Post 6

This unit, we have examined the concept of deviance. Deviance is defined as repeatedly or seriously violating society's norms, and is relative to time and place. In our society today, people are so quick to judge when someone does something the slightest bit different from what is considered "normal." Deviance labels people by making society believe they are different or weird. In the worksheet we filled out on the first day of this unit, some behaviors that were commonly labeled deviant within the class were a man wearing a dress, continuously talking to oneself in public, and balancing groceries on your head in public. Though, since deviance is relative to place, balancing groceries on your head in a different country may be considered normal. In Saints and Roughnecks, the saints thought the roughnecks were deviant, and the roughnecks thought the saints were deviant. The actions that were considered deviant by the saints weren't the actions considered deviant by the roughnecks, because these two groups had a different perception of what is acceptable and normal. Delinquency by the roughnecks was normal, but delinquency by the saints was deviant. Going to college for the saints was normal, but deviant to the roughnecks. A few years ago, if I was in public and I saw two men kissing, I would believe they were deviant or different. Though, if I saw two men kissing today, I would think it's completely normal. This proves that deviant is relevant to time. Personally, I like to go to bed around 9 pm. My friends who like to go to bed around 1, 2 am think I'm deviant, because I'm different than them and I probably violate the norm of a high school student going to bed really late. Deviance is repeatedly present in our society, but we shouldn't always be so quick to judge.