DEVIANCE AND SOCIETY

DEVIANCE AND SOCIETY

Name

Tutor

Course

Date

Deviance can be defined as the behaviors that are seen to deviate from society’s norms and values. Deviance behavior can vary from one culture to another depending on what one community find acceptable and what they see as unacceptable. Deviance behavior can either be positive or negative. Negative deviance refers to actions undertaken by an individual that do not meet any acceptable norms of a community such as murder. Positive deviance, on the other hand, refers to acts where an individual can be able to over-confirm to the society’s norms such as an army officer fighting for their country. Some deviant behavior can be tolerated in modern society whereby society rewards the behavior.

When a group of people goes against standards of norm s and values that govern the bigger society, this particular group are considered to be a subculture in the social deviance. These people leave the mainstream culture so that they form their own which they value and respect and they hope could solve their undertakings (Macionis, 2000). These subcultures are formed due to many causes as they believe these factors propel subcultures are due to many causes as they believe these factors propel them to act the way they do.

Causes of deviance in society

FAMILY ISSUES. The way parents brought up their children could dictate whether they would deviate and form a subculture group during their late ages or youthful years. The youth especially are always considered to be disruptive, wickedness and generally deviant as they innovate more on what they were taught both in school and at home (Gibbons, 1982). For example, a family full of disruptions between the spouses as the children watch set a precedence of bad role model to the children who in future copy the trend. When such children drop out of school and loiter around, they become a menace to the society as they will continue with animalistic characters which could only be erased through Education and Religion.

ENVIRONMENT-A well defined and established environment where development is experienced motivates the people to live happily as they have both food security and normal security which provide a conducive atmosphere for living and doing business. In these developed areas only a small group could deviate positively, i.e., by introducing measures to curb primitive beliefs and practices towards women 9 Best, 2004). The women empowerment, building of hospitals which treat those diseases which were left for nature all these are examples of subculture deviance which is positive. All in all a group may decide to copy and adapt from what they see others in their neighborhood do.

GOVERNMENT-Some governments are biased in giving out development as it discriminates other areas through revenue allocation as per the budget. People discriminated always find means to fight the government hence they form a subculture to regain lost glory or their rightful share which they were denied by the government (Warren, 2003). This practice has led to the formation of hardened criminals in illegal weapon trade, cybercrime, prostitution, drug abuse, etc. To address this, the government must be seen to be fair in distributing developments.

Media-Last but not least, media play a big role in connecting everyone, including the perceived gangsters, the people, and the government. It is said that, if something was not reported then it didn’t occur. Long ago there were subcultures derived from a mainstream culture which were not aired to the public but thanks to social media which has so far addressed this (Downes, 2016). Some of these subcultures aired by the media are positive deviance and help create an examined environment which is worth working. For example the right of Taliban women, who now enjoys work like male counterparts which used not to be tolerated by the Taliban Government.

Society largely influences the way a person behaves and acts. The society helps in shaping people to either become better people or worse people through its norms and values. If society becomes strict and upholds its standards, better people are bound to be born in that community.

Reference

Best, J. (2004). Deviance: Career of a concept (p. 100). Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.

Downes, D., Rock, P. E., & McLaughlin, E. (2016). Understanding deviance: a guide to the sociology of crime and rule-breaking. Oxford University Press.

Gibbons, D. C. (1982). Society, crime, and criminal behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Macionis, J. J., Benoit, C., & Jansson, M. (2000). Society: the basics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Warren, D. E. (2003). Constructive and destructive deviance tn organizations. Academy of management Review, 28(4), 622-632.