Notes: Deviance, Norms, and Socialization (Overview) 4.1 text
Deviance and Crime: Core Links
Deviance = departure from behaviors, beliefs, or even attributes that are typical, acceptable, or expected in a given social context or group. It challenges social norms. Crime is a specific form of deviance, specifically an act that violates written laws. Not all deviance is crime, but all crime is a form of deviance.
Deviance can be negative (e.g., substance abuse, theft) or positive (e.g., acts of heroism, extraordinary altruism, or challenging unjust norms for societal betterment like civil rights activism). Not all deviance is condemned; some forms may even be admired or seen as beneficial (e.g., monks living apart from mainstream society, or whistleblowers who expose corruption).
Deviance primarily involves behavior (actions like shoplifting, or inactions like failing to help someone in distress) or belief systems (e.g., belonging to a fringe religious cult). Traits, such as uncontrollable physical characteristics (like certain disabilities, unusual hair color, or race), are generally not considered deviant in themselves, although societal reactions to these traits can lead to stigmatization which is a form of social deviance or labeling.
Positive deviance: involves honorable or voluntary behaviors that depart significantly from the norm, often for the greater good, and are generally met with positive judgment or admiration rather than social disapproval.
Norms: What society expects
Norms are unwritten rules for behavior, shared ideas of how people should think and behave. They are based on society's shared values and can range from informal customs to formalized laws.
Prescriptive norms: dictate what we ought to do; these are social guidelines for desired actions (e.g., attending school, showing respect to elders, obeying traffic laws, being honest).
Proscriptive norms: dictate what we ought not to do; these are prohibitions against undesirable actions (e.g., committing crimes, lying, cheating, being rude in public).
Formal norms (mores): have strong moral underpinnings and are often codified into laws, policies, or official regulations. Violations are seen as serious threats to group welfare and may result in severe penalties (e.g., laws against murder, sexual assault, theft; religious commandments like the Ten Commandments).
Informal norms (folkways): are everyday social expectations with weaker moral basis. They guide casual interactions and social customs. Violations usually result in mild social disapproval rather than severe punishment (e.g., rules of etiquette like saying "please" and "thank you," appropriate dress for an occasion, unwritten rules about personal space).
Norms are deeply rooted in shared values of what is considered good, bad, right, or wrong within a society. These values provide the rationale for the existence and enforcement of particular norms. Norms can be formalized in law or remain informal social expectations.
Norms are not static; they vary significantly by situation, context, and over time. What is considered acceptable behavior (e.g., language, dress codes, dating practices, public smoking) can change drastically across generations or in different settings.
Cross-cultural variation: Norms are highly culturally specific. What is considered rude, polite, acceptable, or deviant in one society may be entirely normal or even obligatory in another (e.g., belching after a meal as a sign of appreciation in some cultures vs. a sign of disrespect in others; direct eye contact meaning honesty vs. aggression).
Open container example and normative change
Open container laws: are legal prohibitions on the public consumption of alcoholic beverages. These laws offer a clear example of how norms, laws, and their enforcement can vary and create debates.
Debates and perceptions: Practices like public alcohol consumption can be seen as highly deviant and unlawful by some, while others might view it as a normal or trivial part of urban life, particularly in areas with relaxed social norms or during specific events (e.g., festivals). Perceptions often depend on local cultural contexts, enforcement priorities, and the specific socio-economic characteristics of a neighborhood.
Unequal enforcement: The application of open-container laws, and indeed many other public order laws, can be highly unequal across different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. This disparity illustrates how norms and laws do not operate in a social vacuum; they interact with existing social power structures, biases, and historical inequalities, leading to certain groups being disproportionately policed and criminalized for behaviors that might be overlooked in other contexts.
Norms, Law, and Deviance in Practice
While society’s criminal justice system primarily focuses on codified norms (laws) and their violations, the broader concept of deviance encompasses a vast range of non-criminal, yet socially disapproved or distasteful behaviors that are regulated by informal norms and social sanctions.
Norms evolving into laws: Behaviors that were once merely considered deviant or informally regulated can become criminalized over time due to societal shifts in values, increased awareness, or public pressure (e.g., smoking in public places, drunk driving, animal cruelty). Conversely, some previously criminalized behaviors may become decriminalized or widely accepted (e.g., cannabis use in some jurisdictions, homosexuality).
Deviance impacting justice policy: The dynamics of deviance significantly influence criminal justice policy and administration. For instance, the understanding of illicit item use among inmates has led to strict prison smoking bans, searches for contraband, and policies regarding drug use or gang affiliation within correctional facilities. These policies are direct responses to deviant behaviors observed or anticipated in specific environments.
