Sociology: Deviant Behavior \'Instead of Fighting Deviance,

Sociology: Deviant Behavior

'Instead of Fighting Deviance, Americans Just Get Used to It" an Analysis

According to the article "Instead of Fighting Deviance, Americans Just Get Used to It" Richard Starr suggests that deviance has become so much the norm that people in America are becoming desensitized to it. Starr begins with a re-cap of two news stories which tell of injuries to children wounded by gunfire and another of police breaking up a homeless illegal settlement. His focus is on deviant behavior and patterns of deviance in the United States in recent years.

Starr suggests that ordinary people are becoming more and more accustomed to violent crime just happening. Further he argues that it is a fact in the United States that there are circumstances, violent ones that exist that people choose to not notice. More and more behavior that in times of old would have been considered deviant is now becoming the norm. Specifically the population that Starr focuses on is citizens living in and around the Washington area, where eight homicides occurred at the time of his study.

According to Starr some of the reasons that deviant behavior is becoming the norm are because authorities, rules and laws are not focusing enough on behaviors that have been traditionally defined as deviant.

Starr supports the notion that people should be focusing on trying to make it socially and intellectually acceptable to again raise the bar and fight back against deviant behavior in order to deter it. Further he supports the idea that rules and laws have to be structured in such a way that deter deviant behavior and consistently work toward sensitizing rather than de-sensitizing people to behavior to assure the best possible outcome.

There are many different theories which attempt to define deviance. Conflict theorists would suggest that deviance is a function of the objective reality, where the norms and values of society determine what deviance is but also deals with making the rules; conflict theory in essence suggests that the focus should be on the process, rules and laws that determine who is deviant and what actions are deviant as well as what groups will be impacted by these decisions (Rubington & Weignberg, 1987)

Further conflict theory suggests that the dominant majority in society has the power to influence attitudes regarding deviance, just as Starr suggests that the majority must work together to define and conquer deviance so that it doesn't become the norm and acceptable to society as a whole. Starr also seems to be suggesting however that the norms in society are shifting based on increasing exposure to violent activity. Conflict theorists generally support the notion that with a shift in norms come a shift in rules and decisions.

Laws and rules are generally passed because they support the desires of the people, at least according to conflict theory. If people become de-sensitized, it is feasible to conclude that the laws and regulations may change at some point in time.

Generally within society the notion that gunfire and homicides are deviant behavior is widely accepted, and this fact is supported by laws and regulations. It is possible however that a shift is occurring in what is considered normal based on Starr's analysis of people's reactions to activity.