deviance Flashcards
what is deviance
this is when an act is deemed socially unacceptable however it does not go against the law, not all deviant acts are criminal and not all criminal acts are deviant
what are some examples of deviant acts which arent criminal
shouting in the library, living a nonconventional life, queue jumping
what are the 3 ways deviance can be
unusual and good - saving someone from a fire
unusual and eccentric - sharing a house with 50 cats
unusual and bad - queue jumping
what are some criminal acts which arent seen as deviant
downloading music illegally, speeding
what happens if a deviant act becomes the norm
this can lead to a relaxation on law enforcement or even decriminalisation
example - some police forces have a relaxed approach to cannabis possession as some no longer see this as a deviant act
whats a moral code
used to describe a set of basic rules, values and principles held by an individual, group, organisation, or society - failure to follow these is seen as deviant
define formal sanctions
imposed on an official body such as police, courts, schools and other institutions - they’re a punishment for breaking a written rule such as a fine for speeding or exclusion of a pupil for bullying
define informal sanctions
used when rules are not written down and can be unspoken so people are expected to be aware of them
define positive sanctions
a person can be rewarded for displaying behaviour which people approve of, such as a medal for acts of heroism or praise in a school report for good behaviour
define negative sanctions
this is a punishment for breaking these unwritten rules and is informal, it could be the refusal to speak to the individual or telling them off
define social control
these are informal, formal, positive and negative sanctions which are used as a means of social control, they encourage or discourage negative behaviour as a means of reducing deviant behaviour
