I thought this was an interesting lecture that helped to shed more light on what we learned in class about deviance. I always thought of deviance as being negative and unmoral, but that isn’t true. I never would called a vegetarian or vegan deviant. The symbolic interaction perspective is an interesting way of looking at life. If society is a product of every day actions of individuals, then an individual can be the one that changes society. I also found it interesting that deviance isn’t something you have, it’s a learned behavior. I liked how they guy in the lecture compared it to monkey see monkey do. I also like the example her gave of the guy on the sports team. It made it easy to visual what deviance is and the different forms it has. I think secondary deviance, is not something that most people are aware of. I’ve seen it happen many times were someone who wants to help someone stop a doing negative action, just makes them continue the negative action because of their negative response to it. justagirl007
I completely agree with everything you said, especially the last part of your entry. There are definitely people out there who only get encouraged to continue their deviance once someone acknowledges it. It's almost like the person performing the deviant act likes the feeling of being noticed and as a result they only amplify their deviance. -BeautifullyBroken007
I like how you felt that one major part of understanding deviant behavior is realizing it is a learned behavior. I felt the same way. I really like how you gave an example of how deviant behavior is not always negative, like being a vegetarian. -turtle007
I agree, I would have never called a vegan a deviant, but after this video we see that they are. We as an individual can change society but to do so we have to break the social norm which in turn makes us a deviant. -Jazzdk -007
Before the lecture we were given today and this video, I always had a bad connotation for the word deviance. Whenever a kid would be acting up or someone who do something that I didn't agree with I would label them as deviant. Today I learned that deviant is not always a negative thing. As mentioned in the video, an act of deviance can be anything that is just not a norm. For example, I could dance in the middle of the grocery store and it would be seen as an act of deviance. Its not that I'm doing anything wrong, I'm simply just dancing, but because it is not seen as the norm it is considered an act of deviance. The same example could also be applied to the labeling theory. The behavior only becomes deviant when society labels it as deviant. So, me dancing in the middle of the grocery store is completely acceptable until someone sees me and decides it is against the norm and only then does it become an act of deviance. -BeautifullyBroken007
I agree with thinking deviance meant a negative comment because that is exactly what I thought before class today. The examples you shared are spot on what the word means. All it is, is being different then others which honestly is a good thing I think. Nothing is really different or "deviant" until someone decides to label it as being out of the ordinary. iCHEER6007
I agree with this. I believe this word is very ignorant. Just because someone does not understand, you are deviant. This word has no strong meaning. I could call you deviant for dancing in the grocery store, but then you could turn around and say I'm deviant for not. Who is right? The person with the most people? Or the person who has the best intentions? Openmind 007
Deviance to me was always a bad or negative comment made my someone to another person before watching this video and listening to our lecture today. Deviance is pretty much being who you want to be and not caring what people think just because you are not doing, saying, or wearing the "norm" we tend to see everyday. I think being deviant is simply being yourself. Why wouldn't someone want to be deviant, who really wants to be the same as everyone else. Fully understanding what deviance means after today being deviant is something I hope to be. Being different and not the same as everyone else or doing something different things than other people is never a bad thing which is what I thought deviance meant until today. iCHEER6007
I love your way of thinking, like why wouldn't people want to be themselves and be deviant. But I feel society makes people want to conform. If you do not behave in the norm you are viewed as deviant, be it good or bad. Because society as a whole views deviancy as a bad thing most people behave in a "norm" way due to thats how society works. All in all humans want to fit in and do what is normal but being deviant can be a very good thing, too. Lucidity007
I love this!! I agree, I too always thought of deviance in a bad and negative way. But because of sociology, it opens the perspective on it a lot more and makes me see it for what it really is. My mom always had the saying, "don't be like everyone else, be different and be you". If this gets the label of being deviant, then so be it. I will happily take it as an honor. BLUELIGHT007
I love your take on deviance. I agree! Yes, in some cases its a criminal act but not always. It can simply mean not caring what society believes is "socially desirable" and acceptable. Deviance in a primary form is simply doing you and what makes you happy. As long as you are pleased with yourself I don't think it matters so much what the norms of your culture are. macey2013
Agree with a lot of the statements you made. Just being yourself and not trying to fit in. Being who you are is key, no matter if it's deviant or not. You shouldn't do things to fit in, because that isn't what always makes you the happiness, and to obtain happiness is essential for healthy living. Jworm007
I have always associated the word deviance with criminal activity. Understanding that the label "Deviant" can now be used to describe someone trying to be in the normal standards of society. A person has no other way of reaching goals, unless an act of deviance is accomplished. This goal must be within reason of positive behavior. The learned behavior from the dominant group easily creates peer pressure to commit an act of deviance. Society then passes judgment on the act to say whether or not it was legal or illegal. Unfortunately, when this is taught at a young age the pattern could continue into adulthood. Along the way the deviant act could escalate from legal to illegal act, depending on crowd the person is associated with. Peer pressure sometimes can wrestle away the good within the individual. See monkey do monkey is often the wrong approach to have when amongst the wrong crowd. Wdwfan007
I have also always thought of the word deviance as a form of criminal activity. I think the group you hang around with definitely has a big influence on deviance. I think it's so sad how many good kids there are that just caught up in the wrong crowd, or are excluded from a good crowd and turn to the criminal form of deviance. justagirl 007
As you I too was surprised to learn that deviance is not criminal only. The phrase "living by example" comes to mind when I had notice that some people behave different than their extended family because they must be following what others do outside the house. Implying that these people are letting the group of people they associate with establish the way they act. Elise007
