedding etiquette advice column ]
The Knot: Ask Carley - Advice column offering answers to any wedding etiquette question.
500
Wedding Etiquette 101 - Advice on wedding etiquette for brides, grooms, wedding planners and the families of the bridal couple.
Meta Description: [ What's the etiquette for weddings these days? Find out who pays for what, how to work out a seating plan that suits everyone, what the duties of the bridal party are... and a whole lot more! ]
Wedding Etiquette Advice - Offers information on wedding etiquette. Includes specific etiquette for wedding gift registries.
Meta Description: [ Free wedding etiquette advice including gift, reception, bridal shower, destination wedding etiquette ]
Wedding Etiquette and Planning Q and A - Wedding and planning etiquette questions and answers from Bride's magazine.
Wedding Gift Thank You Note Etiquette - Information and advice on the proper etiquette for writing thank you notes for wedding gifts.
Meta Description: [ How to Write a Wedding Thank-You Note. Wedding gifts and thank-you notes go hand in hand. Not sending out a letter showing your gratitude for the gifts you received at your weeding is tacky and ... ]
| A Bug flies into the mouth of this reporter. Seen on Jimmy Kimmel, ET and featured on Howard Stern. We digitized this ... | |
| Next Video | |
