Concept Of Deviance

1) State the five principles that help us understand the concept of deviance.
The five principles that help us understand social deviance. Deviance is socially constructed, deviance is relative, not absolute, the majority determines who and what is deviant, deviance is an integral part of all societies, and the violators of important social norms are often stigmatized. Firstly, deviance is socially constructed because deviant behavior violates the norms of a group. Social organizations create what is correct and incorrect by originating norms and a person could violate this which is deviant. Secondly, deviance is relative, not absolute means that whether an act is deviant depends on how other people react to it. Differences in knowing what

There are many arguments and differences in opinion over smoking marijuana and pornography. Thirdly, the majority determines who and what is deviant, is when certain social groups have greater power than others in defining what is deviant. An example of this would be when people commit street comes and those who commit white collar-crimes. They are both harmful for society, but the crimes committed by the rich are not handled similarly as the powerless who committed crimes. Fourthly, deviance is an integral part of all healthy societies, meaning that deviant behavior does have positive consequences for our society because it gives nondeviants solidarity. Deviance helps clarify norms because it helps teach people what is acceptable and not acceptable behavior. This helps us know what is wrong and right. By punishing a deviant, the group can express its resentment reaffirm society 's rules. This does not mean that the function of punishment is to prevent future crimes, but to remind us that a crime is wrong. Punishments serve to strengthen our belief and enhance the solidarity of society. Shame sites are an example of this because a website such as platewire.com can

Meaning that these theories are deterministic and that the individual has no choice but to be different. Biological explanations for deviance focus on physiognomy, phrenology, somatology, genetic anomalies, and brain malfunctions. Some theories have been suggested such as the theory of Caesare Lombroso was that criminals are physically different. Criminals having low forehead, protruding ears, long arms, and hairy bodies. Some other theories have shown a statistical link between physical characteristics and deviant behavior. For example, a learning disability called dyslexia is related to school failure, emotion disturbance, and juvenile delinquency. This disability is a brain malfunction in which signs can be overlooked. If one remains diagnosed then a student can not attain average skills in school subjects. Teachers and parents then assume that the child is challenged or lazy. The child may be a bright child but can find school frustrating and result to being a troublemaker and become alienated. Psychological theories are considered the source of deviance but are different from biological theories since it is assumed that conditions of the mind or personality at fault. Deviant individuals could be psychopaths resulting from a lack of affection during childhood, an Oedipal conflict, a psychosexual trauma, or traumatic early life experience. The