Social Deviance

Deviance
Deviance
• means a violation of social norms.
• any behavior, belief, or condition that violates significant
norms in a society or group. (Kendall, 2012)
Deviant
• an individual fails to act according to the norms and
expectations of society.
• Deviance is relative in nature. It depends upon the cultural
norms.
• An individual appears deviant because other people see
his/her that way.
• Deviance relies on how people interpret social behavior.
• To some people, a behavior is deviant; to others, it is not.
Positive Effects of Deviance
1. It teaches people what acceptable social behavior is.
2. It strengthens group norms and values.
3. It is a sign and a source of social change.

Negative Effects of Deviance

1. 1. It harms group stability.
2. It induces distrust and ill will.
3. It drains human and economic resources.
4. It weakens people’s faith in and conformity to social norms.
Functions of Deviance
• Deviance promotes social unity. It tells what most people
expect.
• It affirms cultural values and norms.
• It clarifies moral boundaries.
• It encourages social change.
• It provides jobs for people (policeman, lawyers, psychologies
etc.)
• It provides a safety value for society.
Dysfunction of Deviance
1. Deviance is a souce of harm, injuries, and deaths.
2. It endangers social norms.
3. It is expensive ( a need to secure the services of policeman,
lawyers, psychologist, etc.)
4. It creates disorder in the society.
5. Deviance may lead to another deviant act.
Theoretical Explanations of Deviance
I. Structural-Functional Theory by Emile Durkheim
• people deviate from given social norms because of the rapid
social changes that are taking place; the norms of society
become unclear and are no longer applicable to current
conditions.

• Anomie- breakdown of societal norms

II. Social Strain Theory by Robert Merton
Social strain- the gap between the desired goals and the means
people use in order to achieve them.
• each society has a primary set of values and goals with
corresponding means of achieving them. Unfortunately, not
everyone is able to achieve these goals.
• people react to the gap between the set of values prescribed
by society and their own circumstances through innovation,
retreatism, rebellion, and ritualism.
• Innovation
a mode in which an individual acknowledges society’s goal, but
his/ her position within a society hinders him/her from attaining
such goal via legal or legitimate means.
Retreatism
• Is a mode in which the individual abandons the goal and the
means of achieving success in life.
Rebellion
• Involves rejection of both society’s goals and the expected
means of achieving them and the formation of a new society
that has different goals and values.
Ritualism
• Occurs when people give up on societal goals but continuously
adhere to the socially approved means for achieving them.
• Typology Of Individual Adaptation
III. Symbolic-interaction Theory
• deviance is a product of specific face-to–face interaction and not
a direct product of social structure.
• this theory is further explained by the following 4 sub-theories:
A. Differential association theory
B. Self esteem theory
C. Control theory
D. Labelling theory
A. Differential Association Theory
This theory states that the more contact a person has with
people who commit deviant acts, the more likely that person is
to engage in deviant activities. Edwin Sutherland (1961)
B. Self-esteem Theory
This theory states that people choose deviance or conformity
depending on which will do the most to enhance their self-
esteem (Kaplan, 1968)
C. Control Theory
This theory states that deviance arises from particular social
arrangements, specifically the inability of society to control adequately
the activities of its members by any of the following 4 types:
Attachment, Commitment, Involvement & Belief. (Travis Hirschi 1969)
Attachment – enhances conformity, thus preventing deviance
Commitment - the higher one’s commitment to legitimate opportunity,
the greater the advantages of conformity
Involvement - legitimate activities such as working on a job, going to
school, and completing homework or hobbies inhibits deviance.
Belief - people with weak beliefs are more vulnerable to whatever
temptation deviance presents
D. Labelling Theory
• deviance is a result of being labeled by society. (Howard Becker
1973)
• Examples are taking articles owned by other people =Thieves /
Robbers
IV. Conflict Theory
• social inequality is the root of numerous social problems such
as deviance and crime.
• It occurs when an influential group imposes their norms and
values on less powerful groups. ( the rich and the poor)
• In most cases , the powerful groups are favored, leaving the
deviants become subjected to punishment by authorities
Forms of Deviant Behavior
and
Social Problems
Social problem
• A problem that affects human relationships, threatens a civilized
society or hinders significant aspirations of many people.
• A situation believed to be a source of difficulty or unhappiness.
• Serious concerns and problems of moral values involving
breakdowns in behavior that are immoral, illegal or potentially
destructive to established institutions
Typical forms include:
1. Drug Abuse
2. Crime
3. Prostitution
1. Drug abuse
• Repeated misuse of drugs
• Excessive drug use inconsistent with or unrelated to
acceptable medical practice (WHO)
• The following are the commonly abused drugs according to
the Dangerous Drugs Board
– Sedatives
– Stimulants
– Halluciogens
– narcotics
Sedatives
• Depressant drugs; produces calming effects and sedates a
person or induces sleep
• Ex. barbiturates, tranquilizers, hypnotics, alcohol
Stimulants
• “uppers or pep pills”
• Increases alertness and physical disposition
• Reduces hunger and provides a feeling of well being = euphoria
• Ex. methamphetamines, amphetamines, cocaine, caffeine
• Shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride – most widely
abused drug
Hallucinogens
• Also called psychedelics
• Produces changes in sensation, thinking, self awareness and
emotion as well as delusions (false beliefs)
• Ex. LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) marijuana, mescaline
Narcotics
• Relieves pain,makes one drowsy and relaxed
• Excessive use may lead to coma and death
• Ex. opium, heroine, codeine, morphine
Common signs of drug abuse:
• Changes in behavioral patterns
• Changes in appearance
• Changes in mood
Causes of drug abuse:
• Childhood trauma
• Family history
• Escape from reality
• Self medication
• To eliminate boredom
• Peer pressure
• Low self esteem
2. Crime
• A behavior that violates criminal laws penalized by paying a
fine, suffering imprisonment or capital punishment
2 Divisions:
• Misdemeanor – a crime of lesser degree
• Felony – serious crime
Classification of crimes:
• Crimes against person
• Crime against property
• Crime against chastity
• Crime against public morals
• Crime against the state
3. Prostitution
• The act of submitting oneself in sexual relations in exchange
for money or other valuables
• A type of sexual deviation through indiscriminate provision of
sexual service for money.
Causes of Prostitution:
• Poverty
• Acculturation
• Tourism
Effects of Prostitution:
• Spread of venereal diseases e.g. AIDS
• Moral degradation and deviation
• Discourages initiative, creativity and perseverance among
the people
• Promotes exploitation of children and the marginalized
• Promotes illicit sexual relationships and destroys marriage
AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency
• a viral disease that destroys the human body cells that resist
infection. It is infectious but not contagious
• It is caused by the HIV virus that is transmitted by direct
contact with the infected person through a sexual activity,
blood transfusion, sharing of infected needles, breastfeeding
• It originated in Democratic Republic of Congo from a
chimpanzee that carries the virus ((HTLV III)

• Prevention of HIV : eliminate the cause

Social control
• The attempt of the society to regulate the people’s thoughts and
behavior
Types of social control:
• Internal Social control – internalizing the norms and standards of a
given society
• External social control – people are reformed through rewards and
punishment
• Informal social control – interpersonal actions between and among
people by means of a smile, praise, ridicule, frown, etc
• Formal social control – the observance of laws carried out by the
police, court and social welfare agencies