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WHAT IS DEVIANCE?Chapter 7 – Deviance and Social Control
What Is Deviance?
Deviance: The violation of social norms
“It is not the act itself, but the reaction to the act, that make something deviant.”
What Is Deviance?
Deviance Is Relative What is deviant to some is not deviant to
others Based on location, age, social status, and
individual societies
What Is Deviance?
A Neutral Term Sociologists view deviance as any act that
people view negatively
Do not use term “deviant” in judgmental way
Are all of us deviants?
What Is Deviance?
A person does not need to act in a deviant manner to be considered deviant
Stigma: Characteristics that discredit people Appearance (ex: facial birthmark) Ability (ex: mental handicaps, blindness,
deafness) Involuntary Memberships (ex: having AIDS,
having a relative who is a criminal)
Norms Make Social Life Possible Norms make social life possible by
making behavior predictable Prevent chaos Set guidelines for how we should interact
with others
Social Order: A group’s usual and customary social arrangements, on which its members depend and on which they base their lives
Norms Make Social Life Possible
Social Control: A group’s formal and informal means of enforcing its norms Positive Sanctions: A
reward or positive reaction for following norms
Negative Sanctions: An expression of approval or disapproval for breaking a norm
Explanations of Deviance
Biosocial Explanations: Focus on genetic
predispositions, inherent tendencies to commit deviant acts Ex: XYY Theory Ex: “Born Criminal”
Theory
Explanations of Deviance
Universally, men commit more violent crimes than women do Women have more empathy and self-
control Men engage in more risk-taking behaviors
Explanations of Deviance
Psychological Explanations: Focus on abnormalities within the individual
Personality Disorders: A personality disturbance causes an individual to violate a social norm
Have not found a specific childhood experience to be linked to deviance
Explanations of Deviance
Sociological Explanations: Focus on factors outside the individual
Socialization Membership in Subcultures Social Class
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