Sociology
Unit 2 Deviance
Deviance Project
During Unit 2 Deviance we will be planning and executing a deviant act. You will complete this
project either individually or with a partner.
Deviance refers to behavior that violates social norms. Social norms can be classified as informal
folkways and mores or categorized into more formal rules and laws. What constitutes deviant
behavior is socially determined. This means that societies define what is and what is not
acceptable. Hence, definitions of deviance will vary over time and in different societies or social
settings.
You and your classmate have the opportunity to understand the shaping and limits of daily life
by performing a deviant (not illegal or inappropriate) act(s) that break the usual norms and
rules by which we all live. Norms include those rules and expectations that guide our
appearance, behavior, manner, conduct, etc.
EACH of you will be required to submit a 1 page typed, double spaced report on your project. It
will include the following:
1. A detailed account of what you did.
2. A thorough description and discussion of the typical norms/behaviors that govern the
setting that you are describing.
3. An explanation of why your actions could be considered to be deviant. Use your
text/notes for reference.
4. A discussion of your own feelings and observations while you were performing the
act(s).
5. A detailed description of the reactions of others.
Requirement: Your plan will need to be approved! Write a detailed paragraph on what you
intend to do on the attached sheet.
Below are other questions that may be helpful!
This act will/should allow you to answer the following points:
Why was the act deviant?
Who was the audience?
What specific norm(s) was/ were broken?
Who might be interested in enforcing conformity to the norm?
Why the act may might not be deviant in another situation.
How you felt while completing the act.
Who sanctioned you – if anyone?
What the purpose of the sanction was (shame, ridicule, compliance, etc.) to achieve conformity.
What form of sanction took place – yelling, talking to, snub etc.
Examples
Eating sloppily in a public place
Cutting toenails at the dinner table
Calling your parents Mr. and Ms. *last name here* for an entire day
Discuss joining a cult with your close friends and family
Talk in third person
Talk to yourself in a public place
When entering an elevator, face the back of the elevator and talk to the people inside. Do not turn
around and face the doors
Talk only in rhyme for a whole day
Walk up to people at school and ask them to be your friend
'Tip' people when they perform a small act of kindness (like holding a door for you)
Sociology
Deviance
Group Names:
1. Include Details about how you plan to conduct your “experiment.”
2. Where and when do you intend to stage your “experiment?”
3. What norms will be broken?