Final answer:
Norms are generalized standards of behavior that states adhere to and help to secure collective security and uphold international law, contributing to the predictability and stability of international relations. They come in various forms, such as repeated behaviors, legal obligations, mores, and folkways, and are crucial to global governance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Norms are generalized standards that shape collective expectations about appropriate behavior in societies and the international community. They represent a compromise that states agree to in order to secure collective security, comply with the outcomes of decisions made by the International Court of Justice, and embody moral criteria for determining what is right and what is wrong.
These norms can manifest as repeated behaviors, such as the use of fiat currency in modern economies or as actions required by international law, like the regulations the United Nations Security Council implements to resolve international conflicts or the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea's directives.
Nations are expected to follow these norms to provide predictability and stability in international relations. Constructivism in international relations posits that some actors are more capable than others of changing these norms. Compliance with international law is predominantly high despite the limited enforcement mechanisms, because state leaders feel compelled to justify their actions in terms of international norms, leading to a more predictable international system. Mores and folkways are subcategories of norms that distinguish between the moral foundations and the customary practices within a culture, respectively.
Ultimately, norms and international law serve as the essential backbone of global governance, influencing the conduct of states and laying the groundwork for cooperative interactions in areas such as commerce, human rights, and environmental protection among diverse international entities.