Deviance and Social Control Lesson 7-1

Bell Ringer What would a martian, after watching an evening of prime time television, think about American culture?

Bell Ringer Who do you think decides who and what is deviant? What behavior which was considered deviant when your parents were in school, is no longer thought to be departure from societal norms?

The Nature of Deviance Deviance refers to behavior that departs from societal or group norms –Could be criminal behavior –Wearing heavy make-up –Rob banks or commit murder –Sometimes makes headlines if famous person Mike Tyson biting Holyfield’s ear

The Nature of Deviance Deviance is not always easy to identify –It is a matter of social definition –Can vary from group to group or society to society Read italics p. 204 Look at graph p. 204 –What is happening to youth violence

The Nature of Deviance Deviance can be positive or negative –Negative deviance- behavior that fails to meet accepted norms –Positive deviance- overconformity to norms Leads to extreme perfectionism

The Nature of Deviance Deviance is reserved for violations of significant social norms –Those that are highly important to members of society Deviant- a person who has violated one or more of society’s most highly valued norms

The Nature of Deviance What are some things that people become addicted to? Are people with these addictions deviant? Does our society accept some addictive/ obsessive behaviors and not others?

Social Control Social control- ways to encourage conformity to society’s norms Two types of social control –Internal social control- lies within the individual –When the norm has become part of you it is called internalization

Social Control Sanctions may be formal or informal –Informal- ridicule, gossip, smiles –Formal- imprisonment, low grades, official awards

Social Control External Social Control-When people conform due to outside controls or punishments Social Sanctions- rewards or punishments that encourage conformity to social norms –Positive sanctions-encourage conformity –Negative sanctions- stop inappropriate behavior