Relativity of deviance

Question 1

(intro) what is deviance

Answer 1

Deviance refers to behaviours that violate societal norms, often resulting in social sanctions.

Question 2

What is key about it

Answer 2

essential in understanding how societies maintain order, but the concept itself is far from static.

Question 3

what is it rletive too

Answer 3

Deviance is fluid, shifting with context— time, place, culture, age, gender, or class. What is deemed deviant in one society may be accepted elsewhere

Question 4

what is the solutuoin

Answer 4

viewing deviant behaviours as simply differences a more accurate, context-sensitive way to understanding social behaviour.

Question 4

what is teh best way to udnersadn it

Answer 4

analysed through Labelling Theory, showing how deviance is constructed through social reactions, and Social Control Theory, explaining deviance in terms of weakening social bonds.

Question 5

(DiR) what are the postive roles

Answer 5

He suggested that a certain level of deviance is necessary for;
1. social functioning, as it clarifies moral boundaries,
2. reinforces social cohesion, and
3. promotes social change.

Question 5

(DiR) what is an kiekens defintion

Answer 5

Deviance, commonly defined as norm or rule-breaking behaviour (Van Krieken, 2000), is a concept shaped by societal context

Question 6

(DiR) how does it connect to a ider soical conetxt

Answer 6

Historical examples, such as civil rights movements once labelled deviant, later became new societal norms.

Question 7

(DiR) whar are its negative functions

Answer 7

excessive deviance could lead to dysfunction and a state of ‘anomie,’ where the breakdown of social standards causes instability and disrupts the social equilibrium.

Question 8

(DiR) what is the aboslute definition

Answer 8

viewing deviance as any rule-breaking behaviour, suggests that norms and deviance are based on externally defined, unchanging standards of right and wrong.

Question 8

(DiR) what is the funcionlism takeaway

Answer 8

deviance is not static; it evolves as society changes, reflecting the adaptability of norms over time.

Question 9

(DiR) what is wrong iwth the absolute definition

Answer 9

this rigid approach is problematic, as it fails to account for the diversity and dynamism of societal values.
If deviance is framed as an absolute, it could lead to
1. intolerance,
2. persecution,
3. resistance to social change, as societal norms are constantly evolving.

Question 10

(DiR) what is the relative definition

Answer 10

acknowledges its dependence on time, place, culture, and social factors like gender and age (Van Krieken, 2000). For instance, behaviours deemed deviant in one society may be accepted in another, such as the shifting global attitudes toward homosexuality.

Question 11

(DiR) evalauate the relative definition

Answer 11

As argued by Van Krieken, defining deviance exclusively in relative terms risks;
1. denying the moral evaluation of any behaviour,
2. making it difficult to distinguish between deviant and conformist actions.
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Robertson (1989) critiques this view, suggesting that the relative nature of deviance means “anything goes”

Question 12

(LT) how does labelling theory relate to RoD

Answer 12

The relativity of deviance is central to Labelling Theory. For any act to be considered deviant, it must be labelled as such, and this label must be accepted and internalised.

Question 13

(DiR) what are other possiblitues

Answer 13

instead of labelling behaviours as deviant—which carries negative connotations—it may be more accurate to frame them as ‘differences.’ This shift acknowledges the fluidity and diversity of norms across cultures.

Question 14

(DiR) whats an illustratuve example of difference

Answer 14

practices like communal living in many Indigenous cultures diverge from Western norms but are not inherently deviant. Reframing deviance as difference allows for a more nuanced understanding of cultural diversity without the stigma often associated with deviance.

Question 15

(LT) how are certain gorups/actions assined as deviant

Answer 15

Those in authority have the power to define and apply deviant labels, often reinforcing dominant ideologies and maintaining social control.

Question 16

(LT) what is a key quote you can you to illustrate your point

Answer 16

“deviance is not a quality of the act [a] person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of the rules and sanctions to an ‘offender’.

Question 16

(LT) What is labelling theory

Answer 16

explained by Howard Becker (1963) and expanded by symbolic interactionist Edwin Lemert (1967), argues that deviance is not inherent in any behaviour but arises when society successfully labels an individual or behaviour as deviant.

