Social Device: The Consequences Of Deviance In Modern Society

Deviant Act

Deviance is something that we encounter and experience daily. Deviance is defined as the recognized violation of cultural norms. (Society, the basics pg 199.) Everyone knows what it’s like to be around someone that can be considered out of the “norm”, or seeing someone breaking a standard social norm. When you go about your day you don’t put much effort into thinking about what standard everyday social norms are but you certainly notice when someone is breaking one and this is deviance, such as picking their nose at a stoplight in the car on the minor side, to breaking the law in some way on the more extreme side. Everyone has deviated from social norms in their life, as it is almost unavoidable.
Social norms are the rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members. (Society, the basics pg 58.). With norms being the standard rules set by people that almost everyone follows there are also “mores” which was originally coined by a Sociologist named William Graham Sumner, which are defined as norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance. (Society, the basics pg 58.). These mores are social norms, but in the sense of being completely disassociated with the acceptable rules of society. Such as sexual crimes against

(Society, the basics pg 48.). I relate my deviant act to culture because in every day society, every time you walk through a store or anywhere in public you see everyone wearing their clothing the proper way. Everyone thinks the same way that you should wear your clothes properly and they follow along with the act. And when something as simple as wearing your clothing backwards happens in a public space, especially a clothing store. It can be culture shock in the sense that you are completely acting unfamiliar with the standard rules you were raised and what society has deemed