Lecture 1/2: The Social Construction of Deviance and Responses to Violation of Norms Flashcards
What is deviance?
A recognized violation of a social norm
Deviance is not necessarily illegal and varies across cultures and societies.
What are the 3 important qualities of deviance?
1) Socially recognized
2) Normative (this is okay and this is not okay) - established by a norm
3) Relativist (not essentialist) → it is always socially constructed. It is a relative behaviour. This does not mean that everything people do is okay. What is sanctioned and what is wrong and right is socially constructed.
What is the difference between crime and deviance?
Crime: illegal behaviour
Deviance: not necessarily illegal
Examples of deviance include cutting in line, adultery, and bullying.
What are norms?
Rules and expectations that societies use to direct people’s behaviours
Norms can vary significantly between different societies.
What is the essentialist view of deviance?
Malum in se: wrong or evil in itself
This view suggests that certain acts are inherently wrong regardless of societal context.
What is the relativist view of deviance?
Malum prohibitum: wrong because it is prohibited; unlawful by virtue of statute
This view emphasizes that what is considered deviant is socially constructed and can change over time.
Fill in the blank: Deviance is _______ socially constructed.
always
What does the term ‘socially recognized’ mean in the context of deviance?
It refers to behaviours that are acknowledged as violating social norms
Social recognition is necessary to determine what is considered deviant.
How does the relativist view of deviance vary?
1) Time dependent: It depends on the century/era we are living in, what time are we living in. Something that is deviant now in our present time might of been accepted in the past. Ie: hearing voices and prophets, child labour, smoking in classrooms.
2) Culture dependent
3) Situation dependent: ie. Eating raw fish with your hands
Examples include historical perceptions of child labour and cultural norms around marriage.
True or False: The study of deviance is dying in sociology.
True
Why should we study deviance?
- Social deviance is dead, we should focus on criminology. Why do we still need to engage in a more broad definition of deviance? We should focus on reducing and stopping crime and therefore anything else is not as important. The study of deviance is dying in sociology.
- Understanding behaviours that are not within the normal rules of things teaches us about society. Deviance is an excellent interface for learning about everything about society. Also, it is important to learn about power and power relations. Who decides what is right and wrong?
Why is it important to study deviance according to the text?
It teaches us about society and power relations
Understanding who decides what is right and wrong is crucial for social analysis.
Fill in the blank: Normative deviance means _______.
this is okay and this is not okay
Give an example of a behaviour that is considered deviant but not illegal.
Cutting in line
What does it mean for deviance to be culture dependent?
It varies based on cultural norms and values
An example is marrying a cousin, which may be acceptable in some cultures.
What is a situation dependent example of deviance?
Eating raw fish with your hands
This behaviour might be acceptable in some contexts but deviant in others.
What does Becker focus on regarding deviance?
Believes we should focus on social reaction to the “deviant” act and the definition of deviance rather than the act itself
Becker emphasizes that deviance is defined by societal reactions.
How does Becker define deviance?
- As a social construct defined by society
- Deviance is not a quality of the act the person commits but a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an “offender”
- It is a social reaction.
- Rule setting is a political action.
- People who engage in the behaviour defined as deviant are likely to have a different perspective from the one of the people who condemn it. When you are behaving in a certain way, you may not define yourself as being deviant - deviance is determined by judgment.
Becker argues that deviance is not inherent to the act but is defined by societal rules and reactions.
What is the relativist approach to deviance?
Deviance is socially constructed and defined by society (becker)
This approach suggests that definitions of deviance can vary across different societies.
What is the statistical definition of deviance?
Anything that differs from what is most common (deviation from the average).
Becker critiques this definition for being trivial (you end up with a mix bag of and not addressing rule-breaking.
What is considered deviance according to the pathology perspective?
Behaviors that threaten social order
This view sees deviance as a threat to societal stability (Dysfunction= something that threatens social stability).
What critique does Becker have regarding functionalism definition?
Determining what is healthy and functional is a political problem
* It is hard to define what is healthy and functional.
