Deviance is an individual's or group's behavior, ideas, or attributes that some people in society find offensive, wrong, immoral, sinful, evil, strange, or disgusting. This definition consists of three parts. Expectation: Some behavioral expectation must exist. Violation: There must be a real or implied violation of the expectation Reaction: An individual, group, or society must react to the deviance The strain theory by Robert Merton believes that American society pushes individuals toward deviance by overemphasizing the importance of monetary success, while failing to emphasize the legitimate means to achieve that success. Cultural Transmission Theory by Edwin Sutherland states that deviants learn patterns of behavior form the people with whom they associate on a regular basis. Not only do they teach us the techniques for committing deviant acts, but also a set of beliefs and attitudes that justify or rationalize the behavior The Anomie Theory was coined by Emile Durkheim and it refers to the condition of normlessness, in which values and norms have little impact and the culture no longer provides adequate guidlines for behavior. Deviance is also thought of as an individual choice because it appears that the consequences of doing it are more desirable than the consequences of doing something else. The choice is as simple as weighing the pros and cons. Biological theories are a bit weak due to all the exceptions to the rule. William Sheldon proposed that deviance is in the body type. Other theorists say its in the extra Y chromosone Psychologists have attributed antisocial behavior to the conscious mind being too weak to overcome the strength of the id. Labeling theorists attempt to explain how cultural and individual perceptions create and sustain deviant idetities. A deviant is not different from you or I, they are just labeled deviant successfully. Has led sociologists to distinguish between primary and secondary deviance. Primary deviance is the original behavior that leads to the application of the label to an individual. Secondary deviance is the behavior that people develop as a result of having been labeled Functions of Deviance Deviance actually helps teach society's rules providing illustrations of violation. It is functional in that it 1) causes the group's members to close ranks 2) promotes group solidarity 3) help clarify what society really believes in 4)teaches normal behavior by showing us what is abnormal. Durkheim stated that deviance is "an intergral part of all healthy societies." There seems to be a disjunction between means and ends, such as the emphasis on wealth and success without many legitimate means to achieve them.
With that being said, there’s a lot of disorganization in the society which increases the level of deviance occurring. The acts of deviant people challenge the boundaries of society and can eventually spread unto the masses, changing those boundaries. Deviance helps us affirm and define our own norms.
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.
Much of society mistakenly interchanges the two concepts of crime and deviance, assuming that they are one in the same. "A crime is what the law proclaims it to be, and is an act punishable by law" (Winterdyk 9). Deviance, on the other hand, is a contested concept; it can be defined as differing from a norm or accepted standard of society (dictionary.com). Deviance involves acts that fluctuate from social norms; although such actions can be, they are not necessarily against the law (Winterdyk 9).
The Structural Strain Theory is a theory of deviance that explains deviance as the natural outgrowth of the values, norms, and structures of society. Amer...
Bohm and Brenda L. Vogel, the Labeling theory is used to explain why people commit crimes and conceive themselves as criminals. Overall the Labeling theory consists of social groups creating rules and then applying those rules to particular people and labeling them as outsiders. This theory is split into two types of deviances: primary deviance and secondary deviance. Primary deviance is the initial criminal act, for example, a man robs a bank. A secondary deviance is committing a crime after the first criminal act and accepting the label of a criminal. Following the previous example, after the man robs the bank, he decides to do it again because he now sees himself as a criminal bank robber and wants to continue doing it and is okay with being seen that
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).
Social deviance is when people who are faced with social norms either choose to conform or to rebel
Deviant behavior is sociologically defined as, when someone departs from the “norms”. Most of the time when someone says deviance they think against the law or acting out in a negative behavior. To sociologists it can be both positive and negative. While most crimes are deviant, they are not always. Norms can be classified into two categories, mores and folkways. Mores are informal rules that are not written; when mores are broken, they can have serious punishments and sanctions. Folkways are informal rules that are just expected to be followed, but have no real repercussions.
There exists conflicting theories among sociologists in the area of determining why a person is considered to be a deviant, and the reasons behind why he or she has committed a deviant act. From a positivistic perspective, deviance is based on biological or social determinism. Alternatively, from a constructionist perspective, deviance is created and assigned by society. Both perspectives seek to give a theory for why a person may become known as deviant. Although they both view similar acts as deviant, the basic differences between positivists and constructionists theories are clear.
Deviance is the term that s used for the type of behavior that does not comply or rather, goes against the norms of the society. Crime is an evident example of deviance and this has been used in a great way in this film. The film revolves around Derek who chooses to leave the path of deviance
Sociologists understand the concept deviance in a variety of ways. It is the result of unsuccessful socialization, the solutions is usually intended to change the mind of the individual, and that order need to remain maintained. Norms determine whether something is deviant or normal. So deviance depends on the social status and power on the person, the social context in which the behavior occurs, and the historical place it takes place in. Deviance is all about violating the day to day norms and is usually considered to be wrong bad, or immoral. It is a process because it just doesn’t happen one day it’s usually happens overtime. For example, its two type of deviants the primary deviance and the secondary deviance. Primary deviance would be
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, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. There is nothing inherently deviant in any human act, something is deviant only because some people have been successful in labeling it so." – J.L. Simmons