Symbolic Interactionism: The Role Of Deviance In Our Society

Deviance is anything different from the common social rules or something that goes against the rules. This could be serious situations such as crime, but is generally associated with named social rules deemed as common sense. Normally, deviance is just the general things people see as wrong or disturbing. Deviance is explained several different ways in sociology. Symbolic interactionism is the theory that as humans, we take action according to how we analyze a situation and that is why there is deviance. One example of this approach is that we learn to go against or accept social norms depending on what type of group we associate with. This is like if your raised with friends who were provocative then you wouldn’t see it as wrong as others might or if you were raised around people with strong views and over time you begin to take those views in as your own. Another example of this theory is that subculture has so much violence associated with it that small things can cause deviance from someone else. For example is someone sees something as honorable or is told it is, they might do it even if it’s seen as wrong by others. Lastly, symbolic interactionism embraces the opinion …show more content…
One of the beliefs is that deviance is functional for society. An example of this is that deviance points out what the moral boundaries should be because it can come with punishment like jail time. Something that is also stated in this perspective is that deviance brings people together because they come to have the same sense of wrong and right. An example of this is how the nation comes together to grief after a mass trauma. Another firm belief associated with functionalism is that deviance can and does promote social change. An example of this would be hunger strikes or protests because a group comes together seeking change and goes against the normal beliefs on that