SOCI 325 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Jaywalking, Substance Abuse

• School: University of Calgary
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCI 325
• Professor: John Manzo

Document Summary

Cannot have a list of deviant behaviors or identities because it"s way too long and the clarity of why something is or isn"t on it. Classification of deviance comes up with a virtually endless list, so we define it. Some definitions are: statistical definition: any behavior or condition that represents a departure from majority and/or average experience. This is a very concrete and clear definition. Problematic because there is almost always disagreement over absolute" standards. Problematic because even if one standard is absolutely" true, it tells us nothing about sociologically-relevant topics such as the social organization of deviants. Problematic because that absolute truth" may in fact be in the hands of a tiny minority and it would be odd to charge that all non-followers are. Deviant": reactivist definition: (from howard becker) the deviant is one to whom the label has successfully been applied; deviant behavior is behavior that people so label.