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