The cruel reality is that humans are creatures of habit, expecting normality, with others expected to follow. So, last weekend I went out for dinner at a restaurant labeled as “friendly” and with a “fast” service. While waiting for my food I observed that people started to leave their tables before their food arrived because of a long wait. It is clear that the restaurant did not performed as is their norm. I noticed that primary deviancy was taking place because some of the deviants broke the law when they walked out without paying their bill. The waitresses followed the people and angrily made them pay. If the people committing the primary deviancy commit this act again, it becomes a secondary deviance and viewed as a result of hardening to the reaction they received from the primary deviancy. Today’s lecture and the examples cited in the video had made me realize the way we can label these two actions as different deviancies. Elise007
Just yesterday my family and I were eating at a reputable restaurant and observed similar acts. Several customers had the manager appear at the tables to listen to complaints. We overheard the grievances about slow service or the food was not up to expectations. Out food and service was excellent. I did not feel it was justified. The dissatisfied customers told the manager they expected their bill to be reduced. I felt we had observed deviant activity of customers trying to scam a manager and restaurant without just cause. Wdwfan007
One thing that I took away from this is that deviance is taught. I think this is something that people in society should be aware of. I feel like sometimes people are blamed for something that they do, but people do not always realize that that person learned this from someone. For example when a child does something that is not acceptable the parents are to blame when the friends, strangers, or other relatives taught the child the deviant act. Or something along those lines. The other thing that stuck out to me is that being deviant is not always a bad thing. But when you hear the word you automatically think of something bad. But if you think of the word deviate it means to go off course. So for every society, culture, gender, etc. there are people labeled as deviants due to them not following their existing norms. Like the video pointed out, to one group a deviancy can be accepted by another group and vice versa. Lucidity007
I agree that deviance always isn't a bad act. But because society say it is it is. People gets tired of acting a certain way doing things a certain way so like you said they go off course and oh man I can't believe you did or done that. Everybody should just be themselves and act respectably but still be themselves. cancer80-007
As I learn in last class about deviance, I know that it can’t always be wrong, especially when we are trying to change something that for some people might be an act of deviance or consider immoral or braking the laws. It was very helpful to watch this video as it gives a very good scenarios that help us better understand what is like to be deviance in a good and a bad way. The taking steroids part is interesting because most of us think that taking steroids is wrong, and it is legally wrong in sports, but what about models taking diet pills to lose weight, wouldn’t that be cheating too? Elia007
What is norm ? Oh... how society expect you to be. Do it like this and do it like that. Society gives you steps 1,2,3, and then 4. If you miss a step or do it backwards they label that priorities not right. That's a act of being deviance. Some people don't have the same mentally as the norm so when do something outside the norm they get labeled as everything but the child of god. Everybody is different in their own way and express themselves the way they want to but they can only do it when their with certain people or in a certain environment and when society finds out once again your being deviant. At the end of the day the people who gets it worst is celebrities, preacher children, school teacher children, and any other group that has to walk a fine line. cancer80-007
Deviance is a tricky topic. It is easy to call someone deviant that doesn’t agree with you and your friend, but it could be that he found four of his friends that agree with him and now you and your friend are the deviant ones. So what is deviance? Is it simply acting different than someone else, or is it acting different than everyone else? Someone could say I am deviant just simple because I am a vegetarian, but I am in a room of vegetarians I am no longer deviant. This “label” we put on people could falsely be used in many cases. Take an example of someone smoking marijuana. It is illegal according to the federal government, but they smoke it because they have Parkinson’s disease. Now someone could easily say this person is deviant, but they just don’t understand this is the only this that helps. Maybe a better term than calling someone deviant for anything would be ignorant. You are ignorant to the fact of why they do what they do so you judge them. The fact is I would call anyone who calls someone deviant for anything, with little exception, to be deviant; deviant because they are uneducated to the fact that every person is not the same as you. The fact is the majority understands this concept and the number who do not is growing smaller every day. Openmind 007
For a sociologist, deviance has to be defined in relation to the dominant culture being examined. For example, the example of a vegetarian is deviant among Americans because it is a norm in american culture to eat meat. If you travel to parts of Asia, however, eating meat becomes the deviant behavior. When sociologists refer to somebody or a group of people as being "deviant," they aren't making a value judgment. All it means is that the person or group of people do or think something that is considered not normal by the larger culture. Not normal does not necessarily mean bad. - manatee007
I took a criminology course two semesters ago, and one of the things we learned about deviance is that there are no theories which are entirely correct. Society works on us in so many different ways that a single explanation for all deviant behavior is nearly impossible. With that in mind, I'm most partial to differential association theory because it's the most general of the theories about deviance. In fact, some criminologists have argued that differential association theory can make some theories redundant, as they are just examples of learned behavior - for example, strain theory could be subsumed under the umbrella of differential association theory because the goals of strain theory are goals that we learn from the people around us, as well as the means we use to achieve those goals. In addition, the differential association perspective holds much value in explaining all sorts of deviance, from violent crime to harmless participation in a subculture. For labeling theory, the only deviance that can be explained is the deviance that is closely linked to a person's identity, such as being a prostitute. - manatee007
I really like the extra detail you have added about the differential association theory as it helped me think of it in a new way. I completely agree with what you are saying about the strain theory being a subcategory of the differential association theory and now I feel like I understand the theories even better. Hawkward007