Subcultures and Norms
Subcultures: are groups of people united by shared experiences, values, and norms that distinguish them from the larger mainstream society. These groups may develop unique ways of life, symbols, and behaviors that are understood and accepted within the subculture but may be perceived as divergent or even deviant by outsiders or the broader culture (e.g., ethnic communities, occupational groups like police or military personnel, motorcycle clubs, LGBTQ+ communities, specific interest-based groups like gamers).
Deviance relative to mainstream: Members of a subculture may engage in behaviors or hold beliefs that are perfectly normative within their group but are considered deviant or unconventional relative to the broader culture, often without being criminal (e.g., distinctive dress codes of Goths, specific language use among teenagers, alternative lifestyles of swingers).
Legal variability: The legality of certain behaviors often depends on the specific jurisdiction and its prevailing norms. For example, adultery may be considered a criminal offense in some places (e.g., specific states in the U.S. or some Islamic countries) but is merely a civil matter or a private moral issue in most of the world. This highlights how both norms and legality are not universal.
Socialization into divergent norms: Subcultures play a crucial role in socializing their members into norms that can diverge significantly from mainstream expectations. This internal socialization influences individual behavior and perceptions of deviance, as members learn to conform to the group's specific standards. Conforming to subcultural norms might simultaneously mean deviating from mainstream norms.
Socialization: How norms are learned
Socialization = the comprehensive, lifelong process by which individuals learn and internalize the norms, values, beliefs, and social skills necessary to function effectively within their society or group. It shapes an individual's personality, self-concept, and social behavior.
Internal socialization (internalization): occurs when norms become so deeply ingrained that they feel like a natural part of the individual’s personality or conscience. Behavior is guided by an internal moral compass, a sense of right and wrong, even in the absence of external monitoring or fear of punishment. Individuals abide by norms because they genuinely believe it is the correct way to act.
External socialization: involves behavior guided by the desire for external rewards (e.g., acceptance, status, praise, prestige) or the avoidance of external punishments (e.g., disapproval, sanctions, fines). Individuals conform to norms primarily due to social pressure or calculated self-interest regarding how others perceive them.
Primary socialization: the earliest and most fundamental stage of learning, primarily occurring within the family and immediate caregivers during childhood. It establishes basic personality, gender roles, language acquisition, and fundamental social interactions (e.g., sharing, hygiene, respect for authority).
Secondary socialization: occurs later in life, outside the family, through institutions like school, peer groups, religious organizations, media, and various community groups. This stage introduces individuals to specific roles, complex social rules, academic knowledge, and broader societal expectations.
Adult socialization: an ongoing process of adjustment and adaptation to new roles, environments, and life stages throughout adulthood (e.g., learning how to be a spouse, a parent, a professional in a new job, or adjusting to retirement). It involves continuous learning and re-socialization.
Socialization failures: Inadequate, incomplete, or dysfunctional socialization can be a significant sociological explanation for deviance. If individuals do not sufficiently internalize societal norms or are exposed to inconsistent or harmful influences, they may struggle to conform to expected behaviors.
Deviance through subcultural socialization: Deviance can also arise directly from effective socialization, but into deviant subcultures. Individuals internalize norms that are contrary to mainstream society (e.g., learning pro-criminal attitudes within a gang, adopting specific drug use patterns within a peer group). In such cases, conforming to the subculture's norms means deviating from the broader societal expectations.
Takeaways for exam-style understanding
Distinguish clearly between deviance (a broader concept of norm violation) and crime (a specific form of deviance that violates codified laws); recognize that deviance covers a wide range of behaviors, beliefs, and even attributes.
Understand the distinctions and examples of prescriptive vs. proscriptive norms and formal norms (mores) vs. informal norms (folkways), including their moral basis and consequences for violation.
Recognize that norms and laws are dynamic; what is considered deviant or criminal can change over time and across cultures, and enforceability can be disproportionate.
Appreciate the significant role of subcultures in shaping normative expectations and the potential for subcultural norms to lead to behavior categorized as deviant from the mainstream perspective.
Grasp the differences between internal vs. external socialization and explain how primary, secondary, and adult socialization processes cumulatively influence an individual's conformity or deviation from social norms.
Acknowledge that socialization failures (inadequate transmission of prosocial norms) and deviant subcultural socialization (effective transmission of anti-mainstream norms) are key sociological explanations for the emergence and persistence of deviant behaviors.