Major Terms in Sociology - Research Paper Example

Sociology Term Paper Henry Jimenez Deviance Deviance is the word that describes the actions and behaviors of individuals that are considered to be in violation of the social or cultural norms, such as lawbreaking, committing criminal acts, or denying the beliefs and behaviors of a specific culture. Any sort of act that is deemed inappropriate by a society as a whole is believed to be deviant behavior; also, activity or behavior that actually goes against society itself is viewed as deviance. When a person acts deviantly, they are rejecting the important norms of that particular culture. However, not all deviant behavior is considered to be negative, as many people act out in positive, thoughtful ways that still go against their social or cultural norms. Two definitions exist and are agreed upon in regard to what deviance is. The first definition deals with an individual rejecting a social norm, as drawn out above. The second definition involves how others within the society view the norm that is being violated, determining whether or not that behavior truly is deviant. As per example, a person that commits a crime such as murder or robbery is considered to be a deviant, but someone who illegally downloads a movie from the Internet, which is also considered to be crime, is not viewed as a deviant because many people in society accept this behavior. Though it may be a lesser crime, it is performed by a majority of people, and society has come to acknowledge this. There are many ways in which a person can act out deviantly, with the most common form being committing crime, since laws against criminal acts are put in place to prevent these types of behavior. When an individual goes against these laws that the majority of others have agreed upon, follow, and enforce, then that person is acting deviantly. Another method of deviancy is knowingly falsely accusing someone else of a crime, which displays lying and willingly providing inaccurate information. Speaking of subjects considered to be taboo, such as rape, incest, or child molestation is another form of deviant behavior. Since these activities are looked down upon and punished in most cultures and societies, to talk freely of them is considered to be deviant, regardless of whether or not this is the intention of the individual. Conforming to another group’s beliefs and behaviors is also thought to be deviant, as it goes against the behaviors and beliefs of that individual’s culture or society, though this method is not always viewed as being a negative deviance. Many theories have been researched that explain why people act out deviantly. Some of the most common theories include, though are by no means limited to, the strain theory, control theory, and the neutralization theory. The strain theory makes the claim that people become deviant because they have goals and needs that are not being met by society. Likewise, if an individual has approved needs or wants but is not being provided with an opportunity to achieve them, they will act out in a deviant fashion. These people will do everything that they can to obtain these goals or these needs and wants. The control theory states that a person may involve themselves in deviant behavior because of their lack of bond with society. If they do not feel this connection with their society or culture, they make no attempts to abide by their behaviors, actions, or beliefs. The purpose of norms in any society or culture is to discourage deviant behavior, and if it were not for this control, the amount of people engaging in reckless, harmful deviant behavior would increase. When a person follows these rules, they are controlled by the society to maintain their norms; when someone rejects these rules, they are not as controlled, due to a lack of connection or bond. The neutralization theory is when the deviant individual tries to condone their actions and behavior by giving different definitions of what they have done, which is the method used in hopes to atone for the absence of guilt in the situation. There are a total of five neutralization methods, and they are as follows: denying responsibility, during which the person believes that they had no choice but to act in the way that they did, and that someone else would have done the same in their situation; denying injury, which is when the deviant believes that nobody else was harmed as a result of their actions, therefore concluding that their was nothing immoral about their actions; denying the victim, which is when the deviant feels that the person on the receiving end of the action deserved what they got; condemning of others, during which the deviant makes the proclamation that others have done the same thing; and by appealing to higher loyalties, by which the deviant claims that values and loyalties to others, such as friendships or traditions, are above what is expected by the law. There are other factors that determine how and why a person will act out deviantly. Three of these factors include a person’s environment, the influence of others, and behaviors that they have learned. Whether an individual is raised in the privacy of their home or through a church community, they are presented with other views as well as the ones set down by their culture or society. For example, if a Muslim child, adhering to the rules of their religion and culture, attends a public school donned in the clothing appropriate to Muslim, they are going against the social norms that those at their school are used to. What may be right in their eyes is not right in the eyes of others. Influence is one of the more common reasons as to an individual’s deviancy. Whether a person is trying to fit in, get someone to like them, or is adhering to peer pressure, they are acting out because of someone else. When an individual is influenced by another person, they attempt to espouse the behaviors and beliefs of that person. They may also do this to gain acceptance from someone else, or because they are expected to express the same behaviors. An example of this can be seen in gangs among their members in regard to actions and beliefs. The final theory can be regarded as a fusion of the two aforemetioned theories, and encompasses the fact that some people become deviant due to actions and beliefs that they have learned from others. The only difference between this theory and the other two is that the individual is not trying to impress or gain acceptance; indeed, in accordance with this method, an individual will act in ways learned from someone else because it is the only way that may make sense to them, or because they have not found another way in which to act or behave. While this may be considered to be influenced, the individual has willingly decided on these behaviors to be used to express themselves. No other means seems appropriate to them, as such behaviors or actions have been displayed to them time and again, becoming the other actions that make sense to them. When an individual is displaying deviance, they are going against norms that have long since been set down in their culture and society. The way they act, behave, or believe is immoral in the eyes of other people. People become deviant because they are not having their needs met, they do not feel a bond strong enough to allow them to be loyal to their society, or they find means to condone their behavior and redefine what they have done. Other factors involved in an individual becoming deviant is their environment, their influences, and the behaviors and actions learned from others. Read More