I like at the beginning of this short clip when he states that deviance doesn't always mean bad or wrong. Though society today thinks of it in that way, being deviant is really just being different. As a young kid growing up, I was always taught to break away, and to not be scared of being different/deviant. Just because society has a plan for everyone to follow, doesn't mean its the right one for you. Some people are scared to show who they really are because there scared of getting the label of being different or deviant. Everybody is different in some way or another. BLUELIGHT007
I agree with you that you cant always associate deviance with bad or wrong. Like you said you were taught to beak away and not to be scared to be different. The funny thing is in our society if you are different you are believe as a deviant. I agree that every on is different and if you were to believe what every one view us as individuals we would all be deviants.redwings77
I agree with you it was nice to get a clarification on what deviance really meant. Now knowing that being deviant could mean numerous things made me realize that I am deviant a lot! We are all different, you’re right! Not everyone follows society’s norms so a lot of people are deviant! alo007
Like many of the other people who have already posted, I too have always thought deviance had to be something negative because the only form of deviance I really knew about was crime. Instead, deviance simply just means different making me realize that deviance can actually be a good thing if the norm that society is following is a bad thing. I thought this video did a good job of describing the different theories and adding more detail to what we have already talked about in class. I can see how every theory could be applied to different acts of deviance. The theory of differential association reminded me a lot of the nature vs. nurture debate. I feel like this theory helps support the nurture side of the debate as it is saying our environment and the people who we associate with is what causes us to become deviant not our biological factors. Hawkward007
I like how you connected this topic of the differential association theory to the nature vs nurture topic. I believe we talked briefly about it in class the other day when we talked about families and genetics and raising an athlete with science. In a way the groups that we are with nurture us to be the person we are no matter what nature has to say about it. If we are raised with a group to believe that one act is normal then that’s what we will do until we go to another group where it is deviance. –lordSWOLEdemort007
For as long as I can remember the word deviance has been associated with being bad or doing bad things. If you were a criminal you were a deviant. As I watched this clip I believe that people are not deviant from genetics but from learned acts either from the continual visual deviant acts on tv and media. Also I believe deviance is learned through social connections by peer pressure. Deviance is also associated to be bad act but whole viewing this video I see that it is not necessarily a bad act but just the act that is not of the norm.Redwings77
Society does not use the word deviant to describe people that don't follow the norm. Instead, society would call them outcasts, weird, strange, not right in the head. Only because the deviant is not following the norm of that society, When Mr. White said that he had never eaten at Avanti's, he would have been called a deviant because everybody else in the class had eating at the restaurant before. We did not call him a deviant though, but instead we just said that it was weird. Deviance and weird are possibly closely connected words that we have not thought of before. Tenshi 007
Before hearing lecture and this video, I always thought of deviance as a bad behavior or a crime. WHen people think of deviance, I think they put a negative connotation towards it. So, it is evident that it can be positive or negative but how else can we explain deviant behavior? I think it is really difficult to explain because it is anything that is not the "norm". So, one behavior could seem deviant to one person and not to the other depending on their perspective of various things. I believe that deviance cannot be explained by simply one theory, but can be better understood when you think about all three of the theories explained in the video. One thing that really stood out to me in the video was the idea that deviance is learned. I agree with this completely. If a person is repeatedly around someone who is not following the "norms" of society then they will be more likely to take on that behavior rather than being different from the person they are around. - turtle007
I agree with everything you are saying, deviance is definitely learned. Growing up a child is exposed to so many different things, they are like a sponge they soak it all up and retain it. However I do believe that some of what schools tell us, about how deviance is also mostly known for criminal behavior has some truth to it. Lake3194007
Before hearing this video, I always thought deviance referred to something bad. Growing up I always heard a parent complain to other parents about how deviant their child was. Now with this video, I understand the concept of deviance a lot better. The vegetarian example helped a lot. I would not have thought a vegetarian would be deviant, I just thought they were going out side the cultural norms that society was used too. But even now, if enough people start to do something that is considered different it becomes more accepted into society and is no longer considered deviant. I think that text books should make it more clear about what deviance is, from the other many post I read, many other people were just as confused as I was, and thought deviance meant something along the lines of criminal activity. Lake3194007
Deviance I thought it meant you were doing something wrong before the video, but after watching the video I learned that it could be anything that society thinks is a norm. This however could be anything that other people do that is unique but since not all people do it they would be considered a deviant. If you play an instrument then you would probably be considered a deviant. This also helps the theory that deviance is learned, because to play it you have to learn the keys and notes. I find it amusing that when we date someone, we usually like the uniqueness but that technically would be considered the deviant side of them. Deviance could also be a good thing when you do not want to break a norm and the other person does not mind. Some learned deviance can be bad though like it said in the video, doing drugs. -Jazzdk -007
Deviance was always associated to someone bad whenever used around me. Learning from lecture and the video, I realized that if you break a norm, you could be called deviant. The example of the sports player being on a team and learning that steroids are bad, but transferring to a new team and stating that steroids are good show how norms may work. If a player would use steroids on the first team, the team would deem that player a deviant where as the other team would not care. The second team recognize steroids as, you have to win. If the player would not take the steroids for the second team, the team would feel like the player is not trying to win and letting them down. Thus calling the player a deviant. The labeling theory would state that any kind of steroids are bad when used for sports enhancers. Sport associations made the use of steroids as a deviant act and to ensure the absence of any drugs, they test all players. Tenshi 007
