DV - What is Deviance According to Sociology? Lesson
What is Deviance According to Sociology? Lesson
Deviance refers to behavior that departs from societal or group norms. It can range from murder to having purple hair. This seems pretty straight forward, but deviance is not simple because deviance is set by societal standards - therefore they are different in every society. Not only are deviant behaviors seen differently in different societies, but they are also viewed differently by different academic fields. Historically speaking, the study of deviance was once solely viewed in the terms of biology. Scientists used to argue that human behavior was the result of biological instincts only. Those scientists, naturally, relied on biology to explain deviance. They claimed everything from the shape of a person's head to general body structure could predict deviance. However, with the scientific community expanding into the social sciences, explanations for deviance began to revolve around socialization. Indeed, many psychologists argued that deviance was the result of an "unsuccessful" socialization experience among individuals. Yet, neither of these views, whether biological or developmental, gives us a firm explanation of how sociology sees deviance.
Deviance
Watch the presentation below to learn how the field of sociology explains deviance.
Functions of Deviance
Watch the Video the Function of Deviance.
Deviance Key Terms Review Activity
Before we move on to the next lesson, where we explore in more detail the different approaches taken by the theoretical perspectives, complete the following activity to prepare for your key terms quiz. You might also want to read through the rest of the module to help you connect certain names with certain theories or experiments before taking the quiz. Keep in mind the activity below does not include all of the key terms that will appear on your quiz.
Turn each card to review key terms. Use the > to advance through cards.
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