Tevyn Spackman
Soc 1010-028
TR 11:30-12:50
Reflection of Deviancy Through My Earnest Belief
Deviance, the act of violation to the social norms. many things can be deemed deviant,
dressing inappropriately, facing the wrong direction in an elevator, or even speeding on the
highway. Although one is not considered deviant through their action but rather through the
reaction of those around them; Howard Becker a famous sociologist once said "It is not the act,
but the reaction to the act which makes it deviant". A good example of deviancy by this standard
is while speeding, those around the individual may not see him/her as a deviant but rather just
another pedestrian going a little fast or someone that's in a hurry to go somewhere, but the officer
that pulls this individual over may see them as breaking the law and their 'code of ethics'
therefore making that person a deviant in their mind. In lament terms deviancy is socially
defined.
I'm sure everyone commits some sort of deviancy to someone else every now and again. I
personally pick my nose quite frequently in public or anywhere because frankly I think it's easier
than blowing my nose and doesn't cause as much interruption. While many people could care
less that I have my finger up my nose, some people see it as disgusting and view me as a deviant
for doing so. I have an open mind for such things and I view things on a more cultural unbiased
point of view, whether that's a good thing or a bad thing can be up to personal opinion, that's just
how I see it. So what makes one a deviant to me you may ask?
Someone that is evident to deviancy by my judgment is someone who may kill another
human for personal gain, or anything other than self defense. If someone harasses someone else
for their own enjoyment I see them as a deviant. Any instance of mistreatment to someone,
human or animal would be my line of deviancy. Many may think of course that would be
deviancy, who would disagree?! There are those who still practice inhumane acts like murder,
rape and pillaging I.e. Modern day Pirates, and native tribes like the Yanomami (A tribe located
in Southern America with a territory the size of Austria). Murder and pillaging is just a means of
survival to these people and is not looked upon as deviancy.
Deviancy can be beneficial to societies and isn't always a negative thing, a great example
of this could be the view of homosexuality. Social control ridicules, criticizes, and makes groups
they consider deviant feel ashamed of who they are. The practice of Social Control is to ensure
conformity, and obedience of a society; like anything society has to adapt and evolve. In the
United States of America homosexuality has undergone a drastic change of role in society.
Before the 1970's homosexuality was characterized as a group of sexual deviants, society quickly
targeted the group with medical, psychiatric, and legal intervention as an act to conform the
deviants. If it wasn't for the rebellious acts of deviancy that played throughout the late 1900's
homosexuality might still be considered a deviant group by society.
A good way to sum up deviancy is through Durkheim's Theory "Deviance affirms
cultural values and norms. Any definition of virtue rests on an opposing idea of vice: There can
be no good without evil and no justice without crime". Deviance defines moral boundaries, and
through the act of pushing these boundaries brings about change in society. Everyone has been
and will again be deviant in the eyes of another, there will be change in the future of society, like
there has been in the past because of deviancy, and deviancy will always hold a very important
part of how our would around us is molded and portrayed.
Sources:
Milt Ford. "A brief history of homosexuality". GVSU.edu, web, May 14th, 2013.
Phil Bartle "DEVIANCE." Deviance. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.
"Emile Durkheim's Basic Insight" Macionis, J., and Gerber, L. (2010). Sociology, 7th edition