SOC 1113 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Social Forces, Larceny, Michel Foucault
Document Summary
Nonconformity helps us to decide what is normal and what is not. Deviance: behavior that does not conform to basic cultural norms or expectation. What we define as deviant and what we define as normal is usually a flexible boundary. Emile durkheim said that deviant behavior can be defined only in relation to the social norms a criminal act violates. We tend to define an act as being a crime because it violates some sort of social norm. Collective conscience: the shared norms, beliefs and values shared in a community. Some acts are considered deviant worldwide (raping a child) while some acts have to be looked at with the specific culture in mind to determine deviance. Something is labeled deviant only if there is enough power to say so. Labeling theory: deviance is the result of how others interpret a behavior and that individuals who are labeled deviant often internalize this judgment as part of their self-identity.
