DEVIANCE Are you a Deviant Deviance Deviance Behaviors

DEVIANCE Are you a Deviant?

Deviance § Deviance – Behaviors or characteristics that depart from or violate important social norms. § Reminder – a norm is shared rule about acceptable or unacceptable social behavior § Negative Deviance – Behavior that fails to meet accepted norms § Positive Deviance – Over-conformity to norms § Wearing too much make up § Purchasing a strangers coffee § Pay if forward

Principles of Deviance § Deviance is socially constructed, whether an act is deviant depends on how other people react to it. § Deviance is relative and not absolute. Inconsistencies among societies as well as within a single society. § Is homosexuality deviant behavior?

Principles of Deviance § Deviance – The majority determines who and what is deviant. § Street crimes versus white collar crimes § Deviant Stigmas – Violators of important social norms are often stigmatized § Stigma – Mark of social disgrace that sets the deviant apart from the rest of society. The Scarlet Letter or inmates wear certain clothing

Principles of Deviance is an integral part of all societies § Clarifies Norms – deviance that is caught reminds us of what is wrong § Diffuses Tension – unauthorized and authorized demonstrations § Identifies Problems – deviance could lead to social change § Provides and creates jobs – criminal justice system

Theories for the causes of Deviance • Is society at fault?

Cultural-Transmission Theory § Differential Association: Proportion of associations a person has with deviant versus non-deviant individuals § More deviant associations, the individual is more likely to take part in deviant behavior § More associations with those who conform, the more likely an individual will conform

Structural Strain Theory § Deviance is a natural outgrowth from the values, norms, and structure of society § America puts a high value on certain goals, but not everyone can achieve these goals. This inability to attain goals can lead to deviance § Anomie – When the norms and values of society are unclear or no longer applicable § How is Charles Manson a celebrity?

Control Theory § Deviance is a natural occurrence, while conformity is the result of social control § Community influences the likelihood of deviance § Individuals with weak ties to the community are more likely to commit deviant acts. They have less to lose when they engage in deviant acts

Conflict Theory § Competition and social inequality lead to deviance § The powerful (upper-class) decide what is deviant and how deviance is punished § Upper-class commit deviant acts to maintain power § Lower-class commit deviant acts to obtain economic rewards or because of feeling of powerlessness

Labeling Theory § Everyone commits deviant acts, but certain individuals are labeled as deviant § Stresses the importance of society in defining what is illegal and in assigning deviant status to particular individuals, which dominates their identities and behaviors § Primary Deviance – Rule-breaking that occurs before labeling § Secondary Deviance – Behavior that results from the labeling process