Unit 8- DevianceESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:• WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE DEVIANT?• CAN ANYONE BE DEVIANT?• IS OUR SOCIETY’S DEFINITION OF

DEVIANCE AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ACCEPTABLE?

Unit Purpose

Unit Purpose: Societies and groups all have certain social rules known as norms to set themselves apart and bring unity. Not conforming to these norms make you a deviant - and brings about social punishments known as sanctions. Understanding deviance is important to understanding what is important to a society - and how it holds together

Important terms and concepts: 

What is a social norm? What are the types/degrees? What is deviance? What does it mean to be deviant? What is a stigma? Who is or has been stigmatized in

American society? What is the difference between a criminal and a

deviant act? (Be able to differentiate several examples)

What was the Milgram Experiment? What was the Zimbardo Experiment?What did we learn from each?

Norms and Deviance Sexy Sax Man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaoLU6zKaws

Why is this funny?

because it’s abnormal behavior - he is flaunting and violating social norms

because he's so enthusiastic (which is strange in itself)

Why don't people just jump onto tables and start dancing and playing music? (Why aren't more people like the Sexy Sax Man? - besides the fact that we aren't all that talented)

Sanctions - Socially outcast - weird - consequences for actions - could even get in legal trouble

Social norms have a purpose

Unsanitary - feet on the table

Disruptive - can't use table/mall for its intended social purpose (keep order)

Because we don't do that here... (sometimes arbitrary)

What are cultural norms?

Norms - The established and approved way of doing things, of dress, of speech, and of appearance.the rules that a group uses for

appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit. Failure to follow the rules can result in severe punishments, including exclusion from the group

What are some of the examples of social rules we follow every day?Shaking hands after a sports match is an example of a

social norm.Tipping a server after dinner.Not calling someone a racial epithet.Wearing the proper clothes for your genderNot eating your neighbor or killing their dog because it

looked at you funnyNot beating up your classmate and taking their lunch

money to buy meth or an Xbox gamehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juwexBqfkeQ Restroom

Etiquette

We broke them down into three types:

folkways - etiquette, politeness, small, often unstated rules of societyhow to talk on the telephone (say "Hi" at beginning, don't sit

breathing heavily into the receiver)Dress nice to church, wear a shirt in public, don't burp at dinnerNot of moral significance; by being followed through imitation

and mild social pressure but not strictly enforced or put into law.

mores - enforce a society's valuesstealing, lying, child abuse, battery - all severe violations and

will be met with penalties taboos - extreme violations of norms - that would cast you out of

society eating dead, child rape, murder

What are the benefits of having social norms?

Protects rights Avoid confusion Brings a society/group together Eases communication/reduces

uncertainty

What are the costs of social norms?Conformity

People will follow the lead of others in their society - from what to wear, to how to greet someone, to what to do with your life

Social pressure to be the same and match the ideals of others.

Conformity is somewhat engrained in human nature. Humans are social creatures - and will try to be like others.

Remember the elevator experiment?

Intolerance of others outside society Ethnocentrism - belief that other societies and cultures are inferior

“Why do they wear those rings on their necks, that's stupid!"

Intolerance of others in society

But what if you DON'T follow social norms?

Then you are a DEVIANTDeviance describes actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms.This is the main purpose of our unit - exploring this deviance

Deviance is VIOLATING social norms, like that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIqtbPKjf6Q The Cost of Social Norms

Guys: if you said to a girl: "I had a really good time, here's $20 dollars" what would happen?

Likewise - what if you showed up for a business interview dressed in a swimsuit

Or if you sharpened all your teeth. Or if you just did something completely unexpected in a

social situation (like standing backwards in an elevator) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQMfiOnVeVo Japanese

Prank Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8OUWjbh9BU ECU Professor

Deviance:This includes such high violations of

formally-enacted rules such as crimes, but also informal and smaller violations of social norms and folkways. Examples can be as serious as rape or as minor as spitting in public or tattooing your face.

What are some examples of deviant behaviors in American society?

Or what would be considered deviant if it were done?

While driving? In the classroom? What would be deviant amongst your group of

friends?

Deviance Survey (Most Deviant Act)

For this informal survey tell me what deviant (against normal social American behavior) behaviors you have committed. This is completely anonymous, will not be shared with anyone, and will be thrown out immediately following this exercise.

Can be the most illegal, the most immoral, or just the most against social norms.

Like MOST things in sociology - Deviance is SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED and is RELATIVE It varies from society to society and group to

group