Sociology 1027A/B Study Guide - Final Guide: Jaywalking, Structural Functionalism, Social Forces

• School: Western University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: Sociology 1027A/B
• Professor: Reynolds

Document Summary

Any act that violates social norms ( abnormal, wrong, offensive ) Usually comes with a negative reaction (from parents not friends) Many acts break norms but are not punishable by state (e. g. don"t go to jail for cheating on your spouse but most people consider adultery to be contrary to an important norm of behaviour) Jaywalking breaks both a norm and a law > can. be fined however engaging in this behaviour is normal . Sociological perspective > everyone is deviant in one social context or another (e. g. homosexuality was unheard of. Different levels of deviance: minor deviances (not criminal) lesser crimes (jaywalking, speeding, smoking weed) consensus crimes (murder) Deviance varies in: severity of public response (minor disapproval [tattoos] to severe punishment [murder]) perceived harmfulness (a bit offensive to severely harmful) degree public agreement (minor deviance [smoking weed] to extremely deviant [murder])