In sociology there is a well known theory called systems theory by Luhmann. Here he de-centralizes the concept of social norms by porting the idea of self-sustainable systems to the field of social sciences.
The advantage of this model was that it has a very clear empirical connection to the real world. In contrast to Habermaß, norms are not derived but evolve based on the stability criterion.
Remember those French sociologists that tried to find the "rules that govern our society" like Marcel Mauss.
Assuming that language reflects social systems that have survived long enough to reproduce themselves in communicative action, we can use language as a methodical bridge to measure the existence of these systems, effectively providing the social sciences with something they have longed for:
