conventionprecedes

Conventionprecedes is a term used in social theory to describe the idea that established social conventions exist prior to and shape individual behavior, rather than being created entirely anew by each actor. The term blends "convention" with "precedes" and is used to discuss how norms and practices become stable over time.

Proponents argue that many coordination problems are solved because agents rely on preexisting shared expectations. These norms reduce cognitive and informational costs, enable coordination, and generate predictability in social life. The concept is compatible with Durkheimian ideas of social facts and with contemporary theories of collective intentionality, though it is not tied to a single school of thought.

Critics contend that norms are continually produced and revised through agency, communication, and strategic interaction. They emphasize the role of individuals and groups in challenging, reinterpretating, or renegotiating conventions, suggesting that conventionprecedes is a tendency rather than an absolute law. The debate centers on how much weight to give to structure versus agency in the formation of norms.

Applications and examples include language conventions that undergird mutual intelligibility, traffic rules and etiquette norms that regulate everyday behavior, and institutional practices that persist beyond their original justification. The concept is often discussed alongside broader topics such as social norms, cultural transmission, and mechanisms of norm diffusion in societies.

See also: Social norm, Convention (social), Collective intentionality, Social ontology.