Deviance
In our daily’s life and interactions, we observe many behaviors from those people around us, which we feel and think about some of these behaviors as negative and unacceptable according our society’s norms and standards. We usually judge those people by their appearances and attitudes, and we also classify them into many different categories again according our believe system which we grant it from our society. Ones may ask, how and why or under which circumstances we define some of these behaviors and attitudes as negative and unacceptable?
We as society define and categorize those negative and unacceptable behaviors and attitudes as deviance. There are many definitions of deviance, which depends on how use see or think about it. Deviance can be defined as the violations of social norms. Norms are behavior codes or prescriptions that guide people into actions and self- presentations conforming to social acceptability. Deviance can also be defined through the social meanings collectively applied to people’s behaviors, attitudes, and conditions that are rooted in the interaction between individuals and social groups. Those who have the power to make and apply rules onto others control the normative order. So, people can be labeled deviant as the result of the ABCs of deviance: their attitudes, behaviors, or conditions. First, they may be labeled as deviant for their alternative sets of attitudes or belief system such as political or religious beliefs, for example: Radicals, fundamentals, conservatives, liberals…etc. Second, people may be labeled as deviant because of their outward actions. Deviant behaviors may be intentional or unintentional, and include such activities as violating dress or speech conventions, or committing murder. Third, other people may be regarded as deviant because of their biological conditions such as race, disability and handicap. People may be born with conditional deviance due to their personal and, or racial, ethical characteristics. So, we can say deviance is a perceived threat that brings discredit and social control. We all as, human being, have a set of feelings and thinking system. We born with these senses and feelings, and we learn through social process which behavior make sense and which doesn’t not. We also customized to follow and obey society’s norms and laws because doing this will bring order and harmony to society and our lives. So, those who are powerful and stronger than us politically, economically, and socially, can enforce their attitudes and norms on the weakest among us. Sometimes deviance can be defined as the result of society’s class struggle. The stronger class perceives and defines the weakest class as threat to their interest and existence.
Despite all these definitions of deviance, there is also another definition or perception, which is the positive deviance. Deviance can be positive in some particular time and place. Positive deviance can be seen or observed in such conditions, attitudes, or behaviors like (Altruism, Charisma, Innovation, Supra-Conforming Behavior, and Innate Characteristics). Martin Luther Kings, JR., Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Mother Teresa can be defined as charismatic figures. Galileo Galilee, Ernest Hemingway, and Isaac Newton can be defined as innovators. These people were not only changed their society’s conscience, but they started revolutions that changed humanity’s discourses.
Finally we can say deviance is not only natural phenomena, but it’s one of the essential elements of society because without it society can be paralyzed and dysfunctional. Deviance is also socially learned process within the context of society’s norms and values.
In our daily’s life and interactions, we observe many behaviors from those people around us, which we feel and think about some of these behaviors as negative and unacceptable according our society’s norms and standards. We usually judge those people by their appearances and attitudes, and we also classify them into many different categories again according our believe system which we grant it from our society. Ones may ask, how and why or under which circumstances we define some of these behaviors and attitudes as negative and unacceptable?
We as society define and categorize those negative and unacceptable behaviors and attitudes as deviance. There are many definitions of deviance, which depends on how use see or think about it. Deviance can be defined as the violations of social norms. Norms are behavior codes or prescriptions that guide people into actions and self- presentations conforming to social acceptability. Deviance can also be defined through the social meanings collectively applied to people’s behaviors, attitudes, and conditions that are rooted in the interaction between individuals and social groups. Those who have the power to make and apply rules onto others control the normative order. So, people can be labeled deviant as the result of the ABCs of deviance: their attitudes, behaviors, or conditions. First, they may be labeled as deviant for their alternative sets of attitudes or belief system such as political or religious beliefs, for example: Radicals, fundamentals, conservatives, liberals…etc. Second, people may be labeled as deviant because of their outward actions. Deviant behaviors may be intentional or unintentional, and include such activities as violating dress or speech conventions, or committing murder. Third, other people may be regarded as deviant because of their biological conditions such as race, disability and handicap. People may be born with conditional deviance due to their personal and, or racial, ethical characteristics. So, we can say deviance is a perceived threat that brings discredit and social control. We all as, human being, have a set of feelings and thinking system. We born with these senses and feelings, and we learn through social process which behavior make sense and which doesn’t not. We also customized to follow and obey society’s norms and laws because doing this will bring order and harmony to society and our lives. So, those who are powerful and stronger than us politically, economically, and socially, can enforce their attitudes and norms on the weakest among us. Sometimes deviance can be defined as the result of society’s class struggle. The stronger class perceives and defines the weakest class as threat to their interest and existence.
Despite all these definitions of deviance, there is also another definition or perception, which is the positive deviance. Deviance can be positive in some particular time and place. Positive deviance can be seen or observed in such conditions, attitudes, or behaviors like (Altruism, Charisma, Innovation, Supra-Conforming Behavior, and Innate Characteristics). Martin Luther Kings, JR., Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Mother Teresa can be defined as charismatic figures. Galileo Galilee, Ernest Hemingway, and Isaac Newton can be defined as innovators. These people were not only changed their society’s conscience, but they started revolutions that changed humanity’s discourses.
Finally we can say deviance is not only natural phenomena, but it’s one of the essential elements of society because without it society can be paralyzed and dysfunctional. Deviance is also socially learned process within the context of society’s norms and values.
