Conformity and Deviance: Social Contro

Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

 explain the inevitable existence of conformity, deviance, and social control in the
social processes of our everyday lives,
 discuss the significant part or role of gossip, social ostracism, laws, and punishments
to social control,
 analyze the societal goals and socially acceptable means to survive,
 and discuss the consequences of defying and conforming to social order.

Suppose that in one exclusive school, it is the norm for students to be at their best behavior at
all times while inside the school premises. All students therefore continuously make an effort
to maintain their grace, poise, and good appearance in order to avoid any sanctions.

Liz, a difficult and problematic student, transferred to the same school last year. In just one
year of stay, she was able to set up at least 5 pranks on her classmates and teachers. Despite
being punished for several times, she still cuts classes and comes to school not wearing the
prescribed uniform. There was also a time when she punched two of the school's guards
because they did not let her vandalize the principal's office. Liz's classmates do not want to be
friends with her because of her behavior. They call her "Crazy Liz" behind her back.

Analyze the scenario.

 What qualities characterize conformity and deviance?

 How does deviance affect a person's social status?
 Will actions have an effect on social status if they were unintentional?

Find out the answers in this lesson!

Last Updated: 06.12.2016

Learn about it!

Conformity and Deviance
In our everyday lives, we notice that there are specific standards for our actions,
simple or complex, set by society. People tend to have different responses with
these imagined pressures depending on their upbringing, values, or ideals. These
reactions are called conformity and deviance.

Conformity

 is linked to the obedience of a person to the norms in order to be

acceptable in a particular society, group, or social setting

Example: The majority of the class members, through a group consensus,

agreed to accept the proposal.

Deviance

 is the non-conformity or violation of the standards of conduct,

expectations, or norms of a particular group or society

Example: There are power struggles among netizens who disagree on the re-
imposition of the death penalty.
Learn about it!
Social Control
It is believed that society must have a social order to function smoothly. The social order
includes social standards, laws, rules, and norms which are set by society, whether they are
by the majority or by a hierarchy. Ideally, people must exhibit social order, but in reality, no
society succeeds in getting all its members to behave as expected all the time. If social order
is seen as the only way for communities to survive, they must have ways of making people
conform to social norms.

Social Control Theory

 This is based on the idea that a person's fundamental belief system, values, morals,
commitments, and relationships promote a protected environment.
 Oftentimes, individuals who have these beliefs and commitments have a level of self-
control over their actions.
 It examines or evaluates how society affects criminal behavior.
 It emphasizes the idea that when people are involved and in contact with their
community, they are less likely to perpetrate criminal acts.

Learn about it!

Gossip, Social Ostracism, and Laws and
Punishments
Failure to embrace the accepted norms and values of society or inability to
perform the roles of a person’s status may lead to consequences in the form of
gossip, social ostracism, and laws and punishments.

Gossip

 refers to the idle talk or rumors about the personal or private matters of
others
 may lead to the discrediting of the reputation of the subject

Social Ostracism

 refers to the exclusion of an individual from being socially accepted

 includes the removal of social privileges and friendship with the general
members of the society
 a result of one's actions that give him or her an impression of not being a
worthy member of that society

Laws and Punishments

Laws refer to the set of rules by the government to regulate the way in which
society behaves.

Punishments pertain to the pain, penalty, or suffering that is imposed on a

person who violates a law.

People learn the mechanisms of social control through interactions with other
people. Couples who are expected to have a respectable family choose not to
quarrel out loud to avoid being talked about around their neighborhood.

An individual will conform with his peers to avoid social rejection or ostracism.
To avoid punishment, people must follow the law.
Learn about it!
Social Processes and Relationships
The illustration below shows the social processes and relationships of deviance,
conformity, and social control.

In the given scenario earlier, the school was the representation of society

[Math Processing Error]the students were the conformists and Liz was the
defiant one. The school had particular rules and standard of behaving, and Liz's
actions caused disturbance within the school. They did not only cause chaos, but
they also led Liz to be stigmatized.

Negative sanctions will be given to people who exhibit deviant acts, while
effective sanctions will be given to those who observe or conform.

Explore!
Bert is invited to an event that requires a particular costume. Not well-informed and not so
serious about it, he arrives with no costume at all.
Will Bert be criticized for not conforming to the required attire? Will he feel shy throughout the
event? How will Bert behave at the start of the event? Do you think this deviant behavior will
have a psychological effect on him?

Try it!
During recess or class break, try wearing your shirt differently[Math Processing
Error]with its front displayed at your back[Math Processing Error]and walk
backwards as if it is your normal way of walking. Expect students to stare at you,
look confused, and talk about you.

What do you think?

