What Makes a Person Deviant - Essay Example

Deviance Introduction - What is deviance? Deviance describes the actions or behaviors of others that are perceived to violate cultural and social norms, such as going against authority-driven rules or refusing to accept the beliefs and behaviors of a specific culture (Clinard & Meier, 2007). Anything considered to be unacceptable by society as a whole is considered to be deviant behavior; furthermore, any activity or behavior that goes against society itself is a display of deviance. If a person is acting deviant in society, they are in violation of what the significant norm in that particular culture is. Deviant behavior can be split into two separate definitions and points of views. The first definition is seen as disregarding social norms, as aforementioned. The second definition has to deal with how others actually view the actions, beliefs, or conditions of others, deciding for themselves if these aspects can be considered deviant (Goode, 2010). For example, while committing a criminal crime such as robbery or murder is considered to be deviant, downloading music illegally, which is also a crime, is not regarded as deviant behavior as it is often accepted by other people. At the same time, it is still a crime, which is considered to be a deviant behavior under the first definition of the term. There are a variety of ways in which a person can display deviant behavior. The most common method of acting out deviantly is by committing a crime, as laws are set down to stop these kinds of behavior. When someone goes against these laws that the majority of others in the culture or society follow and reinforce, then they are acting deviantly. Along these same lines is the act of speaking about a taboo subject, such as rape, incest, or the molestation of a child. As these activities are looked down upon in most cultures and societies, to speak of them is considered to be acting in a deviant fashion, even if this is not the intention of the person being accused of this deviant action. Knowingly falsely accusing someone is another way that a person can be deviant, as well as conforming to another group’s beliefs or behaviors, which is not often viewed as a negative way of being deviant (Becker, 1993). Who can be deviant and when is it most common? Simply put, anybody can display deviant behavior or act out in a deviant manner, therefore being accused of deviancy, regardless of the intensity of their actions or behaviors. Deviance is not something that is always permanent or lasting, nor is it something that is uncommon, especially among teenagers and young adults -- ditching a class at school can be considered deviant, though it is hardly something that causes a full-blown uproar. It is an activity that is looked down by adults in a society, even though many of their children partake in such an activity. While it is most common for teenagers and young adults to be accused of deviant behavior, there are many adults, and even some children, that commit crimes or act out, therefore displaying deviant behavior. As previously stated, most people display acts of deviance when they are younger and are more influential and impressionable by others. However, age is not really a factor, though as a person becomes older they begin to understand when they are acting deviant, or are wanting to act deviant, and learn to control themselves. With age, social norms become instilled in the mind of an individual, allowing them to follow these norms, which decreases their needs to violate them. With this mindset, it can be determined that the majority of people experience their rise of deviant behavior when they are young; this, however, does not mean that adults are not capable of displaying deviant behavior. Quite the contrary, the majority of larger and more heinous crimes are committed by adults. Since deviant behavior can be seen as the slightest, almost unnoticeable character flaw to the most gruesome crime, there really are no set boundaries as to who can be viewed as deviant and when the proper age or mindset is for these actions to be obvious to others. It is just widely believed that as children, teenagers, and young adults are the most rebellious of the age groups and the most eager to purposely go against social norms, they are the ones in which deviant behavior is the most apparent. How does someone become deviant? While there is no set method as to how an individual becomes deviant, though there are a few speculations as to what inspires someone to act out deviantly. Some of these theories include a person’s environment, the influence of others, and behaviors and actions that are learned and then projected by the individual. These concepts may seem to be interrelated, as they can be, but they also have characteristics unique to each view. A person’s environment, whether it be considered the home, a church, or the community as a whole, provides the individual with different views in regard to the social norms of their society and culture. For example, if a Muslim family in a dominantly Muslim community decides to dress in opposition to their beliefs, they are being deviant. A child or teenager may see this deviance and decide to act out in the same manner. Likewise, if a person is living in a Muslim community and goes to a public school dressed in Muslim attire, which is against the social norms of many of the students at this public school, then that Muslim child is being deviant in the eyes of the children at that