Module 24 “What Is Deviance?”

Deviance Defined

Deviance: Behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society, not synonymous with perversion or depravity.
Examples of deviant behavior include:
- Being late for class
- Wearing jeans to a formal wedding
- Alcoholism, compulsive gambling, mental illness in the U.S. is also categorized as deviant.

Deviance is context-dependent; what is deviant in one culture may be celebrated in another.
Unrealistic standards of beauty create societal pressure, especially on women, leading to behaviors that may be considered deviant to conform to these norms (e.g., cosmetic procedures).

Involves the violation of group norms, which may not be codified into law.
Deviance encompasses various behaviors, including criminal acts and significant social actions that might not be prosecuted.
Negative Deviance: Actions considered harmful or detrimental to society.
Positive Deviance: Actions that challenge the status quo, which may promote change, such as speaking out against injustice.

Stigma: A label that devalues a person's identity based on physical or behavioral characteristics (Goffman, 1963).
Stigma can lead to negative social roles and impact self-esteem, particularly toward individuals with mental illness or those who do not conform to societal beauty standards.

Public events or crimes (e.g., Sandy Hook shooting) often unjustly associate mental illness with violence, leading to stigma against those with psychiatric disorders.
Actual statistics show that only a small fraction of violent crimes are committed by those with mental illness.

Definitions of acceptable behavior change over time:
- Smoking cigarettes transitioned from socially accepted to recognized as deviant due to health concerns.
- Tattoos in the military have seen an evolution from taboo to normalized under certain conditions.

Deviance serves a purpose in stabilizing societal norms and expectations.
Durkheim's Contribution: Emphasizes the role of sanctions in maintaining social order.
Anomie: A state of normlessness during significant social changes, leading to increased deviance.

Adaptation to Social Goals: Merton categorizes responses to societal pressures into five types:
- Conformity: Accepting societal goals and means.
- Innovation: Accepting societal goals but using deviant means (e.g., crime).
- Ritualism: Rejecting societal goals but still adhering to societal means.
- Retreatism: Rejecting both goals and means (e.g., drug addicts).
- Rebellion: Rejecting and wanting to change societal goals and means.

Focuses on the role of social interactions in developing deviant behavior through Cultural Transmission and Differential Association.
Deviance is learned through interactions with others who favor criminal behaviors.

Suggests that crime rates are higher in areas with weak communal bonds and breakdown of institutions like family and school.

Explains why some individuals are labeled as deviant while others are not despite similar behaviors.
Social Reaction Approach: It’s the response to an act that establishes deviance, emphasizing the role of social control agents (e.g., law enforcement).

Argues that laws are shaped by those in power and often reflect their interests, leading to unequal treatment in the justice system.

Examines how traditional crime approaches have historically marginalized women's experiences.
Advocates for understanding how gender impacts the dynamics of crime and deviance.

Deviance is a complex societal concept that includes both negative and positive dimensions.
The ways in which society defines, perceives, and reacts to deviance can lead to stigmatization and differentiation in treatment based on factors like race, class, and gender.