DEVIANCY

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DEVIANCY

• Deviancy is a Violation of Social Norms
• Norms are behavioral codes and scripts conforming
  to acceptable standards that guide our actions
  and self-presentations
• Who Defines Deviance?
• - The Everyman
• - The majority in almost every group

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WILLIAM SUMNERS (1906) THREE BROAD CATAGORIES

• FOLKWAYS
• - refers to simple everyday norms based on
  customs, traditions, or etiquette
• MORES
• - norms based on broad social morals whose
  infraction would generate more serious social
  condemnation
• LAWS
• - the strongest social norms supported by
  codified social sanctions

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More Norm Types

• PRESCRIPTIVE
• Tell us what to do
• PROSCRIPTIVE
• Tell us what not to do
• ROLES
• A bundle of norms governing a position in
  society

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Societal Functions of Norms

• Control Behavior--most humans are controlled by
  normative structure, most conform, chaos
  inhibitor
• Insures that societys needs are met
• e.g., police officer, truck driver
• Helps us predict how others will behave.
• We know the norms, and we know that most people
  will conform to the norms. This knowledge gives
  us a sense of comfort. Contributes to order in
  society.

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Creation of Norms

• Conflict Model--Powerful humans create the norms
  and impose them on everyone else.
• Consensus Model--All types of humans agree about
  norms that should exist, therefore they come into
  existence.
• BOTH?

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CRIME DEVIANCY

• These are overlapping categories with independent
  dimensions
• Some deviancy is not criminal
• - stuttering, handicaps, physical shape
• Some crime is not deviant
• - Tax evasion is a crime, but generally does not
  violate social norms or bring moral censure

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ASCRIBED ACHIEVED STATUS

• ASCRIBED DEVIANT STATUS
• These are traits that someone is born with
• Examples can include physical defects, being
  poor, race, height, weight, sex, things that
  often cannot be changed
• ACHIEVED DEVIANT STATUS
• These are traits that someone has taken on
• Examples include alternative attitudes or
  beliefs, violating normative dress codes, joining
  a gang, becoming a student and many more

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THE ABCs of DEVIANCE

• A Attitudes
• Achieved statuses based upon beliefs or
  convictions
• B Behaviors
• Often Achieved statuses based on outward actions.
  May also be Ascribed
• C Conditions
• Most frequently Ascribed statuses that are
  acquired from birth

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POSITIVE DEVIANCE

• Altruism self-sacrificing (good Samaritans)
• Charisma leaders outside of the norm who have
  followers and eventually whose views are adopted
  (intellectuals, shamans, military leaders,
  prophets)
• Innovation creative and innovative figures that
  profoundly impact the life of a culture (music,
  films, Ben Franklin, Isaac Newton)
• Supra-Conformity collective evaluations of what
  behaviors ought to be (extreme moralists,
  a-students)
• Innate Characteristics subject to environmental
  conditions (movie stars, athletes, based on
  ascribed status)

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THE PROCESS OF DEVIANCE

• Societal reaction to deviance is a complex
  social-cultural-historical process based on
  shifting definitions, organizational interests
  and professional expertise
• The reaction and the deviance are a mutually
  interrelated phenomenon

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REACTION PROCESS
Societal Reaction to a given event
Norms
Labels as Deviant
Revised Norms
More Deviance
Societal reaction to label
And it continues on
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Determination of Deviance is Subjective/Relative

• What is deviant to one person is not deviant to
  another.
• What is deviant in one society, culture, or
  subculture is not deviant in others.
• What is deviant at one time may not be deviant at
  other times.
• What is deviant in one context may not be deviant
  in others.