14th September 2021
Fall Semester
SOSA 3260 Deviance & Society
Making Norms
Professor Tsfrir Gazit
Week two
The meaning, background and value of Deviance
Deviance :The fact or state of departing from usual or accepted standards, especially in social
or sexual behavior
● Deviance covers more then crime
● Crime and deviance overlap
● Deviance has greater numbers
Value of Deviance
1. Catalyst for change and progress
2. Forces reexamination and modification of values and behaviour
3. Restributes opportunities for leadership
4. Refines the truth ( forces opposing parties to better prepare)
5. Promotes community cohesion by drawing people together in mutual condemnation
6. Responses to deviance infuse values into society and greater improves the welfare and
wellbeing of individuals
7. Removes bureaucratic red tape/provides quicker responses
Deviance creates diversity in society and differences between members of society.
How do we determine deviance ?
Defining Deviance
● Many sociologists assume that deviance is a real in and off itself and has
characteristics=s that separate it from non deviance.
● Others following the labelling theory, point to persons who are falsely accused of or
misdiagnosed deviant
● Sociologists have proposed a variety of definitions of deviant behaviour, ranging from
- Being a violation of any social rule to physical or mental disabilities leading to a person's
devaluation by society.
- Positive Deviance (Including geniuses and artists as kids of deviants0)
, The two perspectives to deviance
A. The Positivist perspective, which is associated with the physical sciences
B. The Constructionist perspective, which originates from study of the arts and philosophy
Positivists see deviance as intrinsically real, while constructionists see deviance
Objective Definition - Statistical rarity, Harm, Negative Societal reaction, Normative violation
- Deviance is a quality good or bad
- A common trait
- Deviance = behaviours or characteristics which have that trait
1. Statistically rarity : people, behaviours or characteristics that are statistically rare in the
population e.g most people have not been convicted.
- Criterias of rare are ambiguous
- Rare characteristics may be considered acceptable
- Common acts may be considered unacceptable
2. Harm : People, behaviours or characteristics that cause harm
- Physical harm = e.g Assault
- Emotional harm = e.g Coercive control & cyberbullying
- Social harm=e.g economic cost of smoking
- Ontological harm= e.g new religions
- Moral harm
-
- However perceptions of harm may vary over time or change e.g sex before
marriage and smoking vs hardcore drugs
- Also the perception of harm are subjective e.g feminism
3. Negative Societal Reaction : People, behaviours or characteristics that societies mass
dislike, hate, fear, distrust etc
- Opinion polls and Surveys
- Elected officials as a proxy trump
-
- However criteria for determining societies masses is unclear
- As well as some people's reactions have a greater impact than others e.g a
celebrity or a prime minister
-
-
Subjective Definition Deviance is a process with a clear line
- No common trait
- Deviance = behaviours that people in power4 say are in need of control
Fall Semester
SOSA 3260 Deviance & Society
Making Norms
Professor Tsfrir Gazit
Week two
The meaning, background and value of Deviance
Deviance :The fact or state of departing from usual or accepted standards, especially in social
or sexual behavior
● Deviance covers more then crime
● Crime and deviance overlap
● Deviance has greater numbers
Value of Deviance
1. Catalyst for change and progress
2. Forces reexamination and modification of values and behaviour
3. Restributes opportunities for leadership
4. Refines the truth ( forces opposing parties to better prepare)
5. Promotes community cohesion by drawing people together in mutual condemnation
6. Responses to deviance infuse values into society and greater improves the welfare and
wellbeing of individuals
7. Removes bureaucratic red tape/provides quicker responses
Deviance creates diversity in society and differences between members of society.
How do we determine deviance ?
Defining Deviance
● Many sociologists assume that deviance is a real in and off itself and has
characteristics=s that separate it from non deviance.
● Others following the labelling theory, point to persons who are falsely accused of or
misdiagnosed deviant
● Sociologists have proposed a variety of definitions of deviant behaviour, ranging from
- Being a violation of any social rule to physical or mental disabilities leading to a person's
devaluation by society.
- Positive Deviance (Including geniuses and artists as kids of deviants0)
, The two perspectives to deviance
A. The Positivist perspective, which is associated with the physical sciences
B. The Constructionist perspective, which originates from study of the arts and philosophy
Positivists see deviance as intrinsically real, while constructionists see deviance
Objective Definition - Statistical rarity, Harm, Negative Societal reaction, Normative violation
- Deviance is a quality good or bad
- A common trait
- Deviance = behaviours or characteristics which have that trait
1. Statistically rarity : people, behaviours or characteristics that are statistically rare in the
population e.g most people have not been convicted.
- Criterias of rare are ambiguous
- Rare characteristics may be considered acceptable
- Common acts may be considered unacceptable
2. Harm : People, behaviours or characteristics that cause harm
- Physical harm = e.g Assault
- Emotional harm = e.g Coercive control & cyberbullying
- Social harm=e.g economic cost of smoking
- Ontological harm= e.g new religions
- Moral harm
-
- However perceptions of harm may vary over time or change e.g sex before
marriage and smoking vs hardcore drugs
- Also the perception of harm are subjective e.g feminism
3. Negative Societal Reaction : People, behaviours or characteristics that societies mass
dislike, hate, fear, distrust etc
- Opinion polls and Surveys
- Elected officials as a proxy trump
-
- However criteria for determining societies masses is unclear
- As well as some people's reactions have a greater impact than others e.g a
celebrity or a prime minister
-
-
Subjective Definition Deviance is a process with a clear line
- No common trait
- Deviance = behaviours that people in power4 say are in need of control
