DEVIANCE Chapter 8 Section 1

True Story …really Onlookers were horrified as the couple parked the stroller outside a New York City restaurant, pulled the blanket up under the chin of the sleeping baby, then nonchalantly entered and gave their drink orders to the waiter as they were seated at a table near a window.

The baby was turned over to Child Protective Services and the couple was arrested for child abandonment and endangerment.

Later that evening… Americans were outraged as television news reported the story of a Danish couple abandoned their baby on the streets of New York City. Residents of Denmark were at first confused, and later outraged over the fact that the baby had been placed in foster care and the couple jailed for such a common and innocent act.

What is deviance? Deviance is the recognized violation of cultural norms. Acts of deviance are broad and range from criminal behavior to wearing heavy make- up. Not all deviance involves action or even choice. The very existence of some categories of individuals can be troublesome to others.

Since people are socialized to accept the norms of society, why does deviance exist?

Read the following list of behaviors. abusing a child talking to yourself in public driving while intoxicated stealing from a convenience store

The Nature of Deviance What are some of the most significant norms in society today?

The Nature of Deviance Society determines which acts are considered deviant. Can you think of a situation where an act considered deviant in one situation may be considered normal in another?

The Nature of Deviance Can you think of a situation where an act was considered deviant in one historical period but not in another?

The Nature of Deviance A person is not considered deviant based on one act. They must continue to get caught doing that act and get a reputation. What are the exceptions?

The Functions of Deviance “There is nothing abnormal about deviance. In fact, it performs four essential functions.” Emile Durkheim Deviance affirms cultural values and norms. Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries. Responding to deviance promotes social unity. Deviance encourages social change.

Deviance affirms cultural values and norms. As moral creatures, people must prefer some attitudes and behaviors to others. Any conception of virtue rests on an opposing idea of vice. There can be no good without evil and no justice without crime. Deviance, then, is needed to define and sustain morality.

Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries. By defining some people as deviant, people draw a boundary between right and wrong. For example, a college marks the line between academic honesty and cheating by punishing students who plagiarize.

Responding to deviance promotes social unity. People typically react to serious deviance with collective outrage. In this way, they reaffirm the moral ties that bind them. For example, after September 11, 2011, terrorist attacks, people across the United States were joined by a common desire to protect the country and bring those responsible to justice.

Deviance encourages social change. Deviant people push a society’s moral boundaries, suggesting alternatives to the status quo and encouraging change. For example, rock ‘n’ roll, condemned as morally degenerate in the 1950s, became a multibillion-dollar industry just a few years later.