Deviance- Exam 2

what are both linked to cultural standards

values and norms are both linked to cultural standards about what is (un)desirable, but breaking norms has consequences (rewards and punishments)

can the same act be rewarded in one social system and punished in another

true

what can serve as social boundaries

norms can serve as social boundaries, designating insiders and outsiders and creating feelings of attachment to the system. Obeying norms can signal your commitment to the system

Johnson on deviance

-certain types of people can also be designated as deviant

-constructing norms can benefit the powerful

deviance

behavior, belief, or condition that violates norms

what is defined by society

by defining what is normal, society defines what is deviant

what is the origin term of deviation

origin of term is in statistics- “deviation” is the difference between the value of a given case and the group average

when did sociologist begin using deviance

began using deviance in 1950s to encompass four major topics

what are the four major topics used to encompass deviance

-crime and delinquency

-mental illness

-drug use/addiction

-sexual misbehavior

social control

various methods society uses to encourage conformity to its norms or punish nonconformity

internal social control

people’s own attempts to conform norms

what may believe or do regarding social norms

-people may believe that (certain) norms are good, fair, moral, etc.

-people may follow norms because they anticipate other people’s reactions (e.g. through internal conversation)

-social arrangements make some things easier to do and others more difficult;people often follow the path of least resistance

informal social control

unoffical forms of social control, like gossip, humiliation, and ostracism

formal social control

official forms of social control, like fines, imprisonment, and execution

why is deviance constructed

deviance is constructed because society categorizes some behavior, beliefs, or conditions as deviant (wrong, illegal, immoral, perverted, etc.)

why are deviants constructed

certain people are defined as deviants or criminals