1. Deviance and Social Control Unit 4 Deviance

2. The Nature of Deviance Deviance is the violation of societal norms Deviance can vary in degree from criminal activity to dressing provocatively It is difficult to identify deviant behavior because definitions of it change from group to group and society to society Because of the diverse population in the US it is difficult to have people agree on what is deviant behavior

3. Positive and Negative Deviance Negative Deviance: behavior that fails to meet the accepted norms Positive Deviance: over-conformity to the norms These behaviors lead toward perfectionism and can be hard to manage as well

4. Sociologist�s Definition Because there can be many minor instances of deviant behavior, within sociology deviance is usually saved for major violations of societal norms Significant norms are those that are highly important to most of society or to those with the most power To a sociologist, a deviant is a person who has violated one or more of society�s most highly valued norms

5. Social Control Social Control: ways to encourage conformity to society�s norms Social control promotes stability and order without it society would be chaotic and unpredictable There are two types of social control: internal and external

6. Internal Control Internal control lies within the person and is developed during socialization You do something because you know it is right or you don�t do something because you know it is wrong. Example: We don�t cheat because we know it is wrong, not because we fear getting a zero if we get caught. The norm against cheating has been internalized Norms becoming part of you is internalization

7. External Control External control is in place because not everyone will conform all of the time Social sanctions: rewards or punishments that encourage conformity to the social norms Rewards: promotions, smiles, words of encouragement Punishments: criticism, fines, imprisonment are intended to stop the behavior Punishments can be formal or informal