Deviant Behavior
1. In establishing what is social deviance, one must look at the different explanations and definitions to find what best fits your view. The root of deviance in its simplest form is to differ from the norm or differ from what is accepted. The problem with this is that you will always find some exception or norm in a collective group that can be accepted despite being different. An example is that the norm is all children go to school, however it is accepted that a child may be home schooled rather than attend an educating institution. So in forming a definition of social deviance, one must look further and attach clarifiers. In the statistical definition, that clarifier is that the deviance is defined by that which is rare, unusual, or departs from the statistical norm. The problem with this definition is that what is rare is not always deviant and is often acceptable. In the absolutist definition, you are looking at what is universally right and wrong. The problem with this that there are no absolutes and it ignores different cultural views and extenuating circumstances. Example, murder is universally wrong but what if the murder took place while in the act of defending yourself from being murdered. The social harm definition pl
This is a more complete view and does have strong studies to back it up. However, not every mentally ill individual acts in a deviant manner and not every criminal is mentally ill or has a head injury. As society and roles evolve, so will those that provide the formal and informal controls and this in turn will change how we use our external and internal controls to make choices. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Freud believed that we are ruled by these three division of the human psyche and if they did not function correctly in regulating one another, then you ended up with deviant behavior. Formal controls are imposed on you by representatives of a particular status. There are several theories regarding the cause of social deviance and these theories have several sub-theories in them. The best and most complete definition of social deviance is provided by Erich Goode in the moderate reactivist position. This opens the door to the behavioral approaches. If it is unlawful, then it is deviant. This is the theory that I most agree with. The dominant groups and institutions have changed as well. Karl Marx and Willem Bonger attribute deviant behavior to living in a capitalistic society. This is also a flawed individual view that doesn't take free will into account but does look at the biological tendencies that are brought about by environmental influences.
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