Given the reality in this modern time, do you think that complete conformity to
the rules, laws, standards, and norms will result in social order and deviance will
lead to chaos? Why? Why not?

Tip
Note that deviant behavior is relative. A particular society may consider a certain
behavior deviant, but the same behavior may be acceptable in another society.

Keypoints
 Conformity is linked to the obedience of a person to the norms that are
acceptable in a particular society, group, or social setting.
 Deviance is the non-conformity or violation of the standards of conduct,
expectations, or norms of a particular group or society.
 Social control theory is based upon the idea that an individual's
underlying belief system, values, morals, commitments, and relationships
foster a proper environment.
 Social order is considered to be the only solution to achieve societal
survival and social control. Conformity is the only way to achieve this.
 Gossip, social rejection or ostracism, and laws and
punishments are forms of social pressures that contribute to the
exhibition of social control.
 Deviance, conformity, and social control are always present in a
given society or group. These are not limited to a high number of people
but to a group that is capable of setting standards, rules and norms.

 uestion 1
 Which of the following defines conformity?
 Incorrect!
 1It is the violation of the standards of conduct, expectations, or norms of a
particular group or society.
 A person that conforms to a group follows all its rules, standards, and norms.
 Next question
 2It is the obedience of a person to the rules to be acceptable in a particular
society, group, or social setting.3It is the force that disables the existence of
social standards.4It is a strong negative reaction from others that may result
in a negative sanction.
 Question 2
 Which of the following defines deviance?
 Incorrect!
 1It means going through a group consensus to justify the majority rule.
 Deviance includes all acts that exhibit non-conformity to the standards, laws, norms,
and rules of a group or society.
 Next question
 2It implies obedience to the rules that make a person acceptable to a
particular society, group, or social setting.3It is the non-conformity or
violation of the standards of conduct, expectations, or norms of a particular
4
group or society. It refers to the acceptance of cultural goals and the
legitimate or approved means of achieving them.
 Question 3
 What does society need in order to survive?
 Incorrect!
 4conformity
 Social control includes social standards, laws, rules, and norms which are set by
society, whether they are by the majority or by a hierarchy.
 Next question
 1socialization2social control3deviance
 Question 4
 Which of the following situations does not demonstrate social order?
 Incorrect!
 4a car stopping at red light
 Some actions are accepted in different cultures and countries that are not accepted
on your own. A thumbs up in the Philippines signifies “okay” or “great,” but in
Russia, it is equivalent to a middle finger.
 Next question
 1following the school’s dress code2a Filipino showing a thumbs up to a
Russian3a servant bowing to the Japanese emperor
 Question 5
 \
 Question 6
 In the current society, what components lead to social defiance?
 Correct!
  1crimes
 Social order is set by society whether it is by the majority or by a hierarchy in order to
attain societal survival.
 Next question
 2survival3norms4control
 Question 7
 What does a person exhibit when he or she violates social norms that offend a large
number of individuals who are in a position to influence social judgment?
 Incorrect!
 1sanction
 A person exhibits non-conformity when he or she violates the standards of conduct,
expectations, or norms of a group or society.
 Next question
 2deviance3social control4conformity
 uestion 8
 A group of five friends attended an orientation by their prospective college
organization. Four of them wanted to join the club, but one of them does not want to
because his parents restricted him. However, because he does not want to be left out,
he still signed up for membership.
 What social control does the situation present?
 Correct!
 1social rejection
 Gossip, social rejection or ostracism, laws, and punishments are forms of social
pressures that contribute to the exhibition of social control. in the given scenario, the
individual was afraid to be left out or rejected so he joined the group.
 Next question
 2punishment3laws4gossip
 Question 9
 Roman Catholic churches have a dress code that indicates which clothes are not
allowed to be worn when entering the church. This system includes wearing a dress
above the knee, shorts, slippers, sleeveless, and headwear. One beautiful day, four
women entered the church.
 Woman 1 wore shorts with a spaghetti strap as a top.
 Woman 2 wore a t-shirt and pants.
 Woman 3 a dress below the knee.
 Woman 4 wore doll shoes.
 Which person demonstrated deviance?
 Correct!
 2woman 1
 The Roman Catholic Church is an example of a religious group that exhibits social
control to its followers based on their teachings and traditions. Deviance is non-
conformity to the rules, laws, and standards of a given group or organization.
 Next question
 1woman 33woman 24woman 4
 Question 10
 John, a high school sophomore, occasionally drinks a bottle of alcohol. His circle of
friends do not care. His parents, however, are very dismayed and punished him. John
countered by sneaking a drink of liquor whenever he can.
 John's drinking is an illustration of what?
 Incorrect!
 4outer control
 The situation illustrates the violation of the standards of conduct.
 Finish quiz
 1deviance2positive sanction3conformity

Becoming a Member of Society

Conformity and Deviance: Forms of
Deviance
Less on Quiz

Rate

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

 describe deviance as explained by the Structural Strain Theory, and

 identify the forms of deviance.

