Deviance

What is a deviant? A deviant is someone who does not follow the norms of society. Now, as we discussed in class, what is considered deviation and who decides what is considered normal? Behavior that makes sense to the majority is usually considered the norm (not necessarily does one have to do with the other). My blog today is to discuss what is possible reasons behind deviance. People want to fit in and have friends. So, what causes someone to act out of the norm and draw (negative) attention to themselves? There are several possibilities. The first one is that they know what the norm is and for whatever reason they feel that it does not apply to them, such as people who park in no parking zones with phony plaques (like the incident in the Post today alleges) or that it does not conform with them when really it should be the other way around. Another possibility is that it can go against the persons values and ethics; just because you see a bunch of people doing things does not necessarily make it right, and in this persons eyes this is not what they view as the correct way (such as an orthodox Jewish man not being able to shake a woman's hand even though he has nothing against her, but this is against the norm since most people would give the handshake without even batting a eyelash). The third way is that the person has something wrong with them and does not want to or is unable to adapt to society's norms. (Possible reasons behind this are to seek attention whether its positive or negative).