Question 16

(LT) what is pirmary and sceondary deviance

Answer 16

Lemert distinguished between two stages of deviance:
1. Primary deviance refers to minor norm violations that might not result in a deviant identity.
2. Secondary deviance, however, occurs when the deviant label is applied, leading individuals to internalise this identity and behave in ways that align with the label.

Question 17

(LT) what is labels relative too

Answer 17

1.. social context in which the labelling occurs, making deviance relative to a range of factors, such as
a. culture,
b. time,
c. social power structures.

Question 18

(LT) how will you connect to to an emo stimulas

Answer 18

subcultures like “emos” or “Scene kids” may be labelled deviant because they defy mainstream norms, but within their communities, these behaviours are conformist.

Question 19

(LT) why is it difficult to excape a label

Answer 19

Garfinkel’s degradation ceremony illustrates how public stigmatisation reinforces deviant labels, making it difficult for individuals to escape these identities.

Question 20

(LT) what is it good fro

Answer 20

provides a crucial understanding of how deviance is defined through interactions and power dynamics, showing that what is considered deviant can vary widely across societies.

Question 20

(LT - crit) wnat does it place too much empahissi on

Answer 20

focuses too much on societal reactions, overlooking individual agency. For instance, not all deviant behaviour results from labelling; some individuals engage in secret deviance that goes unnoticed, such as white-collar crime, while others resist the label and continue conforming to societal norms.

Question 21

(LT - crit) what makes it difficult in wider application

Answer 21

This emphasis on relativity makes it challenging to compare examples of deviant behaviour across different contexts.

Question 22

(SC) what does it decribe deviance as

Answer 22

a result of weak social bonds within a society.

Question 23

(SC) what is socila control theory

Answer 23

deviance emerges when individuals have insufficient attachment to social institutions, leading to a lack of control during their socialisation process.

Question 23

(SC) who is the key theorists

Answer 23

Hirschi (1969) expanded this by proposing four critical bonds—attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief—arguing that individuals who lack these bonds are more prone to deviant behaviour.

Question 24

(SC) what is soical control and how is it applied

Answer 24

These sanctions vary in their application, as societies build a consensus around what constitutes deviance and how to enforce conformity.

Question 25

(SC) how does it demonstrate deviance as relative

Answer 25

relativity in the enforcement of social sanctions shows how deviance is dependent on the place, time, and context within a society.

Question 26

(SC) how do femanisst theorists contribute

Answer 26

(Heidensohn) argue that women are often subject to stricter social norms and expectations than men.
Girls may be more protected and face harsher consequences for non-gender-conforming behaviour than boys, who might experience less formal sanctions for similar behaviour.

Question 27

(SC) what ere the cultural realtivity

Answer 27

public dress codes and behaviours vary significantly across societies. In some cultures, there are strict regulations, particularly for women, while others adopt more liberal approaches. Such variations highlight how societies exercise social control differently, showing that deviance is relative to the norms and expectations of a given culture.

Question 28

(SC - crit) what does it stuggle to explain

Answer 28

why individuals from higher socioeconomic areas, presumed to have stronger social bonds, may engage in similar deviant behaviour as those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds

Question 29

(SC - crit) how does it get the order of deviance wring

Answer 29

does not consider that deviance itself might weaken an individual’s bonds with society.

Question 30

(SC - crit)

Answer 30

This perspective shows that deviance can actively challenge social control, reinforcing its relative nature.

Question 31

(SC ) the end

Answer 31

Hence, while Social Control Theory offers valuable insights into the causes and nature of deviance, it ultimately highlights the relativity of social norms across societies and underscores that what is considered deviant can vary widely based on cultural, temporal, and social contexts.

Question 32

(conc) how do you summerise the relativty of deviance

Answer 32

Both theories highlight the fluid nature of deviance and how it is contingent on societal norms.

Question 33

(conc) what is my persoanl concluom

Answer 33

The proposal by Holmes, Hughes, and Julien to frame deviance as difference provides an alternative lens for understanding behaviours that deviate from norms, recognizing that many so-called deviant behaviours are simply different expressions of identity or culture.

Question 34

(conc) what are the soictal implcaition of understanding

Answer 34

Understanding the relativity of deviance helps sociologists analyse how societal norms and power dynamics shape behaviour in contemporary Australian society .