This video was a really good explanation of the different situations of deviance. It really clarified it for me with the diagrams and the pictures. I’m usually not a fan of just sitting and watching a video about something I already know about but this one really helped give me some clarity on the topic and I feel like I know it so well I could practically teach it myself. Okay maybe not that well. I like the way that it talks about the meat eating in the beginning vs the vegetarian and how that is deviance. Most of us would probably think of deviance as a crime or some rebellious act that is big and looked down upon, but in reality it is just something that “normal” people don’t do. I also find it interesting how deviance in one culture (such as the team example), is different for another culture. This just goes to show how culture and society can affect our behaviors. –lordSWOLEdemort007
I am with you and loved the visual representation that the video provided. It helped understanding be much easier and the examples used were easy to understand. I would never have thought deviance is not always negative, and this goes to show everyone can vary with their interpretations and opinions based on where they have grown up and what they have learned is socially acceptable. Jb047d007
After watching the video I realized that being deviant isn’t always a crime. I thought that doing a crime or doing something bad without necessarily being caught was the only way that you could be deviant. I learned that it does not have to be a crime it could be as simple as breaking a norm like being a vegetarian. A vegetarian may think that someone who eats meat is deviant. So its really not doing the act of something bad you can do very simple things… its almost the fact of not fitting in with the normal things from society.. and there we go back with being on a “stage” so are people being deviant when they are off their stage? alo007
I agree with that the vegetarian would think someone who eats meat is deviant. Also, vice versa, the person who is eating meat would consider the vegetarian to be deviant. I learned that what is considered deviant is based on how society defines it and what culture you are a part of. --Murse007
The video was very informative and the diagrams made understanding much easier. Deviance is when a norm is violated but a norm is defined within our society and can vary culture to culture. This means the behavior is not necessarily negative, and deviance can happen in different ways. Through the theory of differential association deviance is a learned behavior, and the slogan, "Monkey see, monkey do," is very appropriate. Relationships can be used to set an example for what is accepted or morally right, so choosing positive peers would positively influence your defiance and thinking. Defiance can be from strain also when one is blocked from their goals with no means to achieve their goal and they lack equal opportunities as others. They become frustrated with no access and then defy. The labeling theory of deviance would be influenced by the society or what is and is not accepted. Primary deviance is not morally wrong, is mild and no self-esteem is affected. Secondary deviance is more serious and negative reactions can cause more negative to occur, it can escalate and be repeated. Jb047d007
I have always associated anything to do with deviance as negative, until I watched this video. Like anything else, there are always exceptions, so I should have expected it. The example between the meat eater and vegetarian was great. I would have never considered a vegetarian to be deviant. It is all about how you look at society and what your culture is. It is just like how in our culture when we get married it is between two people, normally a man and a woman, but in other cultures you are allowed to have more than one wife or husband if you have the right amount of money. The culture that is able to get married to more than wife or husband would be considered deviant to us. That does not make it bad though. There is a such thing as bad and good deviances, it just depends on how we perceive it based on what our culture is. --Murse007
I find the whole concept of deviance in society very interesting. The fact that we have cultural norms, or patterns of behavior that are considered normal and is what is expected of us is almost funny. However, it's just how human nature works. Societies develop these norms that create deviance when people stray from them. The strain theory is spot on I believe. It's so true that there's a certain level we're expected to reach in life of success that is socially desirable. We all want a successful job, a loving spouse and beautiful children and above all happiness. Unfortunately, not everyone will reach this, it's just not how life works. We can't all be at the "top" so to speak. Not everyone has the correct means to meet these desirable norms, and when one does not meet them they feel stress and strain because they feel like they have failed. I think college students get a dose of this because even if we're in school studying hard we feel the strain of "what if I don't make it," or "what if I don't become successful in life?" We feel the strain even without having "failed." Simply because there is a culturally accepted goal or norm to meet and there's constant pressure of meeting it. macey2013
I had always associated deviance with a negative connotation, but this video puts a different perspective into viewers eyes. Deviance always seemed to be something that older people would label troubled kids. This video did a great job identifying that deviance is just something that branched away from the norm. The guy gives a great example around the :40 seconds mark; he points out that the norm is people who who have meat in there diet, and vegetarians are considered deviant just because they stray away from the norm. If many people thought that deviance had a negative connotation, and heard that example, it would almost certainly raise some eyebrows. He states that relationships have a very big impact on someone becoming deviant. If someone has a close relationship and have the potential to influence another person, then that may increase the chance of deviance. Jworm007
I feel the need to think about this in a more personal sense. I am, in many ways, a deviant. However, most of the things that would label me as a deviant are things that are protected by law. I live in a community that is primarily conservative and Christian. I am not. However, due to the viewpoints of my community, I would be shunned for these things.
These particular theories are far from universal. From my personal observations, people will associate themselves with like-minded individuals forming their own smaller community.
When the game “Dungeons and Dragons” was first released, playing the game would have been considered deviant behavior. Those people who were took part in this behavior sought out like minded individuals who were accepting of this behavior. As these individuals became communities, and these communities grew, the behavior is being viewed as being accepted.
