DEVIANCE

 CONCEPTUALISING DEVIANCE
 T H E N AT U R E O F D E V I A N C E
 TERMS USED IN ASSIGNMENTS AND TEST

Outline: Give the main characteristics.

Describe: Give an account of; provide greater detail than outlining.
Discuss: This means to set out the various aspects.
Elaborate: Show the meaning of; by expanding and developing.
Illustrate: Make clear by giving specific examples and comparisons.
Compare: Disclose the points of difference and similarities; merely describing or
outlining.
Explain: Make meaning clear; simplify and interpret.
Critically: Demonstrate the validity of the statement or the reverse; supporting your
argument by quoting facts or theorists.
Analyse: To break down the structure of a social phenomena or the meaning of a
concept into its component parts and determine the relationship between these
components so as to bring to light underlying features that are not clearly visible.
 DEFINING DEVIANCE
• In everyday language to “deviate” means to stray from an accepted path.
•Thus deviants acts consists of those acts which do not follow the norms and expectations of a
particular group.
•Deviance may either be positively sanctioned-rewarded
•Or negatively sanctioned through punishment.
•Or simply accepted or tolerated.
•A soldier on a battlefield who risks his life beyond the call of duty may be termed a deviant.
Similarly to a scientist who breaks the rules of the discipline and develops a new theory.
•Do you think they are deviants or conformists ?
Cont..
•They have deviated BUT their deviance may be positively sanctioned.
•The soldier will get medals and the scientist will possibly be recognised and awarded a Nobel
prize.
•Since they are both conforming to the values of their society.
•Think about soldiers and the values of courage and how scientists value academic progress
 POSITIVE DEVIANCE?
Can deviance be positive?
Is it always undesirable behaviour?
Deviance is associated with negativity/repugnant/offensive.
Consider the students marching nude against rape?
One cannot define deviance based on desirability/good/bad/undesirable acts/conditions/behaviour.
“being perfect student/saint”-deviance?
 DEVIANCE
• Deviant acts are relative to time, location and culture.
• The context in which behaviour occurs is crucial to how it will be evaluated.
• There is no absolute way of defining a deviant act. It is in relation to a particular standard of behaviour.
• Deviance is a social construct-it is created, exerted and enforced within a symbolic and moral context through a political
process.
• Simple definition doesn’t necessarily exist
• EXAMPLE NUDIST
• Why is something as being nude considered a deviant act?
• What norms are being violated and based on what?
• Being nude is restricted to private spaces.
• Public nudity is a deviant act BUT you get nudist beaches which allow nude but prohibit sex in public.
• Who exactly is a deviant here? The nudists in these beaches ? The non-nudists?
Cont..
•Deviance differs from one society to the other.
•An act/ behaviour that be considered normal may be deviant in future.
•Deviance is culturally determined.
•Similarly, definitions of crime change over time.
•Non-sociological understanding of deviance tends to acknowledge the presence of something
within the individual that compels them to commit certain acts (biological theories of deviance).
 VIOLATION OF SOCIAL NORMS
•The violation of social norms, or deviance, results in social sanction
There are three main forms of social sanction for deviance:
1) legal sanction,
2) stigmatization, and
3) preference for one behavior over another.
Formal sanctions, or the violation of legal codes, results in criminal action initiated by the state,
fines, prison sentence.
Informal sanctions, or violation of unwritten, social rules of behavior, results in social sanction,
or stigma, ostracism,
 SOCIAL CONTROL
•Social control can be defined broadly as an organized action intended to change people’s
behaviour (Innes, 2003).
•All societies practise social control through the regulation and enforcement of norms.
•The underlying goal of social control is to maintain social order, an arrangement of practices and
behaviours on which society’s members base their daily lives.
•Although this is contested quite often as some thinkers believe social control is for the benefit of
the ruling class and not to necessarily create order.
 NATURE OF DEVIANCE;
NORMATIVE
•An act that violates norms/customs of that particular culture/sub-culture in which they take
