Defining acceptable means to achieve a valued end 55

defining acceptable means to achieve a valued end.
55
Normative systems are both constraining and liberating. They im -
pose limits on social behaviour while serving as a vehicle to enable
social action.
56
The normative system is governed not by coercive
power as with the regulative pillar, but through self-policing and
less formal “group sanction.” Violating social norms often results

28
in shaming and disgrace while excelling brings pride and honour.
57
The normative pillar is often seen as that which provides stability
and acts as “the basis for social order.”
58
In SOF, this pillar is expressive of why the chain of command often
speaks of a self-regulating environment where every actor bears
responsibility to correct misalignments when they are seen. This
concept speaks to the higher standard of discipline SOF believe
they are held to even if it is manifested outwardly in a different
way from conventional forces. Too often this crucial nuance is
ignored as the unsophisticated eye glares at relaxed grooming
standards, pointing to those as an indication of poor discipline.
The professional reality is quite contrary. Indeed, SOF missions
depend on superior discipline.
The cultural-cognitive pillar is about what is right; what is
culturally supported within a common frame of acceptability
based on a shared understanding or perception of the world. “In
the cognitive paradigm, what a creature does is, in large part,
a function of the creature’s internal representation of its
environment.”
59
In a nod to fellow sociologist Max Weber, Scott
notes that action was social only to the extent those involved at -
tached meaning to it. He elaborates explaining that individuals,
in objective conditions, continuously make subjective decisions
based on their interpretation of multiple stimuli bombarding
them in a dynamic and ever-changing milieu.
60
Interestingly, Scott
attaches a binary aspect to the cultural-cognitive pillar where
those who align with the dominant culture are reassured and
confident whereas those operating outside of it are noticeably
regarded as “clueless (or) crazy.”
61
This binary phenomenon is seen in SOF. The selection of individu -
als is about the fit. Cultural indoctrination following selection is
about the tightness of that fit. Lately, the term enculturation

29
has been attached to this stage. In fact, it is not uncommon in
SOF for the vast majority of those selected to remain for many
years because they self actualize in the environment. However, a
small number tend to be ejected relatively early on because they
stand out as uniquely incapable of adapting to the environment.
Enculturation tends to be a binary proposition, which underscores
why it is so vitally important to SOF. Moreover, this process must
be tailored to the unique circumstances of the unit involved
because the intent is to transmit specific sub-cultures within
an overarching SOF culture that itself nests into a dominant CF
culture. Enculturation thus needs to start at the lowest sub-level
in order to work properly.