Is there a theory that reflects this? Or does it apply to one of the three? It’s certainly possible I’m not making the connection. - 56h456
I thought this was an interesting lecture that helped to shed more light on what we learned in class about deviance. I always thought of deviance as being negative and unmoral, but that isn’t true. I never would called a vegetarian or vegan deviant. The symbolic interaction perspective is an interesting way of looking at life. If society is a product of every day actions of individuals, then an individual can be the one that changes society. I also found it interesting that deviance isn’t something you have, it’s a learned behavior. I liked how they guy in the lecture compared it to monkey see monkey do. I also like the example her gave of the guy on the sports team. It made it easy to visual what deviance is and the different forms it has. I think secondary deviance, is not something that most people are aware of. I’ve seen it happen many times were someone who wants to help someone stop a doing negative action, just makes them continue the negative action because of their negative response to it. justagirl007
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with everything you said, especially the last part of your entry. There are definitely people out there who only get encouraged to continue their deviance once someone acknowledges it. It's almost like the person performing the deviant act likes the feeling of being noticed and as a result they only amplify their deviance. -BeautifullyBroken007
DeleteI like how you felt that one major part of understanding deviant behavior is realizing it is a learned behavior. I felt the same way. I really like how you gave an example of how deviant behavior is not always negative, like being a vegetarian. -turtle007
DeleteI agree, I would have never called a vegan a deviant, but after this video we see that they are. We as an individual can change society but to do so we have to break the social norm which in turn makes us a deviant. -Jazzdk -007
DeleteBefore the lecture we were given today and this video, I always had a bad connotation for the word deviance. Whenever a kid would be acting up or someone who do something that I didn't agree with I would label them as deviant. Today I learned that deviant is not always a negative thing. As mentioned in the video, an act of deviance can be anything that is just not a norm. For example, I could dance in the middle of the grocery store and it would be seen as an act of deviance. Its not that I'm doing anything wrong, I'm simply just dancing, but because it is not seen as the norm it is considered an act of deviance. The same example could also be applied to the labeling theory. The behavior only becomes deviant when society labels it as deviant. So, me dancing in the middle of the grocery store is completely acceptable until someone sees me and decides it is against the norm and only then does it become an act of deviance. -BeautifullyBroken007
ReplyDeleteI agree with thinking deviance meant a negative comment because that is exactly what I thought before class today. The examples you shared are spot on what the word means. All it is, is being different then others which honestly is a good thing I think. Nothing is really different or "deviant" until someone decides to label it as being out of the ordinary. iCHEER6007
DeleteI agree with this. I believe this word is very ignorant. Just because someone does not understand, you are deviant. This word has no strong meaning. I could call you deviant for dancing in the grocery store, but then you could turn around and say I'm deviant for not. Who is right? The person with the most people? Or the person who has the best intentions?
DeleteOpenmind 007
Deviance to me was always a bad or negative comment made my someone to another person before watching this video and listening to our lecture today. Deviance is pretty much being who you want to be and not caring what people think just because you are not doing, saying, or wearing the "norm" we tend to see everyday. I think being deviant is simply being yourself. Why wouldn't someone want to be deviant, who really wants to be the same as everyone else. Fully understanding what deviance means after today being deviant is something I hope to be. Being different and not the same as everyone else or doing something different things than other people is never a bad thing which is what I thought deviance meant until today. iCHEER6007
ReplyDeleteI love your way of thinking, like why wouldn't people want to be themselves and be deviant. But I feel society makes people want to conform. If you do not behave in the norm you are viewed as deviant, be it good or bad. Because society as a whole views deviancy as a bad thing most people behave in a "norm" way due to thats how society works. All in all humans want to fit in and do what is normal but being deviant can be a very good thing, too.
DeleteLucidity007
I love this!! I agree, I too always thought of deviance in a bad and negative way. But because of sociology, it opens the perspective on it a lot more and makes me see it for what it really is. My mom always had the saying, "don't be like everyone else, be different and be you". If this gets the label of being deviant, then so be it. I will happily take it as an honor. BLUELIGHT007
DeleteI love your take on deviance. I agree! Yes, in some cases its a criminal act but not always. It can simply mean not caring what society believes is "socially desirable" and acceptable. Deviance in a primary form is simply doing you and what makes you happy. As long as you are pleased with yourself I don't think it matters so much what the norms of your culture are.
Deletemacey2013
Agree with a lot of the statements you made. Just being yourself and not trying to fit in. Being who you are is key, no matter if it's deviant or not. You shouldn't do things to fit in, because that isn't what always makes you the happiness, and to obtain happiness is essential for healthy living. Jworm007
DeleteI have always associated the word deviance with criminal activity. Understanding that the label "Deviant" can now be used to describe someone trying to be in the normal standards of society. A person has no other way of reaching goals, unless an act of deviance is accomplished. This goal must be within reason of positive behavior. The learned behavior from the dominant group easily creates peer pressure to commit an act of deviance. Society then passes judgment on the act to say whether or not it was legal or illegal. Unfortunately, when this is taught at a young age the pattern could continue into adulthood. Along the way the deviant act could escalate from legal to illegal act, depending on crowd the person is associated with. Peer pressure sometimes can wrestle away the good within the individual. See monkey do monkey is often the wrong approach to have when amongst the wrong crowd. Wdwfan007
ReplyDeleteI have also always thought of the word deviance as a form of criminal activity. I think the group you hang around with definitely has a big influence on deviance. I think it's so sad how many good kids there are that just caught up in the wrong crowd, or are excluded from a good crowd and turn to the criminal form of deviance. justagirl 007
DeleteAs you I too was surprised to learn that deviance is not criminal only. The phrase "living by example" comes to mind when I had notice that some people behave different than their extended family because they must be following what others do outside the house. Implying that these people are letting the group of people they associate with establish the way they act.