school. What a person learns through their home, church, or community may be right in their eyes, but not in the eyes of others. Another theory as to how a person might become deviant is through influence, whether this involves the person willing conforming to someone else’s beliefs and actions or by them being subjected so long to someone who believes and behaves differently. Peer pressure or wanting to fit in can be behind how a person becomes deviant; this can also be categorized as to why someone becomes deviant. By being influenced by someone else, an individual might begin to adopt the same ways for themselves. If they want to impress someone, they might act out in the same way to gain acceptance from that person. Also, one person might expect another person to exhibit the same beliefs and behaviors, thus causing the person to do. An example of this would be gang members and beliefs and behaviors within gangs. Members often adhere and follow the beliefs and actions of their leader, though this is often out of fear of being punished or ostracized. The third theory to be discussed can be seen as a combination of the two theories already mentioned and outlined, and that theory is that people become deviant due to beliefs and behaviors that they have learned from others. The difference between this theory as opposed to the other two is that an individual believes or acts in a certain deviant way because that way is what they are used to. While this may be considered influence, individuals used learned approaches because they are unaware of any other way; they do not decide on that method to fit in or to gain someone else’s approval. Similarly, others do not force their beliefs or actions on someone else, though they are regarded as a teacher, someone who seems to know what they are doing, therefore giving someone else the idea that their actions are correct and can be condoned. Why does someone become deviant? Many theories have been postulated as to why someone becomes deviant. Some of the most common theories include, though are by no means limited to, the strain theory, control theory, and the neutralization theory. David Emile Durkheim postulated the strain theory, claiming that people become deviant because they “have goals and needs that are not being met by society (Adler, 2008).” Criminal offenses often happen as a result of the strain theory, as people resort to desperate measures to obtain their goals and needs. Likewise, if someone as approved needs or wants but is not being given an opportunity by society to achieve them, they will act out in a deviant fashion. These people will do whatever they feel they need to achieve these goals or to obtain these needs or wants, often going to extremes while doing so. The control theory explains that a person may engage in deviant behavior because of their weak bond with society. 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 (Pontell & Rosoff, 2010). With this theory comes with the concept as to why some people commit crimes and others do not. Those they do not commit crimes are not only aware of the differences between right and wrong, but they are aware of what is considered to be acceptable behavior in their society and want to abide by these wishes. Those that do commit crimes do not have that type of bond, as that society does not have that level of control over them, so they do engage in deviant behavior. The neutralization theory involves the deviant person attempting to justify their actions and behavior by giving alternative definitions of what they have done or trying to explain why they did what they did, which is done in hopes to atone for their lack of guilt in the situation. There are five types of neutralization, 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 plays the “I am sure you have done it too” card to avoid getting in trouble; 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 (Thio & Calhoun, 2005). Conclusion To be deviant is to go against social and culture norms, to go against what others have deemed as immoral or simply wrong. While there is no set age limit or time when a person acts deviant, these types of behaviors are more commonly seen in younger people, as they are the most eager to rebel against others, especially those that set down the social or culture norms for that society or group. People can become deviant based on their environment, the influence that people have on others, and by actions and behaviors that are learned after being observed for so long. A person can also become deviant because they are not having their needs met by society, they do not have a close bond with society and therefore show no loyalty to following their norms, or try to make excuses for themselves and condone their behavior and actions. References Adler, P.A. (2008). Constructions of deviance: Social power, context, and interaction. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Becker, H.S. (2003). Symbolic interaction and cultural studies. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Clinard, M.B & Meier, R.F. (2007). Sociology of deviant behavior. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Goode, E. (2010). Deviant behavior. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Pontell, H. & Rosoff, S.M. (2010). Social deviance: Readings in theory and research. Manhattan, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Thio, A. & Calhoun, T.C. (2005). Readings in deviant behavior. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated. Read More