Fear of disapproval doesn't seem to be a strong constraint. Quite the contrary. People try not to criticize. The village drunk is, in fact, the village pet. William Freudenburg describes, for the towns he studied, a kind of tolerance similar to Clevelode's.
People make allowances.
Some are tolerant and people are loath to criticize. Others tend toward disapproval, and gossip is a strong sanctioning agent. Circle of Caring The expression circle of caring stands for another of these positive cycles, which might be favored by small community-size. I had previously speculated about customs in the village, having to do with charity and kindness and caring. I had supposed that some of them were mutually reinforcing, making each other more likely.