Definition of abnormality - Deviation from Social Norms Flashcards
What is deviation from social norms?
NOT statistical
People who behave differently to socially created norms are seen as abnormal
e.g Politeness is a social norm
-Rude people are considered deviant because it is hard for people to interact with them
Some social norms are just social rules, some are enforced by law
Explain an example of deviation from social norms
Homosexuality was classed as abnormal and seen as a mental disorder in the past
-based on social deviation
-this was a judgement made by society at the time
Pedophilia is still classed as abnormal
-because it deviates from social norms of what is acceptable
AO3 -
Related to context and degree
Context:
-A person wearing almost
nothing at a beach is
regarded as normal
-However, the same outfit
at a school would be seen
as abnormal
Degree:
-Shouting is a deviant
behaviour, but it is only
evidence of a disorder if it
is excessive, but that point
is ambiguous
Therefore, social deviance alone cannot offer a complete definition of abnormality
AO3 -
Cultural relativism
Bound by culture
-DSM is based on social
norms in the West
-But yet still applied to
subcultures of people in
the West, like poorer
people and black people
HOWEVER, the latest DSM (DSM-V) acknowledges cultural relativism and adjusts the diagnosing symptoms accordingly