place/exist.
•Requires adherence to normative standards of that culture
•Relativity and conformity is key.
•Is deviating from a dominant norm a violation?
•Driving past a speed limit is a deviant act but becomes an exception if you are transporting
someone in labour.
•In defining deviance there are exceptions and extenuating circumstances
cont,…
•Normative definitions on deviance are approved by those in power to enhance their power.
•Acts/behaviour dominant amongst blacks/lower class/working class/women may be labelled as
deviant by dominant white/men/higher class.
•Consider the social system that creates these norms? Unequal/racist etc
•Sociological imagination and deviance-the structures that create this behaviour than focusing on
the individual act/behaviour.
 NATURE OF DEVIANCE; REACTIONIST/SUBJECTIVE
•An act is defined as deviant if it illicits a negative reaction which requires that act to be observed by
another party for a reaction- in the form of disapproval or punishment.
•But what about deviant acts that are done in secret or unknown? Does that makes them less
deviant?
•Being homosexual? Pre-marital sex?
•Is knowledge by the masses which results in a particular reaction key?
•Discredited individuals are those labelled as deviants due to a behaviour that is stigmatised (obese)
•Discreditable individuals are those undisclosed individuals that possess behaviour that is deviant
but undisclosed to others on encounter. (homosexual/having AIDS)
•Stigma and the discredited as deviants.
MISLEADING DEFINITIONS OF
DEVIANCE
Deviance as
Absolute criteria
Statistical rarity
Social and individual harm
An act of criminal status
1. ABSOLUTE CRITERIA
The assumption is that the defining characteristic is the very nature of the deviant act itself.
That it is God-given/eternal/natural
It is deviant now/tomorrow/forever
What is right or wrong isn't based on customs/norms
It is abstract-therefore wrong in the order of the universe.
i.e abortion and homosexuality in the views of Religious groups regarded as an abomination of
an eternal law
VALIDITY OF THIS DEFINITION?
Consider cultural relativity in judging right from wrong?
Judgments of right from wrong varies from culture to culture/ time period/geographical
location.
Recognition of relativity in deviant behaviour is key
Consider an act that is considered acceptable in Swaziland but not in another country?
Polygamy?
Breastfeeding in public?
2. STATISTICAL DEFINITION
Deviance is defined based on behaviour/act that is rare/unusual /uncommon that which departs
from a statistical norm.
Rare uncommon phenomenon is considered deviant “ weird/ abnormal/ peculiar”
So majority rules?
Are all statistically uncommon behaviour deviant?
Consider being breathtakingly attractive? Is that a deviant act?
Taking 4 showers a day?
Reading 2000 books a month?
 Acquiring 2 doctoral degrees?
These are statistically rare/uncommon but are they deviant acts?
VALIDITY OF THE DEFINITION
Consider actions/behaviour that the majority do that are considered deviant?
•Pre-marital sex? Lying? Stealing? Are these rare in our society?
•These actions are widely common and done by majority yet still widely condemned. Why?
•It is clear that statistical rarity or statistical commonness does not qualify/disqualify
actions/behaviour as deviant.
3. SOCIAL HARM
Is deviance an act/behaviour that causes harm to individuals/society?
Is this true or misleading? Why?
Consider homosexuality, how is it harming anyone else? Smoking marijuana? Pre-marital sex?
Is there any direct harm towards society?
Consider acts that are NOT harmful to anyone yet considered deviant.
VALIDITY OF THE DEFINITION
Consider war? Thousands die? Strikes?
 Why is one group considered deviant and not the other?
During a war leaders/militants are not considered deviants, why?
People who are exposed to harmful working environments and get sick/die? Are these
industrialists/business owners punished the same way as other deviant acts causing harm?
Some harmful acts are not widely condemned and treated as such.
Harm is not a defining feature of deviance.
4. CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
Does an action have to be criminal act/violating formal norms and laws to be deviant ?
Is picking your nose in public deviant and a crime?
Being obese?
Is being eccentric or peculiar a crime?
VALIDITY
Criminality does not define crime.
While most criminal acts are deviant, NOT all deviant acts are criminal acts.