Those in power define what behaviors are deemed functional or healthy in society.
What is Costello’s stance on cultural relativism?
Cultural relativism is not productive. Believes relativist approach is useless to us
Costello believes that a general definition of deviance should/does exist.
According to Costello, how should deviance be defined?
- Based on the amount of harm caused (believes deviance should focus on crime and victims)
- Ignores implicit bias.
- People assume a lot of cultural variation that creates different standards for different societies but this is not empirically shown.
She argues that harmful behaviors should be the focus when defining deviance.
What finding does Costello report from the General Social Survey (GSS)?
People are more concerned with behaviors that have a victim (e.g: extramarital sex) than with those that do not have a victim (eg: homosexuality)
This indicates a consensus on defining acts as deviant when there is a clear victim.
What are the critiques of Costello’s approach?
1) Gap between theory and empirical analysis. She says we should focus on criminal behaviour but she makes claims that are not actual crimes (sexual behaviours).
2) Lack of cross-cultural comparisons. She looks into one survey of US, no cultural variation that we are trying to support (1 case, 1 country)
3) Only one case study (only looked at one survey in one country) → you cannot generalize on one case study.
4) Alternative interpretation of results - we could look at interpretations that do not focus on the issue of having a victim. Costello would need to compare these across different cultures (not just one). Where extramarital sex is differently viewed.
5) She assumes now that homosexuality is not judged as deviant. Is homosexuality really normative? There are still people that see it as deviant, they don’t see it as normal.
6) “Facts” and cultural diversity. She makes claims that are not true “homosexual is not considered deviant and had no consequences” → this is simply not true. Problematic way to make an argument. Attitude towards homosexuality - a lot of people in the 80s (in america) still said that homosexuality is not justified.
7) Lack of historical insight
Costello’s analysis is based on a single survey from one country, limiting its generalizability.
What does Goffman’s dramaturgical analysis focus on?
Analyzing daily interactions as a theater show
- There is a moral commitment for us to play our roles. These interactions create norms. We create norms and when they are breached we are in trouble. We look to fix and solve these problems.
Ex: conflict in academia often happens backstage. Status and role is questioned and deep embarrassment is coming from this. What is this interaction if the role was really broken?
This approach emphasizes the power dynamics and image management in social interactions.
What is social interaction in Goffman’s view?
A ritual that reflects power dynamics among individuals, as they strive to create and maintain a particular image of the self in a positive light.
- Ie: doctors appointment = dramaturgical situation. Expect them to be all knowing, they are in power, we are in the submissive position
Doctor is classic example. They have certificates showing they are qualified, they are wearing a white coat (status symbol). You are giving this person authority to tell you something about your health. - It is not only how we present ourselves to the society but it is also the self opinions we have on ourselves. Ie: having a macbook
What is impression management?
Efforts to present ourselves in favorable ways
* Clothes (costumes)
* Accessories (theatrical accessories)
* Gestures, postures and expressions (“act”)
* Words (script)
* Settings (background decorations)
This involves managing various aspects such as clothing, gestures, and settings.
What are front stage and back stage behaviors?
Front stage: visible actions; Back stage: behaviors when no audience is present
All of us have frontstage and backstage. Persona that is manifested. We are not always very successful in the way we play our roles. Failure in playing a role = breaching.
This distinction highlights how people perform differently based on their audience.
What is the difference between cynical and naive role playing?
Cynical: aware of playing a role; Naive: forgets they are playing a role
This distinction affects how individuals engage in social interactions.
How can Goffman’s concepts help us understand deviance?
Those who do not follow the social script are seen as deviant
This shows the constructed nature of social roles and how easily deviance can occur. Goffman brings to the front the idea that we are all struggling to construct socially. Deviance can be constructed so easily and daily.
What is ethnomethodology?
Breaking social rules to experience deviance
This method encourages individuals to understand the impact of deviance on social interactions.
Fill in the blank: According to Becker, deviance is a consequence of the application by others of rules and _______.
sanctions
This highlights the role of societal reaction in defining deviance.
