Deviance

             Based on the world as we see it today through our own eyes, we can tell that society is undergoing a constant change. You only need to pick up a newspaper or read a magazine to realize that society is different from from past decades. Children today are born into a technological marvel of computers and electronic gadgets geared towards making our lives easier. However, fifty to sixty years ago nobody ever dreamed of the concept of a "wired world." So why in today's society, that offers vast amount of information, much more than our descendants could ever dream, are children more deviant than ever?
             The purpose of this paper is to understand the difference between deviant and normal behaviors in early to late adolescent and their effects on society. We will also explore some of the factors such as the Hirschi's Control Theory that place children/adult at a higher risk level for deviant behavior. To understand this process, we must first look at the relativity of these behaviors and how they are relate to normal or deviant.
             Deviancy, under the labeling theory (Macionis 139) states that, the assertion that deviance and conformity result not so much from what people do as from how others respond to those actions. Most people look at the same behaviors different ways. This view also suggests that labels of deviance can change within different societies and times. One might ask why there are so many interpretations of deviance. The answer is rather simple; people will interpret activities quite differently.
             The structural-functional paradigm examines how deviance makes important contributions to a social system. Durkheim (1964, orig. 1895 and 1893) said that there is nothing abnormal about deviance and is indeed functional for society (Macionis 136). Durkheim cited four major functions of deviance:
             1. "Deviance affirms cultural values and norms." As moral creatures, peop...

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Deviance. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 14:00, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/21130.html