DeleteElise007
The cruel reality is that humans are creatures of habit, expecting normality, with others expected to follow. So, last weekend I went out for dinner at a restaurant labeled as “friendly” and with a “fast” service. While waiting for my food I observed that people started to leave their tables before their food arrived because of a long wait. It is clear that the restaurant did not performed as is their norm. I noticed that primary deviancy was taking place because some of the deviants broke the law when they walked out without paying their bill. The waitresses followed the people and angrily made them pay. If the people committing the primary deviancy commit this act again, it becomes a secondary deviance and viewed as a result of hardening to the reaction they received from the primary deviancy. Today’s lecture and the examples cited in the video had made me realize the way we can label these two actions as different deviancies.
ReplyDeleteElise007
Just yesterday my family and I were eating at a reputable restaurant and observed similar acts. Several customers had the manager appear at the tables to listen to complaints. We overheard the grievances about slow service or the food was not up to expectations. Out food and service was excellent. I did not feel it was justified. The dissatisfied customers told the manager they expected their bill to be reduced. I felt we had observed deviant activity of customers trying to scam a manager and restaurant without just cause. Wdwfan007
DeleteOne thing that I took away from this is that deviance is taught. I think this is something that people in society should be aware of. I feel like sometimes people are blamed for something that they do, but people do not always realize that that person learned this from someone. For example when a child does something that is not acceptable the parents are to blame when the friends, strangers, or other relatives taught the child the deviant act. Or something along those lines. The other thing that stuck out to me is that being deviant is not always a bad thing. But when you hear the word you automatically think of something bad. But if you think of the word deviate it means to go off course. So for every society, culture, gender, etc. there are people labeled as deviants due to them not following their existing norms. Like the video pointed out, to one group a deviancy can be accepted by another group and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteLucidity007
I agree that deviance always isn't a bad act. But because society say it is it is. People gets tired of acting a certain way doing things a certain way so like you said they go off course and oh man I can't believe you did or done that. Everybody should just be themselves and act respectably but still be themselves. cancer80-007
DeleteAs I learn in last class about deviance, I know that it can’t always be wrong, especially when we are trying to change something that for some people might be an act of deviance or consider immoral or braking the laws. It was very helpful to watch this video as it gives a very good scenarios that help us better understand what is like to be deviance in a good and a bad way. The taking steroids part is interesting because most of us think that taking steroids is wrong, and it is legally wrong in sports, but what about models taking diet pills to lose weight, wouldn’t that be cheating too? Elia007
ReplyDeleteWhat is norm ? Oh... how society expect you to be. Do it like this and do it like that. Society gives you steps 1,2,3, and then 4. If you miss a step or do it backwards they label that priorities not right. That's a act of being deviance. Some people don't have the same mentally as the norm so when do something outside the norm they get labeled as everything but the child of god. Everybody is different in their own way and express themselves the way they want to but they can only do it when their with certain people or in a certain environment and when society finds out once again your being deviant. At the end of the day the people who gets it worst is celebrities, preacher children, school teacher children, and any other group that has to walk a fine line. cancer80-007
ReplyDeleteDeviance is a tricky topic. It is easy to call someone deviant that doesn’t agree with you and your friend, but it could be that he found four of his friends that agree with him and now you and your friend are the deviant ones. So what is deviance? Is it simply acting different than someone else, or is it acting different than everyone else? Someone could say I am deviant just simple because I am a vegetarian, but I am in a room of vegetarians I am no longer deviant. This “label” we put on people could falsely be used in many cases. Take an example of someone smoking marijuana. It is illegal according to the federal government, but they smoke it because they have Parkinson’s disease. Now someone could easily say this person is deviant, but they just don’t understand this is the only this that helps. Maybe a better term than calling someone deviant for anything would be ignorant. You are ignorant to the fact of why they do what they do so you judge them. The fact is I would call anyone who calls someone deviant for anything, with little exception, to be deviant; deviant because they are uneducated to the fact that every person is not the same as you. The fact is the majority understands this concept and the number who do not is growing smaller every day.
ReplyDeleteOpenmind 007
For a sociologist, deviance has to be defined in relation to the dominant culture being examined. For example, the example of a vegetarian is deviant among Americans because it is a norm in american culture to eat meat. If you travel to parts of Asia, however, eating meat becomes the deviant behavior. When sociologists refer to somebody or a group of people as being "deviant," they aren't making a value judgment. All it means is that the person or group of people do or think something that is considered not normal by the larger culture. Not normal does not necessarily mean bad.
Delete- manatee007
I took a criminology course two semesters ago, and one of the things we learned about deviance is that there are no theories which are entirely correct. Society works on us in so many different ways that a single explanation for all deviant behavior is nearly impossible. With that in mind, I'm most partial to differential association theory because it's the most general of the theories about deviance. In fact, some criminologists have argued that differential association theory can make some theories redundant, as they are just examples of learned behavior - for example, strain theory could be subsumed under the umbrella of differential association theory because the goals of strain theory are goals that we learn from the people around us, as well as the means we use to achieve those goals. In addition, the differential association perspective holds much value in explaining all sorts of deviance, from violent crime to harmless participation in a subculture. For labeling theory, the only deviance that can be explained is the deviance that is closely linked to a person's identity, such as being a prostitute.
