what is the use of которых here? if i translate is, it would be: observation that is obligatory for all members of community?

Question

Его отличительная черта – нормированность, т. е. наличие правил (вы их учите в школе из года в год), соблюдение которых обязательно для всех членов общества.what is the use of которых here? if i translate is, it would be: observation that is obligatory for all members of community?if that's the case, why isn't it которые instead?help!!

Answer 1

The key to understanding this construction is to isolate the four key words in the sentence, which are:

наличие правил...собл1дение которых...

The word "правил" is the genitive plural in a phrase that means "the presence of rules." Once you understand that this word is a plural, then you understand why the relative pronoun которых is an plural.

Thus, these four key words may be translated as "the presence of rules the observation of which..."