Jaywalking In America

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Recommended: What does culture mean to me

What is culture? When asked this question one might immediately respond by saying that "culture is a set of beliefs exhibited by a certain group of people"; however, with deeper knowledge one will learn that culture is the language, set of beliefs, norms, and values that shape or form a person's way of everyday life. Nevertheless, as seen throughout the world since the creation of man-kind, many different cultures do exist worldwide; subsequently resulting in cultural variation. Simply put, cultural variation is the different social behaviors shown across the globe by different cultures. When we take into account the acts that are considered to be normal by these cultures versus the acts that they consider to be taboo, we get deviance. As described by Study.com, the word deviance means "departing from the norm, and to a sociologist, that can be biased toward the positive or negative". In the United states it is very common for our nation to have strong feelings towards the actions that we feel are deviant; nevertheless, two common acts that we view as deviant in America are jaywalking and sexual …show more content…

As reported by BBC News after a professor visiting America from the United Kingdom was arrested for unknowingly illegally crossing the street, it was stated in response to jaywalking that "there is no such offence in the UK, where it is considered a personal responsibility to cross the road safely". Was it wrong for this un-informed visitor of America to be arrested for an act that he and his country considered to be normal? Some might by no, and some might say yes; however when it comes to cultures and their views of deviance, this man has now received the label of being a deviant violator of Americas

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