Understand The Role Of Deviance In Society

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Society whether it’s held by a institution or a shoe lace it’s imperative to understand how these societies are formed into what we know today. French sociologist Emile Durkheim believed that people in society had a collective consciousness. Which is the body of beliefs that are common to a community or society that gives people a sense of belonging, and a feeling of moral obligation to its demands and values (Andersen, Taylor, & Logio, 2015, p. 149). According to Durkheim, it is collective consciousness that gives groups social solidarity because it gives members of a group the feeling that they are part of one society (Andersen, Taylor, & Logio, 2015, p. 147). Meaning, society is held by the people who conform to the common sets by social …show more content…
Deviance is behavior that is recognized as violating expected rules and norms.(Andersen, Taylor, & Logio, 2015, p. 146). Main identifying characteristics for deviance are deviance emerges in social context not just behavior of individuals, not all behaviors are judged similarly by all groups, established rules and norms are socially created not just morally decided, and deviance lies not just in behavior itself but also in the social responses of groups (Andersen, Taylor, & Logio, 2015, p. 146). On the micro level, deviance is recognized by these theories social control, rational choice, differential association, and labeling. Deviance is constituted by those in power, and those of social institutions. People in power have created these norms and rules on how one should act in society. Meaning, deviance becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and alienation of those with less power are seen as deviant. We know what is right and what is wrong through the interactions of our peers. Now who considers it to right and wrong is created by high power individuals and social …show more content…
An example of deviance at the institutional level, would the historic persecution of witches during the Middle Ages in Europe (Andersen, Taylor, & Logio, 2015, p. 155). Reason being, it links directly to the conflict theory which is deviance as result of social inequality on the macro level. Not only that elites try to maintain social control in order to save themselves, and the institution they represent. These witches portrayed in the example were women who were healers and midwives. It’s due to those views of authority of the patriarchal hierarchy church institution that created the killings of these women. Another example, would be the corporation and government institutions engaging in deviance of corporate crime costing the public about two hundred billion dollars each year (Andersen, Taylor, & Logio, 2015, p. 163). Enron corporation knew its stock values were declining so its member secretly sold their shares, and then left the company creating economic turmoil. Johnson and Johnson corporation sold a artificial hip joint to consumer knowing it needed to be recalled, but due to greed it caused patients to have metal fragments go into their blood stream creating over ten thousand lawsuits as a result. Social inequalities are when resources in a given society are distributed unevenly (Andersen, Taylor, & Logio, 2015, p. 423). These examples prove
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