 What causes deviant responses or behaviors as explained by the Structural Strain

Theory?
 What are the different forms of deviance?

 Review
 Conformity and Deviance
 The concept of conformity is linked to the obedience of a person to the
norms to be acceptable in a particular society, group, or social setting.
 Deviance, on the other hand, is the non-conformity or violation of the
standards of conduct, expectations, or norms of a particular group or
society.
 Note that deviant behavior is relative. A particular society may consider a
certain behavior deviant, but the same behavior may be acceptable in
another society.

 Learn about it!

 Deviance as Explained by the Structural
Strain Theory
 The forms of deviance are the responses or adaptations by people in a
society caused by the imbalance or “strain” between the valued goals in the
society and the legitimate or acceptable means to achieve such goals. This
idea is taken from the Structural Strain Theory conceptualized by
sociologist Robert K. Merton. Two variables taken into account in this
theory are valued goals and legitimate means to achieve goals.
 Valued Goals
 These are goals that are defined by society as valuable, or simply, the goals
that are typically pursued in a society.
 Example: financial success
 Legitimate Means to Achieve Goals
 These are the acceptable ways people can do to achieve such valued goals
in a society.
 Example: get a good education

Learn about it!

Types of Adaptation
In our everyday lives, we would notice that there are actions considered to be
legitimate or acceptable for a particular society toward achieving valued goals.

While people usually conform to legitimate or acceptable means to achieve goals,

there are people who will not. One reason for this is because the legitimate means
are just not available for them, and so unequal opportunities exist to achieve
these goals. Merton identified five typologies of how people adapt to their value
system or the goals-means dynamics of their respective society.

These typologies are:

 conformity–accepts goals and the institutionalized, acceptable or legitimate

means of obtaining them,
 ritualism–rejects goals and accepts or adheres to institutionalized means of
obtaining them,
 retreatism–rejects both goals and means of obtaining them,
 rebellion–creates new goals and new means of obtaining them, and
 innovation–accepts goals and rejects institutionalized means of obtaining
them.

Ritualism, retreatism, rebellion, and innovation are forms of deviance.

Learn about it!

Forms of Deviance
Merton conceptualized four responses that are considered deviant and caused by
a strain or imbalance between valued goals and legitimate means in a particular
society.

Ritualism

Ritualism is exhibited when someone rejects traditional cultural goals but still
adheres to the culturally approved methods or rules for making progress towards
the same goals.

Example: An employee still stays in his job even though he is aware that it is a
dead-end job. In ritualism, people experience feelings of despair and anomie
(social instability) that result to modification or abandonment of the idealized
cultural goals, but still persist at a ritualized, unfulfilling line of work.

Retreatism

Retreatism is the response that rejects or abandons both cultural goals and the
institutionalized or legitimate means for attaining them.

Example: Examples of people who exhibit retreatism are drug addicts and
alcoholics. The ultimate form of retreatism is suicide.

Innovation

Innovation entails the acceptance of the valued goal but the rejection of
legitimate or institutionalized means to achieve them (resorting to criminal or
delinquent acts).

Example: An example of this is when a person wants a nice car but does not
have enough money, so he steals money from the bank. Some people may resort
to stealing or dealing drugs to achieve cultural goals.

Rebellion

Rebellion not only rejects the valued goals and the legitimate means of the
established society but also actively attempts to substitute new goals and means.
This can be applied to political deviants who attempt to modify the existing
structure of society.
Example: Examples for this are neo-Nazis and other hate groups. The rebels
will publicly acknowledge their intention to change the norms and the social
structure.

The table below summarizes Merton’s typology of individual adaptations.

Legend:

 "+" signifies acceptance

 "–" signifies rejection
 "+ and -" signifies rejection of prevailing goal or means and substitution of
new goal or means

Explore!
In the particular society that you live in, you can observe different people and
groups that exhibit any of the five types of adaptations or responses. Notice their
way of expressing their beliefs toward specific ideals, values, norms, or cultural
goals and categorize them according to their action or statement.

What do you think?

In today’s time, different ideologies, religions, cultures, and traditions have
already emerged and are recognized, resulting in a diverse society. Different
needs and expectations are expressed by groups and individuals according to
their social status. Given this situation, do you think that the presence of these
five adaptations is inevitable in a given society? Why or why not?

