The term folkways was introduced to the sociological literature by W.GSummer in his book with the little “Folkways” published in 1906. the word literately means “The ways of the floor people”. Folkways are the accepted ways of behavior. 

(a) Social in nature : Folkways are the product of man’s group life, they are created by the groups for their sustenance and maintenance. Individuals get social recognition by conforming to the folkways. Every new generation absorbs folkways partly by deliberate teaching but mainly by observing and talking part in life about them.

(b) Unplanned origin: The Origin of folkways are very obscure. Sumner believed that they arise automatically and unconsciously, they are not result of any advance planning.

(c) Informal Enforcement: Folkways are not as compulsive and obligatory as those of laws or morals. Conformity to the folkways is neither required by law nor enforced by any special agency of the society. 

(d) Folkways are Innumerable: It is not possible for anyone to enlist all the folkways, no encyclopedia could contain all the folkways observed by all of the people of history, they are very diverse and numerous.

(e) Folkways are subject to change: Folkways are not static, but dynamic, folkways are change with changing social conditions, some folkways undergo relatively rapid change, some are resist change very often.