What is Deviance? Flashcards
Deviance
A person, behavior, or characteristic that is socially typed as deviant and subjected to measures of social control
Conformity
A behavior that is in accordance with social norms because of agreement with social values or fear of sanctions
Two Types of Deviance
Negative deviance, positive deviance
Negative Deviance
Violates situational expectations
Positive Deviance
Intentional behaviors that depart from the norms of a referent group in honorable ways, in other words surpasses expectations
Social Norms
Expectations of conduct in particular situations
Norm Violations Usually Result In:
Reactions or sanctions
Proscriptive Social Norms
What not to do within social norms
Prescriptive Social Norms
What to do within social norms
Social Role
Collection of norms that together convey expectations about appropriate conduct for persons in a particular position
Objectivism
Something inherent in a person, behavior, or characteristic that makes it deviant
Limitations of Statistical Rarity in Objectivism
1: What is the criteria for “rare”?
2: Common things may be unacceptable
3: Rare things may be acceptable
4: Hidden, but not rare?
Harm in Objectivism
Can be directed at a person, or society
Limitations of Harm in Objectivism
1: Perceptions of harm vary over time
2: Perceptions of harm are subjective
3: Some types of deviance less harmful than non-deviant behaviors
4:Perceptions of harm largely exaggerated
Four Types of Societal Reaction/Responses in Objectivism
Negative, Tolerant, Denial, Romanticization or Demonization
Negative Response
When a behavior elicits criticism or punishment
Tolerant Response
When deviancy is considered reasonable
Denial Response
Attempts to deny the deviance we see
Romanticization or Demonization Response
Imagined moral monster vs. Robin Hood
Limitations of Societal Reaction in Objectivism
1: Whose reactions count the most?
2: People may still be “deviantized” when society reacts positively
Absolutist View of Norms
1: Behavior or characteristic is INHERENTLY and UNIVERSALLY deviant
2: Some norms should be followed in ALL cultures at all times
3: Absolute moral order
Culturally-Specific View of Norms
1: Norms are culturally specific
2: Not an absolute moral order
Types of Norms
Folkways, Mores, Law
Folkways
Norms that govern everyday behavior
Mores
The foundation of morality
Law
Norms enriched in the legal system
Limitations of Norms in Objectivism
1: Lack of consensus over norms
2: Situational differences
Subjectivism
Focuses on the processes by which people, behaviors, or characteristics are perceived and labelled as deviant
Dominant Moral Codes in Subjectivism
1: How many people condemn and act?
2: How much power do they have?
3: How strong is their disapproval?
Social Construction of Deviance in Subjectivism
Deviance as a social construction; dominant moral codes are socially constructed;
of sociological significance is not the behavior or characteristic itself, but it’s place in the social order, roles assigned to individuals who exhibit it, and the meanings attached to it
Levels of Social Construction
Individual, Interactional, Institutional, Sociocultural - (lowest to highest)
Moral Entrepreneurs That Manufacture Public Morality
Politicians, Scientists, Religious Institutions, Media, Commercial Enterprise
How Do Moral Entrepreneurs Manufacture Public Morality?
1: Bring a problem to public awareness
2: Facilitate “moral conversion”
A person, behavior, or characteristic that is socially typed as deviant and subjected to measures of social control
Deviance
A behavior that is in accordance with social norms because of agreement with social values of fear of sanctions
Conformity
Negative deviance, positive deviance
Two Types of Deviance
Violates situational expectations
Negative Deviance
Intentional behaviors that depart from the norms of a referent group in honorable ways, in other words surpasses expectations
Positive Deviance
Expectations of conduct in particular situations
Social Norms
Reactions or sanctions
Norm Violations Usually Result In:
What not to do within social norms
Proscriptive Social Norms
What to do within social norms
Prescriptive Social Norms
Collection of norms that together convey expectations about appropriate conduct for persons in a particular position
Social Role
Something inherent in a person, behavior, or characteristic that makes it deviant
Objectivism
1: What is the criteria for “rare”?
2: Common things may be unacceptable
3: Rare things may be acceptable
4: Hidden, but not rare?
Limitations of Statistical Rarity in Objectivism
Can be directed at a person, or society
Harm in Objectivism
1: Perceptions of harm vary over time
2: Perceptions of harm are subjective
3: Some types of deviance less harmful than non-deviant behaviors
4:Perceptions of harm largely exaggerated
Limitations of Harm in Objectivism
Negative, Tolerant, Denial, Romanticization or Demonization
Four Types of Societal Reaction/Responses in Objectivism
When a behavior elicits criticism or punishment
Negative Response
When deviancy is considered reasonable
Tolerant Response
Attempts to deny the deviance we see
Denial Response
Imagined moral monster vs. Robin Hood
Romanticization or Demonization Response
1: Whose reactions count the most?
2: People may still be “deviantized” when society reacts positively
Limitations of Societal Reaction in Objectivism
1: Behavior or characteristic is INHERENTLY and UNIVERSALLY deviant
2: Some norms should be followed in ALL cultures at all times
3: Absolute moral order
Absolutist View of Norms
1: Norms are culturally specific
2: Not an absolute moral order
Culturally-Specific View of Norms
Folkways, Mores, Law
Types of Norms
Norms that govern everyday behavior
Folkways
The foundation of morality
Mores
Norms enriched in the legal system
Law
1: Lack of consensus over norms
2: Situational diferences
Limitations of Norms in Objectivism
Focuses on the processes by which people, behaviors, or characteristics are perceived and labelled as deviant
Subjectivism
1: How many people condemn and act?
2: How much power do they have?
3: How strong is their disapproval?
Dominant Moral Codes in Subjectivism
Deviance as a social construction; dominant moral codes are socially constructed;
of sociological significance is not the behavior or characteristic itself, but it’s place in the social order, roles assigned to individuals who exhibit it, and the meanings attached to it
Social Construction of Deviance in Subjectivism
Individual, Interactional, Institutional, Sociocultural - (lowest to highest)
Levels of Social Construction
Politicians, Scientists, Religious Institutions, Media, Commercial Enterprise
Moral Entrepreneurs That Manufacture Public Morality
1: Bring a problem to public awareness
2: Facilitate “moral conversion”
How Do Moral Entrepreneurs Manufacture Public Morality?
