Folkways are considered less important than mores and taboos because they do not influence legal systems or societal structure.

Folkways are everyday customs or behaviors that people follow in a society, like saying "please" and "thank you" or dressing appropriately for different occasions. While they help maintain social order, they are not as serious as mores, which are strong moral norms, or taboos, which are behaviors that are completely forbidden. For example, if someone forgets to say "thank you," it may be seen as rude but isn't usually punishable by law, unlike stealing, which is a violation of mores. Because folkways are more about social etiquette and less about moral values, they don’t usually shape legal systems or societal rules. This makes them important for daily interactions but less critical for the overall structure of society.