Tip
A person can exhibit different types of adaptations depending on the situation.
He or she might be a conformist in school, following all the rules, while also being
an innovator when it comes to his or her interests. A person’s response and
adaptation is not always linear. It clearly depends on how the person weighs the
situation according to his or her needs.

Keypoints
 Conformity is the obedience to the norms that make a person acceptable to a
particular society, group, or social setting.
 Deviance is the non-conformity or violation of the standards of conduct,
expectations, or norms of a group or society.
 Robert K. Merton developed the Structural Strain Theory to explore how
people respond to cultural values and how they are supposed to achieve them.
 There are five typologies of how people adapt to the value system of their
respective society and these are conformity, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion, and
innovation.
 The four forms of deviance are ritualism, retreatism, rebellion, and
innovation.
 A person’s response or adaptation is not always linear. It clearly depends on
how the person weighs the situation according to his or her needs.

 Question 1
 What are the two main responses of an individual or group to real or imagined
pressures including the norms, standards, rules, and laws set by society?
 Incorrect!
 1ritualism and deviance
 The two main responses are either to obey them (conformity) or not (deviance),
therefore possibly resorting to violence.
 Next question
 2conformity and deviance3innovation and retreatism4rebellion and
conformity
 Question 2
 What form of deviance rejects both cultural goals and institutionalized means and
then replaces them with new ones?
 Incorrect!
 1ritualism
 This active attempt to substitute new goals and means which calls for a new social
order is a typical response of the social reformer or revolutionary.
 Next question
 2retreatism3rebellion4innovation
 Question 3
 What form of deviance exhibits negative responses to both cultural goals and
institutionalized means of achieving the goal?
 Incorrect!
 3innovation
 People who exhibit retreatism struggle to reach seemingly unreachable goals through
unrewarding methods and retreat from a social system and culture.
 Next question
 1rebellion2retreatism4ritualism
 Question 4
 The cause of deviance can be traced to what?
 Incorrect!
 1the breakdown of the family and other social controls
 Deviance is a behavior that exhibits non-conformity or violation of the standards of
conduct, expectations, or norms of a group or society.
 Next question
 2the tension between desired cultural goals and the means of achieving
them3the exploitative nature of capitalism4the presence of diverse cultural
groups
 Question 5
 According to the Structural Strain Theory, retreatists are likely to engage in what type
of deviant activity?
 Incorrect!
 3terrorism
 People who exhibit retreatism struggle to reach the seemingly unreachable goals
through unrewarding methods and retreat from a social system and culture.
 Next question
 1drug abuse2robbery4sexual assault
 Question 6
 Which situation demonstrates the highest form or retreatism?
 Incorrect!
 1road violation
 People who exhibit retreatism struggle to reach the seemingly unreachable goals
through unrewarding methods and retreat from a social system and culture.
 Next question
 2suicide among the elderly3criminal acts4rehabilitating drug users
 Question 7
 What does a person exhibit when he or she violates social norms that offend a large
number of people or people in a position to establish new set of ideals for the
betterment of society?
 Incorrect!
 3conformity
 A person exhibits a deviant act when he or she violates the standards of conduct,
expectations, or norms of a group or society.
 Next question
 1retreatism2rebellion4ritualism
 Question 8
 The Ku Klux Klan is an example of which type of structural strain?
 Incorrect!
 3ritualism
 The Ku Klux Klan (KKK), or simply "the Klan" in the United States have advocated
extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy and expressed it historically
through terrorism against groups or individuals.
 Next question
 1rebellion2retreatism4innovation
 Question 9
 From a sociological standpoint, cannibalism exhibited by the rugby team who was
stranded for months in the Andes demonstrates that eating human flesh is [Math
Processing Error].
 Correct!
 2a rational response to a difficult situation
 The nature of deviance is not only in the personality of the deviant person, nor is it
inherently in the deviant act itself, but instead it is a significant part and product of
the social structure.
 Next question
 1an unreasonable response3an example of peer pressure4an irrational
response to a difficult situation
 Question 10
 The Roman Catholic church requires its members to attend the mass every Sunday.
They have a dress code that indicates which clothes are not allowed to be worn when
entering the church. This includes wearing a dress above the knee, shorts, slippers,
sleeveless, and headwear. One Sunday, four friends wearing (1) shorts with a
spaghetti strap as a top, (2) t-shirt and pants, (3) dress below the knee, and (4) doll
shoes attended the mass in order to comply with the goal of attending the mass every
Sunday.
 Which person demonstrates a deviant act of innovation?
 Incorrect!
 1woman #4
 Roman Catholic Church is an example of an institution that sets their own cultural
goals and imposes means to its members and followers to achieve those goals.
 Finish quiz
 2woman #13woman #34woman #2