In law, as an academic discipline, the term "normative" is used to describe the way something ought to be done according to a value position. For example, from one normative value position the purpose of the criminal process may be to repress crime whilst from another position, it could be to protect individuals from the moral harm of wrongful conviction. It simply refers to different value positions.

Economics is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Greek for oikos (house) and nomos (custom or law), hence "rules of the house(hold)."[1] A definition that...

Michel Foucault

Scientific method

Value

Philosophy of law

Political science

A hypothesis (from Greek ὑπόθεσις) consists either of a suggested explanation for a phenomenon or of a reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. The term derives from the Greek, hypotithenai meaning "to put...

Norm (philosophy)

Canguilhem, Georges, The Normal and the Pathological, ISBN 0-942299-59-0.

Normative ethics

Normative economics

In philosophy, normative statements affirm how things should or ought to be, how to value them, which things are good or bad, which actions are right or wrong. Normative is usually contrasted with positive (i.e. descriptive, explanatory, or constative) when describing types of theories, beliefs, or propositions. Positive statements are falsifiable statements that attempt to describe reality. It is only with David Hume in the 18th century that philosophers began to take cognizance of the logical difference between normative and descriptive statements and thinking. There are several schools of thought regarding the status of normative statements and whether they can be rationally discussed or defended. Among these schools are the tradition of practical reason extending from Aristotle through Kant to Habermas, which asserts that they can, and the tradition of emotivism, which maintains that they are merely expressions of emotions and have no rational content. Normative statements and norms, as well as their meanings, are an integral part of human life. They are fundamental for prioritizing goals and organizing and planning thought, belief, emotion and action and are the basis of much ethical and political discourse.

In standards terminology, "normative" means "considered to be a prescriptive part of the standard". For example, many standards have an introduction, preface, or summary that is considered non-normative, as well as a main body that is considered normative. "Compliance" is defined as "complies with the normative sections of the standard"; an object that complies with the normative sections but not the non-normative sections of a standard is still considered to be in compliance.

See economics aspect in normative economics. In social sciences the term "normative" is used to describe the effects of those structures of culture which regulate the function of social activity. While there are always anomalies in social activity (typically described as "crime") the normative effects of popularly-endorsed beliefs (such as "family values" or "common sense") push most social activity towards a generally homogenous set, resulting in varying degrees of social stability. Normative behavior is a term used in sociology to describe actions intended to normalize something, or make it acceptable.