Deviance

A norm is the prime example of how the majority of society or a group of people should act. Take elementary kids for example. At school, they are taught that it is a bad behavior to act out of the ordinary such as taking a classmates lunch or saying a bad word. James Henslin referred to the importance of norms as, “making social life possible by making behavior predictable” (Henslin 2012 p190). Listening to the teacher and following the rules is the normal way to act in a class room setting, but if one kid starts to break those rules, an act of deviance begin. Deviating is breaking rules of the norms or not having much thought to the expectations of others. It can lead to consequences, either good or bad, depending on what kind of deviant act was made. If a 7 year old were to push and shove his peer in front of the teacher, it is consider deviant and out of the norm, therefore, leading to bad consequences such as getting sent to the principal’s office. On the contrast, if his purpose for pushing and shoving was due to defending another classmate who’s getting bullied by a third classmate, it is viewed as an act of heroism. Although his deviant actions are viewed as heroism, it isn't the normal expectation for a 7 year to act in such a way within the classroom. The normal expectation would be to notify the teacher of the bullying and stay out of trouble. What caused him to be deviant? The strain theory, as Kai Erikson mentioned in his article Note on the Sociology of Deviance, "naive acts of deviance..are provoked by strains in the local situation." When put into an upsetting situation, this causes strain which leads to deviance.

Weighing norms and deviants, what are their roles in society? Can there be norms without deviants or vice versa? In my opinion, not having the other is like being in complete darkness without light. There has to be a balance between a deviant and a norm in order to cohabit and function the order of society. Such an example like the 7 year defending his peer, deviance can either be good or bad. At first, he is viewed negatively as a bad student who’s causing trouble. Later, as he is found out to be standing up for others, the views on him is changed positively. His act could have save or destroy a life and that’s the gamble of becoming deviant. In conclusion, being deviant is not a bad thing because society can’t function without it. 

http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/socprob9&div=41&id=&page=

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