Social Deviance — Flashcards

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Social deviance refers to any behaviour that violates the established norms, rules, or values of a society. It can be formal (like breaking laws) or informal (like violating social etiquette). For exa…

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No, not all deviance is a crime. Crime is a formal type of deviance that breaks laws, but informal deviance breaks social norms without being illegal. For example, wearing pajamas to a formal wedding …

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Society defines deviance based on its norms, values, and power structures. What is considered deviant depends on time, place, and culture. Often, powerful groups in society decide what is acceptable.

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Formal deviance refers to actions that break official laws or regulations. These acts are punishable by law. Examples include murder, theft, drug trafficking, and fraud. Such behaviours are formally r…

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Informal deviance involves breaking unwritten social norms that are not codified into law. These actions may lead to social disapproval but not legal punishment. Examples include lying to friends, gos…

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The main characteristics of deviance are: (1) It is not always a crime; (2) It varies across societies and cultures; (3) It changes over time; (4) It can be formal or informal; (5) It depends on the r…

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Deviance changes over time as societal values evolve. For example, surrogacy and adoption were once seen as deviant or unnatural, but today they are increasingly accepted. Similarly, women working out…

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The continuum of social acceptability shows how behaviours range from socially acceptable to problematic to deviant. For example, occasional drinking is acceptable, binge drinking is problematic, and …