The Role Of Deviance In Sociology

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Sociology is everywhere and most of us do not even know it. It is important for us to be aware of this study and how it relates to our everyday lives. Sociology studies our social behaviors in society. Deviance is part of sociology. When one commits a deviant behavior they perform an act or behavior that is outside of the norm. Norms are an ever changing set of rules and guidelines for behavior in a specific culture. Norms are defined and dealt with differently depending on each culture, thus some behaviors are more acceptable in one culture and not acceptable in another. A deviant act can simply be bagging someone 's groceries, paying for the person 's coffee behind them, or saying good morning to someone you have not met. Our culture sometimes …show more content…
Many people kept a steady eye contact with me after I said something nice to them. I believe most of them wanted to see if I was being genuine or not. I found that the women were much more accepting of my compliments than the men and children. Like I said, it could be possible that the men thought I was coming off as flirtatious or creepy. I went up to a woman who was shuffling through a rack of clothes, and I complemented her outfit. I made sure I was loud enough and stood in front of her to let her know that I was talking to her. She did not even look but and said a simple, “Thanks.” It was probably the most monotone thank you I have ever heard. I noticed that people rarely complimented me back.
There are multiple theories of deviance in Sociology. Symbolic interactionism is a theory in which it emphasizes the meanings that people have on their own and other’s behaviors. As humans, we based on much more than the act itself. When I complimented random people, my actions meant more to me and the person. Labeling theory is a deviant theory that focuses on labeling an individual as deviant leading the person to engage in deviant acts. Labeling theory is associated with self-fulfilling prophecies and stereotyping. My family and I stereotyped me as someone who does not branch out and I accepted those
…show more content…
I understand that being deviant means to do something out of your norm causing a reaction from others. By complementing people, it brought me to terms that being deviant can be positive and negative. I thought that a deviant act was usually something negative that people do who are out of the ordinary. I understand, now, that you can be deviant in small ways in your everyday life. It was interesting to think that most people did not even realize I was being “deviant.” It one thing to know that sociology is everywhere, but another to see it first hand. Although I stated that my fear was suppressed after I did my deviant act, I still did not like that feeling. I do not like knowing that people might think I’m strange for doing something different.
I believe people and our society needs to implement deviant acts into our everyday lives. We need to look at the reactions from others, as well as our inward reactions of ourselves and the act. Being deviant can be a good thing as well. The concept of deviance is complex because our standards vary depending on the culture, and what we might consider

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