Lecture Notes: Deviance and Sociological Perspectives

Definition of Deviance

• Deviance: Behavior that differs from societal norms; not inherently negative or immoral.
• Example: Vegetarians in a predominantly meat-eating culture are considered deviant.

Relativity of Deviance

• Deviance is context-dependent, varying by group, location, and societal standards.

Sociological Perspectives on Deviance

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

• Society is seen as a product of everyday social interactions.
• Understanding everyday behavior helps define deviance.

Differential Association Theory

• Deviance is a learned behavior from exposure to norm-violating groups.
• Example: An athlete learns new deviant behaviors from a new team that accepts them.
• Importance of relationships: Strong ties with deviant individuals increase likelihood of learning deviance.

Labeling Theory

• Behavior is deviant if societally judged and labeled as such.
• Primary Deviance: Minor societal reaction; little impact on self-esteem or future behavior.
  • Example: Athlete uses steroids, unnoticed by teammates.
• Secondary Deviance: Severe negative societal reaction; leads to stigmatization and further deviance.
  • Example: Steroid use labeled negatively, leading to exclusion and increased deviance.

Strain Theory

• Deviance arises when individuals are blocked from achieving culturally accepted goals.
• Frustration from lack of means leads to deviant behavior.
  • Example: Athlete lacks resources for training, turns to steroids to succeed.
• Unequal opportunity can increase access to illegal means of achieving success.

Conclusion

• Deviance is multi-faceted, context-dependent, and influenced by social interactions and societal reactions.
• Sociological theories provide frameworks to understand why deviance occurs and its implications.