SOCI 1000U Lecture 5: Deviance
Document Summary
Vary from one social context to another. People commit deviant acts only when they break a norm and cause others to react negatively. Everyone is deviant - in one social context or another. Norms vary widely and deviance is relative. What some people consider normal, others consider deviant, and vice versa. No act is deviant in and of itself. From a sociological point of view, everyone is a deviant in one social context or another. Deviance occurs when someone departs from a norm and evokes a negative reaction from others. Crime is deviance that is against the law. A law is a norm stipulated and enforced by government bodies. Involves breaking a norm and evoking a negative reaction from others. Law: a governmentally stipulated - enforced norm. Sanctions (an act purposed to bring conformity [obedience]): People who are observed committing more serious acts of deviance are typically punished, either informally or formally.
