Deviant behavior: definitions, causes, and social implications
, deviance refers to behaviors that are considered wrong or undesirable within a particular cultural context. Deviance is all over society – from the minor etiquette breaches that engender frowns or gossip to behaviors that require legal or psychological interference. However, what seems to be the real essence of deviance is that it elicits somewhat of a varying degree of negative response from a part of the dominant cultural group (audience), which then, in turn, elicits social control from that group to the individual. What is interesting is how much culture causes variation in deviance. Some people regularly deviate and are never punished, other mildly chastised, some given therapy, others are incarcerated. In the examples we review below, we will see that clearly a form of deviance exists – but to what degree, and to what circumstance society has chosen to punish and control are quite difference.