Functionalist Perspective Of Social Norms And Deviance

Social Norms is a part of everyday life that is used by everyone. Norms means many different kinds of behaviors. They are usually known as the most common fad that people are doing however, if someone does not do it they do not fit in. Social norms set up the way people think of others and why others judge. They usually work by saying if one is normal or abnormal.

All societies have rules and regulations as well as penalties for those who violate them. There are numerous theories about the philosophy behind these laws and punishments, and the reasons we implement them. A short analysis of two of these perspectives can shed light on the differences between the various ideas while illustrating that, in reality, each theory carries some validity.

In our society we have a number of society norms that we abide by. For example, there is an unwritten rule of how one should behave in an elevator. For example, it is proper to face front, stand away from strangers, and not to look at others. When a social norm is broken people may respond with alarm, humor, fear, irritation, or an array of other emotions. When you think of a norm, you are probably thinking about being normal. But in psychology terms, norm means, a standard or representative value for a group. The norm that is more common to people is a social norm. Meaning expectations about what behavior, thoughts, or feelings are appropriate within a given group within a given context.

My mother has always told me that certain things should not be done in public. Social norms are opinions and beliefs that are shared amongst a group. Throughout our lives our parents tell us things that aren’t socially acceptable, and that there are consequences for those actions. Those that don’t act in ways that are socially acceptable are isolated from society. Norms help to guide the general public by reinforcing it with a punishment in waiting.

Deviance is “any behavior that does not conform to social expectations.” The statement, “Deviance is socially constructed” means that because individuals that rebel against the norms of social group, and use deviant behavior, others will join in and this creates a whole new social group. For instance, gay marriage. This has always been considered something wrong and people shouldn’t do it. Although, people started to become deviant and say that it isn’t wrong and that people should be able to love who they so please. Now, since the summer of 2015, gay marriage has been legalized all across the nation and all of these people fit under one social group. Deviance is relative because the rules for each group vary, so in that case it is relative

In the United States of America, there is a system referred to as the criminal justice system. This system assists in managing crime and helps to control society through rules and regulations. If these guidelines are disobeyed, there are consequences that follow. These consequences consist of being arrested by law enforcement, going to court to pay a fine or to be sentenced, and even going to jail or prison (Bohm & Haley, 2014).

Punishments authorized by U.S. law may include community service, monetary fines, Forfeiture of property, restitution to victims, confinement in jail or prison, and death. Governments have several theories to support the use of punishment to maintain order in society. Both legislators and judges determine punishment. Legislators identify the range of punishments that a court may impose for a certain crime on the victim that committed the crime. Punishment for crimes is listed in federal, state, and local laws. In most cases statutes name a variety of punishments appropriate for the crime, and courts have to make a decision in determining the precise punishment for the committed crime. Some acts have always been illegal, but the level of punishment inflicted for the crime has fluctuated depending on the social class of the

When researching the topic of social norms and norm violations, there is an ongoing list. This is because almost everything we do in society is based on these social norms. If/when these are broken it can be punished as little as someone giving a dirty look, or as large as severe jail time. Social norms come into existence when a society does a specific task over and over until it becomes a normal occurrence. One of the biggest concerns is the war on drugs. Marijuana use is harshly punishments yet causes little to none negative effects. On the other hand, we have tobacco which there are barely any laws on yet it is killing thousands of Americans.

Positive sanctions come when one conforms and abides to a norm and a negative sanction come when

Norm violations are a form of actions that do not seem right to some people. Let’s say that you are in a public place, you are expected to act respectful and normal. Norms describes the expectation of a behavior. (James M. Henslin) One can perform a norm violation by doing the opposite of that, like invading personal space. There can be different reactions to violated norms which sociologists call sanctions. (Henslin) Mores, folkways, and values revolve around norms as well.

Deviance is defined as the behaviors, beliefs, and attributes that violate social norms and elicit a reaction. For my deviant act, I wore two different shoes to my four year old cousin's birthday party. This would be considered deviant because I broke the social norm of wearing a matching set of shoes. I could also be breaking another social norm because I wore a sandal when it was rainy and cold. Typically, sandals are not worn when it becomes cooler outside.

The act of deviance tends to break out from the social norm and most people frown upon the act. Deviance behavior is described as different or unexpected. One of the maine behaviors defined as deviance tends to be crime. Some people view deviant behavior as being different than what they are use to and that can be through a different culture and not seeing eye to eye. Everything has to do with the social norm of the community and is relatively different in every location.

The following article opened up by firstly stating that as social units becomes larger with differentiations, people are going to become accustomed to social control which is currently foreign to modern day living. Gibbs, the writer of the article, challenges sociologists to question norms, deviance and social control so that they will be able to formulate a different concept of what social control is. The writer points out that current theory of social control only associate it with organizations and institutions. This means that the theories nowadays think that social control naturally flows from organizations and institutions.

The reproductions of babies are fundamental to life and the ongoing creation of human kind. Our whole world must face all the great and the not so great that come with the bearing of a child. This involves mothers having the option to care and nurture their child where ever and whenever they please, such as breast-feeding in public if it were to be an option. However, overtime societies view and perspective on breast-feeding has become more of a deviant act then it was many years ago. While looking at the deviance of breast-feeding in public overtime, it can be viewed in the lenses of social norms that are divided into 2 groups: folkways and mores. Breast-feeding can also fall under the category of labeling theory and conflict perspective can also play a role in the deviance of social construct.

All social norms are accompanied by sanctions that promote conformity and protect against non-conformity. A sanction is any reaction from others to the behaviour of an individual or group that is meant to ensure compliance to a