SOCIAL CONSTR

UCTION

OF DEVIANCE

In the following slides, determine if what you see constitutes DEVIANCE.

You may base your decision on:• Behavoiur• Beliefs• Condition of the person

WHAT IS DEVIANCE?

Any behaviour, belief or condition that violates significant social norms in the society or group in which it occurs

Interestingly – one who is considered “deviant” by one category of people may be seen as “conformist” in another group

WHO DEFINES DEVIANCE?

Common sense thinkingInherent in certain kinds of

behaviour or peopleSociologistsFormal property of social

situations and structuresDeviance is relative – an act

becomes deviant when it is defined as such

VARIATIONS IN DEVIANCE

• Time to time• Place to place• Group to group• Degrees of seriousness

“Deviance is not a property inherent in certain forms of behaviour; it is a property conferred upon these forms by audiences which directly or indirectly witness them. The critical variable in the study of deviance is the social audience rather than the actor.

(Erikson 1964)