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Deviance Essay

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Deviance is the violation of social norms. Social norms and values determine what level of deviance is acceptable. My folkway violation was on the cultural norms in black churches about not wearing pants and not being late for services. I developed my foundation of religion in the A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) church. The majority of the congregation is black. This is because of social norms only. When I was younger, Sunday mornings was filled with dressing in your best attire. For women my grandmother’s age (she took me to church) the dress was in the price range of 1-2 hundred dollars. A huge hat in the same price range, topped off with matching shoes and handbag. Stockings or pantyhose were mandatory. Being tardy was also …show more content…

I was unable to make Sunday services. I went to Wednesday prayer meeting. Wednesdays, is not as full as Sunday but it carried enough people for my experiment to bring the results. The attire for the evening was a pair of shorts, (blue jeans) white tank top, and a pair of black Chuck Taylor tennis shoes, low top, and no socks. I also came fifteen minutes late for desired and expected affect. I put a piece of notebook paper and placed it inside my bible, popped a piece of chewing gum in my mouth and proceeded to the doors leading inside. As I expected the Usher Mrs. Garibay was posted in the back pew waiting on any late stragglers like myself. I was nervous. I can remember some of the sermons preached about, “presenting your best to the lord”. In addition, the treatment and talk that took place when someone dared to breach this with a dress that was maybe a little short. Never had anyone in my memory sat through any kind of service in my attire. I walked in very quickly, not really having eye contact with the Usher; I grabbed a study sheet from her and quickly took my seat, in the back. When I did look up it was to see about 45 members looking back at me. I recognized about fifteen people I knew well. There was an uncomfortable silence. My beat so loud I thought everyone would hear it. The pastor’s first reaction was mouth open shock, then recognition, then shock again. When the pastor’s wife recognized me, she rushed over to where I was sitting. I was

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