Deviant roles

(noun)

Labeling theory concerns itself mostly not with the normal roles that define our lives, but with those very special roles that society provides for deviant behavior.

Related Terms

Examples of Deviant roles in the following topics:

  • Labeling Theory

    • Labeling theory holds that deviance is not inherent to an act, but instead the result of the externally-imposed label of "deviant".
    • Labeling theory concerns itself not with the normal roles that define our lives, but with those very special roles that society provides for deviant behavior, called deviant roles, stigmatic roles, or social stigma.
    • A social role is a set of expectations we have about a behavior.
    • The social construction of deviant behavior plays an important role in the labeling process that occurs in society.
    • A social role is a set of expectations we have about a behavior.

  • Theories of Deviance

    • The structural-functionalist approach to deviance argues that deviant behavior plays an important role in society for several reasons.
    • In addition to clarifying the moral boundaries of society, deviant behavior can also promote social unity, but it does so at the expense of the deviant individuals, who are obviously excluded from the sense of unity derived from differentiating the non-deviant from the deviants.
    • Deviant behavior can imbalance societal equilibrium.
    • Labeling theory argues that people become deviant as a result of people forcing that identity upon them and then adopting the identity.Labels are understood to be the names associated with identities or role-sets in society.
    • In sum, labeling theory argues that the application of labels (role-sets) to individuals is an important element leading to deviant behavior.

  • Sociological Theories of Deviance

    • Merton proposed a typology of deviant behavior, a classification scheme designed to facilitate understanding.
    • This approach argues that deviant behavior plays an active, constructive role in society by ultimately helping to cohere different populations within a particular society.
    • In addition to clarifying the moral boundaries of society, deviant behavior can also promote social unity by creating an "us-versus-them" mentality in relation to deviant individuals.
    • Labeling theory refers to the idea that individuals become deviant when a deviant label is applied to them; they adopt the label by exhibiting the behaviors, actions, and attitudes associated with the label.
    • Labeling theory argues that people become deviant as a result of others forcing that identity upon them.

  • The Labeling Approach

    • The theory focuses on the tendency of majorities to negatively label minorities or those seen as deviant from standard cultural norms.
    • The social construction of deviant behavior plays an important role in the labeling process that occurs in society.
    • He argued that society views certain actions as deviant.
    • HIV/AIDS was labeled a disease of the homosexual and further pushed people into believing homosexuality was deviant.
    • Even today, some people believe contracting HIV/AIDS is punishment for deviant and inappropriate sexual behaviors.

  • Psychological Theories of Deviance

    • Psychological theories of deviance use a deviant's psychology to explain his motivation or compulsion to violate social norms.
    • PTSD is also discussed in cases of deviant, violent behavior on the part of individuals who have experience trauma while in the military.
    • Psychological theories of deviance use a deviant's psychology to explain his motivation and compulsion to violate social norms.
    • Deviant behavior can also be explained by psychological trauma in one's past.
    • However, since being removed from the DSM, homosexuality is no longer recognized as a legitimate psychiatric condition and, therefore, the now debunked homosexuality-as-psychiatric-condition does not serve an explanatory role in regards to deviant sexuality.

  • Introduction to deviance

    • Deviance is often divided into two types of deviant activities.
    • The second type of deviant behavior refers to violations of informal social norms, norms that have not been codified into law, and is referred to as informal deviance.
    • Cultural norms are relative; this makes deviant behavior relative as well.
    • Sociological interest in deviance includes both interests in measuring formal deviance (statistics of criminal behavior; see below), examining how people (individually and collectively) define some things deviant and others normative, and a number of theories that try to explain both the role of deviance in society and its origins.

  • The Functionalist Perspective on Deviance

    • In urban America 50 years ago, homosexual behavior was considered deviant.
    • For the structural functionalist, deviance serves two primary roles in creating social stability.
    • In order to avoid unsettling society, one must be aware of what behaviors are marked as deviant.
    • Deviance allows for the majorities to unite around their normativity, at the expense of those marked as deviant.
    • In urban America 50 years ago, homosexual behavior was considered deviant.

  • The Functions of Deviance

    • In urban America 50 years ago, homosexual behavior was considered deviant.
    • For the structural functionalist, deviance serves two primary roles in creating social stability.
    • In order to know how not to unsettle society, one must be aware of what behaviors are marked as deviant.
    • Deviance allows for group majorities to unite around their worldview, at the expense of those marked as deviant.
    • In urban America 50 years ago, homosexual behavior was considered deviant.

  • Deviance and Social Stigma

    • Given that stigma is a social relationship, the phenomenon places emphasis not on the existence of deviant traits, but the perception and marking of certain traits as deviant by a second party.
    • 2) Given that stigma is a social relationship, the phenomenon places emphasis not on the existence of deviant traits, but the perception and marking of certain traits as deviant by a second party.
    • Stigma plays a primary role in sociological theory.
    • Given that stigmas arise from social relationships, the theory places emphasis, not on the existence of deviant traits, but on the perception and marking of certain traits as deviant by a second party.
    • Stigma works to control deviant members of the population and encourage conformity.

  • Childhood Socialization

    • Gender roles are taught from infancy through primary socialization, or the type of socialization that occurs in childhood and adolescence.
    • This is the standard model of studying deviance in order to understand the norm that undergirds the deviant activity.