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The merits and demerits of peer pressure
How the influence of peer pressure may affect the individual
The power of conformity
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Peer pressure is when one feels the force to fit in around his/her friends. Being unique or, in the word that is commonly used today, being different can sometimes be viewed as something wrong. Richard Bernard a worldwide famous fashion designer stated, “Be you, and let the world adjust”. Being unique is important because it brings out the truth in a person, fitting in does not really matter.
In today’s generation, kids who act in a different sort of way than their friends are viewed as deviant. Deviance is the state of being different. Everyone is unique; it just takes someone who is brave enough to show how he or she differs from others. In this world today, people have comparisons that makes them the same, whether it was their kindness, mindset, taste in fashion, etc. These similarities often end there; people are defined to be unique by their experiences in life and their perspective of the world. It is how one was raised as a child, and how one’s childhood was like that makes everyone different. For example, kids nowadays are all about fitting in, even if fitting in means going against their parent’s rules. It takes one good kid out of many to be unique and not follow their peers’ false actions. But why is it so hard for people to stand for their own selves and beliefs? The
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The amount of acceptance of others does not define the kind of person one is. If by being unique one cannot be accepted, then so be it, as long as one is comfortable in their own skin. For example, Oprah is a famous woman for having her own talk show. Oprah was physically abused as a child and had many mishaps in her life. Oprah was unique because, out of all the women who suffered with the same issue as being abused as a child, she stood out for herself and showed the people who did not believe in her that she could make something big out of herself and succeed. Oprah was surely able to inspire others by being
Deviance is described as “the recognized violation of cultural norms”(Macionis 238). While deviance can include crime, it is not always such. Deviance can mean trying to sneak into a hospital room, desperately searching for someone like the character of Benny in the movie Benny and Joon. Or it could be preforming on the streets for people to watch. Deviance isn’t always a criminal act. The movie Benny and Joon gave several examples of deviant behavior portrayed by the three main characters, Benny, Joon, and Sam.
"...social groups create deviance by making rules whose infraction creates deviance, and by applying those roles to particular people and labelling them as outsiders. From this point of view, deviance is not a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by other of rules and sanctions to an 'offender.' The deviant is one to whom that label has been successfully applied; deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label." Becker (1963)
Social deviancy is the violation of social norms. A deviant is someone who rejects folkways and mores. Any action that violates the values or rules of a social group is deviant behavior. In order to actually be characterized as a deviant, the individual must be detected committing a deviant act and be stigmatized by society. A stigma is a mark of social disgrace, setting the deviant apart from the group. Criminality is healthy for society. Deviance affirms our cultural values and norms. Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries and brings people together. There will always be people who break society’s rules and that’s important.
Societies are founded on various social norms. Norms can best be defined as a set of acceptable attitudes and practices by a given society. These norms however are found to vary from one society or cultural setting o the other. Deviance on the other hand is simply when one does something that goes against the set societal norms. Deviance is gauged on a scale of attitudes and behavior contradicting to acceptable social standards (Samuels, 2012).
Allowing people the discovery of their true nature, ending their life of mimicry and fakery. Individuality is important and beneficial for it develops a sense of freedom which brings out the authentic self. Whether this is rebellious or not is up for debate, but this act of nonconformity can unlock new ideas and open paths for brighter futures, letting creativity flow through minds of those who have been restrained by peers and their opinions. Be different than others, express yourself through thoughts and ideas that have been hidden by conformism and do not be afraid to be a
Deviance is the behavior and the standards of expectations of a group or society. It is also behavior that is considered dangerous, threatening or offensive. The people that are deviant are often labeled to be weirdos, oddballs, or creeps. In the United States, people with tattoos, drug addicts, alcoholics, and compulsive gamblers are all considered deviant. Sociologists believe that everybody is deviant from time to time. They believe each person will violate a social norm in certain situations. People are considered deviant if they don't stand for the national anthem at a sports event, dress casually to a fancy restaurant, or skip classes. One category of deviance is Crime. Crime is a violation of norms that have been formally enacted into a law. Another category of deviance is humorous. Deviance is relative, what is deviant in one group or society may not be deviant in another group or society.
Deviance is defined as actions or behaviors that violate socials norms. In turn the concept of deviance is dependent on the social observation and perception. “By it’s very nature, the constructionism through which people define and interpret actions or appearances is always “social.” ”(Henry, 2009 , p. 6) One’s perception of a situation may be completely different from another depending on cultural and social factors. The way someone talks, walks, dresses, and holds themselves are all factors that attribute to how someone perceives another. In some cases what is socially or normally acceptable to one person is deviant in another’s eyes. For this reason there is a lot of gray area involving the topic of deviance because actions and behaviors are so diversely interpreted.
What is deviance? What does it mean? What determines a behavior as deviant? Deviance is anything that violates a social norm. For example, when a child burps at the supper table but doesn’t excuse himself. Who we socialize and spend time with will determine what we deem as deviant behavior. There are many types of deviant behaviors, some of these behaviors may not be considered deviant to one culture but to another they are.
In sociology, the term deviance refers to all violations of social rules, regardless of their seriousness (Essentials of Sociology 136). Deviance is an individual or organizational behavior that violates societal norms and is usually accompanied by negative reactions from others. According to a sociologist S. Becker, he stated that it is not the act itself that makes an action deviant, but rather how society reacts to it.
Deviance is amongst other things a consequence of the response of others to a persons act. Students of deviance can not assume that they are dealing with a homogenous category. When they study people who have been labelled deviant (Howard Becker)
Within any given society, individuals are expected to behave and or conduct themselves in a given acceptable manner. However, there are instances when particular individuals act contrary to the set standards and violate the cultural norms. Such acts may include acts of crime, theft, defiance, breaking of rules, and truancy just to mention a few. Deviance could thus be viewed as the intentional or accidental violation of the particular behavioral aspects and ways that people are expected to act within a society (Hardy).
This means that almost any action or characteristic we could do or think of is approved in some social circles and condemned in others. Almost inevitably, we depart or deviate from someone’s rules, simply by acting or being ourselves, since we can’t conform to all the different sets of rules that exist. Sociologists refer to behavior that is regarded as wrongdoing that generates negative reactions in persons who witness or hear about it, as deviant behavior. Many definitions of deviant behavior exist. In the book titled Deviant Behavior by Alex Thio he states that there are many conflicting definitions for deviant behavior.
Deviance is the sociological concept of behavior which violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society. Functionalists explain deviance as a common part of human existence, interactionist look at everyday behavior to explain deviance, and conflict theorists argue that people with power define deviance.
... Although Oprah has experienced excruciating periods of her life, she still has proved that anyone can make a difference, no matter what his/her background may be. Oprah is living proof that anything is possible, and dreams do come true. Oprah has proved to people everywhere that true joy in life comes from giving to those who are in need.
Peer pressure is when we are influenced to do something we normally wouldn't do because we want to fit in with other people or be accepted by our peers (A peer is someone you look up to like a friend, someone in the community or even someone on TV).