ReplyDelete- manatee007
I really like the extra detail you have added about the differential association theory as it helped me think of it in a new way. I completely agree with what you are saying about the strain theory being a subcategory of the differential association theory and now I feel like I understand the theories even better. Hawkward007
DeleteI like at the beginning of this short clip when he states that deviance doesn't always mean bad or wrong. Though society today thinks of it in that way, being deviant is really just being different. As a young kid growing up, I was always taught to break away, and to not be scared of being different/deviant. Just because society has a plan for everyone to follow, doesn't mean its the right one for you. Some people are scared to show who they really are because there scared of getting the label of being different or deviant. Everybody is different in some way or another. BLUELIGHT007
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that you cant always associate deviance with bad or wrong. Like you said you were taught to beak away and not to be scared to be different. The funny thing is in our society if you are different you are believe as a deviant. I agree that every on is different and if you were to believe what every one view us as individuals we would all be deviants.redwings77
DeleteI agree with you it was nice to get a clarification on what deviance really meant. Now knowing that being deviant could mean numerous things made me realize that I am deviant a lot! We are all different, you’re right! Not everyone follows society’s norms so a lot of people are deviant! alo007
DeleteLike many of the other people who have already posted, I too have always thought deviance had to be something negative because the only form of deviance I really knew about was crime. Instead, deviance simply just means different making me realize that deviance can actually be a good thing if the norm that society is following is a bad thing. I thought this video did a good job of describing the different theories and adding more detail to what we have already talked about in class. I can see how every theory could be applied to different acts of deviance. The theory of differential association reminded me a lot of the nature vs. nurture debate. I feel like this theory helps support the nurture side of the debate as it is saying our environment and the people who we associate with is what causes us to become deviant not our biological factors. Hawkward007
ReplyDeleteI like how you connected this topic of the differential association theory to the nature vs nurture topic. I believe we talked briefly about it in class the other day when we talked about families and genetics and raising an athlete with science. In a way the groups that we are with nurture us to be the person we are no matter what nature has to say about it. If we are raised with a group to believe that one act is normal then that’s what we will do until we go to another group where it is deviance. –lordSWOLEdemort007
DeleteFor as long as I can remember the word deviance has been associated with being bad or doing bad things. If you were a criminal you were a deviant. As I watched this clip I believe that people are not deviant from genetics but from learned acts either from the continual visual deviant acts on tv and media. Also I believe deviance is learned through social connections by peer pressure. Deviance is also associated to be bad act but whole viewing this video I see that it is not necessarily a bad act but just the act that is not of the norm.Redwings77
ReplyDeleteSociety does not use the word deviant to describe people that don't follow the norm. Instead, society would call them outcasts, weird, strange, not right in the head. Only because the deviant is not following the norm of that society, When Mr. White said that he had never eaten at Avanti's, he would have been called a deviant because everybody else in the class had eating at the restaurant before. We did not call him a deviant though, but instead we just said that it was weird. Deviance and weird are possibly closely connected words that we have not thought of before.
DeleteTenshi 007
Before hearing lecture and this video, I always thought of deviance as a bad behavior or a crime. WHen people think of deviance, I think they put a negative connotation towards it. So, it is evident that it can be positive or negative but how else can we explain deviant behavior? I think it is really difficult to explain because it is anything that is not the "norm". So, one behavior could seem deviant to one person and not to the other depending on their perspective of various things. I believe that deviance cannot be explained by simply one theory, but can be better understood when you think about all three of the theories explained in the video. One thing that really stood out to me in the video was the idea that deviance is learned. I agree with this completely. If a person is repeatedly around someone who is not following the "norms" of society then they will be more likely to take on that behavior rather than being different from the person they are around. - turtle007
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you are saying, deviance is definitely learned. Growing up a child is exposed to so many different things, they are like a sponge they soak it all up and retain it. However I do believe that some of what schools tell us, about how deviance is also mostly known for criminal behavior has some truth to it. Lake3194007
DeleteBefore hearing this video, I always thought deviance referred to something bad. Growing up I always heard a parent complain to other parents about how deviant their child was. Now with this video, I understand the concept of deviance a lot better. The vegetarian example helped a lot. I would not have thought a vegetarian would be deviant, I just thought they were going out side the cultural norms that society was used too. But even now, if enough people start to do something that is considered different it becomes more accepted into society and is no longer considered deviant. I think that text books should make it more clear about what deviance is, from the other many post I read, many other people were just as confused as I was, and thought deviance meant something along the lines of criminal activity. Lake3194007
ReplyDeleteDeviance I thought it meant you were doing something wrong before the video, but after watching the video I learned that it could be anything that society thinks is a norm. This however could be anything that other people do that is unique but since not all people do it they would be considered a deviant. If you play an instrument then you would probably be considered a deviant. This also helps the theory that deviance is learned, because to play it you have to learn the keys and notes. I find it amusing that when we date someone, we usually like the uniqueness but that technically would be considered the deviant side of them. Deviance could also be a good thing when you do not want to break a norm and the other person does not mind. Some learned deviance can be bad though like it said in the video, doing drugs. -Jazzdk -007
ReplyDeleteDeviance was always associated to someone bad whenever used around me. Learning from lecture and the video, I realized that if you break a norm, you could be called deviant. The example of the sports player being on a team and learning that steroids are bad, but transferring to a new team and stating that steroids are good show how norms may work. If a player would use steroids on the first team, the team would deem that player a deviant where as the other team would not care. The second team recognize steroids as, you have to win. If the player would not take the steroids for the second team, the team would feel like the player is not trying to win and letting them down. Thus calling the player a deviant. The labeling theory would state that any kind of steroids are bad when used for sports enhancers. Sport associations made the use of steroids as a deviant act and to ensure the absence of any drugs, they test all players.
