Social deviance refers to behaviors or actions that are considered non-normative or different from societal norms.
Deviance encompasses a wide range of actions, including crime and non-violent practices like veganism or pacifism.
Understanding social norms is essential to comprehending the concept of deviance.
In sociology, deviance is not inherently negative; it simply denotes something that deviates from what is generally accepted.
Example: Veganism in a meat-eating society is considered deviant despite being a personal choice.
Deviance is not solely determined by numerical rarity; it derives from the acceptance of behaviors in specific contexts.
Society utilizes informal mechanisms to regulate behavior, known as social control, which can manifest as both positive and negative sanctions:
Negative Sanctions: Negative social reactions toward deviant behavior (e.g., strange looks, ridicule).
Positive Sanctions: Affirmative reactions showing approval for conforming behaviors (e.g., praise or recognition).
Social controls are often informal and can be seen in everyday interactions, such as disapproval from friends or approval from authority figures.
Folkways: Informal norms that guide everyday behavior; violations lead to negative sanctions but not legal repercussions.
Formal Sanctions: Codified norms resulting in legal consequences for violations, enforced by the criminal justice system (e.g., police, courts).
Biological Theories: Early explanations attributed deviance to biological traits; considered insufficient today.
Cesare Lombroso's Theory: Proposed criminals had primitive physical characteristics.
William Sheldon's Body-Type Theory: Linked muscular body types to criminality without accepting direct causation.
Psychological Approaches: Emphasize socialization and environment on behavior, proposing that deviance stems from failures in social development.
Containment Theory: Posits that individuals who can manage impulses are less likely to engage in deviant acts (e.g., Reckless and Dinitz's study).
Both approaches primarily focus on individual factors while neglecting social influences and opportunities for deviance.
Deviance is often seen as an abnormality; however, most individuals who engage in deviant acts are typical in physical and psychological terms.
The definitions of deviance must transcend individual characteristics to encompass broader cultural perceptions.
Social deviance is best understood through the lens of cultural norms:
Cultural Context: Deviance does not stem from inherent qualities but from social acceptance and definitions.
Labeling Theory: Society’s response plays a significant role in defining actions as deviant. Perception of deviance varies based on context (e.g., sleeping in tents).
Social Power Dynamics: Social norms often reflect the interests of the elite, shaping laws and societal reactions to various groups (e.g., fugitive slave laws).
The study of social deviance reveals the complexities and nuances of how behaviors are classified and accepted within society.
Understanding deviance requires examining sociological perspectives that highlight societal structures and cultural influences rather than solely focusing on individual characteristics.
Future discussions will delve deeper into theoretical frameworks related to crime and deviance in sociology.