Class: Deviance

Class Notes

Deviance is the violation of norms.  People who follow the absolutist definition of deviance suggest that whether an action is right or wrong is inherent-- it exists before the socially created norms, rules, or customs affect people's judgments.  People who follow the relativist definition suggest that deviance isn't inherent in an act, but rather is socially constructed within society.

Deviance includes the elements of expectation, violation, and reaction.

A number of people have attempted to explain deviance, including Merton's "Strain Theory," Sutherland's "Theory of Deviance," Deterrence theory, and Labeling theory.

People (particularly those who follow the conflict perspective) often link power and perceptions of deviance. The criminalization of deviance is where the actions of the poor are more likely to be considered deviant. Laws are created by the legislature, and people who are elected to the legislature are often from middle- or upper-class backgrounds. For a number of reasons, including donations to political campaigns, legislatures are often greatly impacted by powerful segments of society. It is perhaps not surprising that "white collar crime" is considered less serious than crime committed by lower-class portions of society, even though statistics suggest white collar crime may have a larger impact on society.  For example, 14,000 U.S. residents were murdered in 2004; 55,000 died on the job or as a result of occupational diseases; and 100,000 died from health-care related infections (Newman 241). Burglary and robbery cost the U.S. $3.8 billion a year; white collar crimes amount to $500 billion a year (Newman 241).

Deviance can also be "medicalized"-- a process by which a deviant behavior is defined as a medical problem. This process individualizes complex social issues.

Required Reading: 

"Honesty is the Best Policy," Ruane and Cerulo (Second Thoughts, pp. 195-203)

"On Being Sane in Insane Places," Rosenhan (Electronic Reserve)

"Blowing Smoke: Status Politics and the Smoking Ban," Tuggle and Holmes (Sociology Reader, pp. 189-196)

Recommended Reading: 

"Constructing Difference: Social Deviance," Newman (Sociology, pp. 218-253)

Keywords: deviance, absolutist and relativist definitions of deviance, expectation, violation, reaction, strain theory, theory of deviance, deterrence theory, labeling theory, criminalization of deviance, medicalization of deviance.