Which term refers to the laws, morals, values, religions, customs, and rituals that shape a society?

The correct answer is the term that refers to the laws, morals, values, religions, customs, and rituals that shape a society, which is known as social facts. Social facts are the norms, values, and structures that exist outside of the individual but exert control over individual behavior. This concept was introduced by the sociologist Émile Durkheim, highlighting how societal rules and shared beliefs influence social life and individual actions.

Social facts play a critical role in understanding how societies function, as they encapsulate the collective norms that bind people together and establish expectations for behavior. For instance, laws dictate what is considered acceptable behavior, while customs and rituals can dictate social practices surrounding events like marriages or funerals.

In contrast, dynamic equilibrium relates to the balance within societal structures, and latent and manifest functions pertain to the consequences of social phenomena, with latent functions being unintended and often unrecognized, while manifest functions are intended and easily observed. However, these latter concepts do not encompass the broader range of societal structures and influences that define the fabric of society in the same way social facts do.