ReplyDeleteTenshi 007
This video was a really good explanation of the different situations of deviance. It really clarified it for me with the diagrams and the pictures. I’m usually not a fan of just sitting and watching a video about something I already know about but this one really helped give me some clarity on the topic and I feel like I know it so well I could practically teach it myself. Okay maybe not that well. I like the way that it talks about the meat eating in the beginning vs the vegetarian and how that is deviance. Most of us would probably think of deviance as a crime or some rebellious act that is big and looked down upon, but in reality it is just something that “normal” people don’t do. I also find it interesting how deviance in one culture (such as the team example), is different for another culture. This just goes to show how culture and society can affect our behaviors. –lordSWOLEdemort007
ReplyDeleteI am with you and loved the visual representation that the video provided. It helped understanding be much easier and the examples used were easy to understand. I would never have thought deviance is not always negative, and this goes to show everyone can vary with their interpretations and opinions based on where they have grown up and what they have learned is socially acceptable.
DeleteJb047d007
After watching the video I realized that being deviant isn’t always a crime. I thought that doing a crime or doing something bad without necessarily being caught was the only way that you could be deviant. I learned that it does not have to be a crime it could be as simple as breaking a norm like being a vegetarian. A vegetarian may think that someone who eats meat is deviant. So its really not doing the act of something bad you can do very simple things… its almost the fact of not fitting in with the normal things from society.. and there we go back with being on a “stage” so are people being deviant when they are off their stage? alo007
ReplyDeleteI agree with that the vegetarian would think someone who eats meat is deviant. Also, vice versa, the person who is eating meat would consider the vegetarian to be deviant. I learned that what is considered deviant is based on how society defines it and what culture you are a part of. --Murse007
DeleteThe video was very informative and the diagrams made understanding much easier. Deviance is when a norm is violated but a norm is defined within our society and can vary culture to culture. This means the behavior is not necessarily negative, and deviance can happen in different ways. Through the theory of differential association deviance is a learned behavior, and the slogan, "Monkey see, monkey do," is very appropriate. Relationships can be used to set an example for what is accepted or morally right, so choosing positive peers would positively influence your defiance and thinking. Defiance can be from strain also when one is blocked from their goals with no means to achieve their goal and they lack equal opportunities as others. They become frustrated with no access and then defy. The labeling theory of deviance would be influenced by the society or what is and is not accepted. Primary deviance is not morally wrong, is mild and no self-esteem is affected. Secondary deviance is more serious and negative reactions can cause more negative to occur, it can escalate and be repeated.
ReplyDeleteJb047d007
I have always associated anything to do with deviance as negative, until I watched this video. Like anything else, there are always exceptions, so I should have expected it. The example between the meat eater and vegetarian was great. I would have never considered a vegetarian to be deviant. It is all about how you look at society and what your culture is. It is just like how in our culture when we get married it is between two people, normally a man and a woman, but in other cultures you are allowed to have more than one wife or husband if you have the right amount of money. The culture that is able to get married to more than wife or husband would be considered deviant to us. That does not make it bad though. There is a such thing as bad and good deviances, it just depends on how we perceive it based on what our culture is. --Murse007
ReplyDeleteI find the whole concept of deviance in society very interesting. The fact that we have cultural norms, or patterns of behavior that are considered normal and is what is expected of us is almost funny. However, it's just how human nature works. Societies develop these norms that create deviance when people stray from them. The strain theory is spot on I believe. It's so true that there's a certain level we're expected to reach in life of success that is socially desirable. We all want a successful job, a loving spouse and beautiful children and above all happiness. Unfortunately, not everyone will reach this, it's just not how life works. We can't all be at the "top" so to speak. Not everyone has the correct means to meet these desirable norms, and when one does not meet them they feel stress and strain because they feel like they have failed. I think college students get a dose of this because even if we're in school studying hard we feel the strain of "what if I don't make it," or "what if I don't become successful in life?" We feel the strain even without having "failed." Simply because there is a culturally accepted goal or norm to meet and there's constant pressure of meeting it.
ReplyDeletemacey2013
I had always associated deviance with a negative connotation, but this video puts a different perspective into viewers eyes. Deviance always seemed to be something that older people would label troubled kids. This video did a great job identifying that deviance is just something that branched away from the norm. The guy gives a great example around the :40 seconds mark; he points out that the norm is people who who have meat in there diet, and vegetarians are considered deviant just because they stray away from the norm. If many people thought that deviance had a negative connotation, and heard that example, it would almost certainly raise some eyebrows. He states that relationships have a very big impact on someone becoming deviant. If someone has a close relationship and have the potential to influence another person, then that may increase the chance of deviance. Jworm007
ReplyDeleteI feel the need to think about this in a more personal sense. I am, in many ways, a deviant. However, most of the things that would label me as a deviant are things that are protected by law. I live in a community that is primarily conservative and Christian. I am not. However, due to the viewpoints of my community, I would be shunned for these things.
ReplyDeleteThese particular theories are far from universal. From my personal observations, people will associate themselves with like-minded individuals forming their own smaller community.
When the game “Dungeons and Dragons” was first released, playing the game would have been considered deviant behavior. Those people who were took part in this behavior sought out like minded individuals who were accepting of this behavior. As these individuals became communities, and these communities grew, the behavior is being viewed as being accepted.
Is there a theory that reflects this? Or does it apply to one of the three? It’s certainly possible I’m not making the connection. - 56h456