Deviance: Always Negative?

Description:
Four high school students socializing in the lobby of their high school. These students may be seen as “socially deviant” due to the way they dress.

Sociological Interpretation:

The picture shown is displaying four individuals socializing in a high school setting. The individuals seen here are individuals who do not follow the standard “norm”. A norm is defined as “a specific expression of value.” Meaning, “Norms are behavioral prescriptions or instructions that apply to behavior in various roles and statuses.” (Knuttila, pg. 65)

Many young adults do not feel as if they fit into any one ‘certain group’. Instead of trying to establish themselves in a socially accepted group, they choose to stray away from the norm and dress or behave in a way that to some, may seem deviant. Deviance is often seen in a negative persona. In actuality, the term deviance means “Social actions and behaviors that violate commonly acceptable, dominant, or mainstream values, norms, folkways, and mores.” (Knuttila, pg.369). For example, a scientist may break the rules of his or her discipline, in order to create a new theory, cure, or explanation. The scientist may be sanctioned, and awarded a Noble Prize for his or her accomplishments. But were his or her original actions not deviant? He or she broke away from the norm, meaning he or she had committed an act of deviance.

Young adults who have a tendency to stray from the norm are viewed as deviants, but instead of viewing this deviance in a negative light, we as a society should view it in a positive way. Dressing differently should no longer be seen as a negative behavior, but as a positive expression of one’s inner being, and one’s want or need to be socially accepted by a group of his or her peers. Deviance that violates folkways (which are norms that are based upon customs, traditions, or etiquette) should not always be seen as a negative. We as a society need to realize that humans all have different traits and qualities that make them unique. Just because we may view something as socially deviant, we should not assume that it is wrong. We need to accept these differences, and allow them to flourish and intertwine within our culture.

Social Deviance and the Society

Description

Gas flaring, marginalization and its offshoots in the social structure of the people of Niger Delta in Nigeria.

Sociological Interpretation

The term deviance as "socially defined and constructed is any social behaviour which violates institutionalized expectations, that is, expectations which are shared and recognised as legitimate within a social system" (Knuttila, 351).

In this picture we see a society whose people have continually been marginalized by their political leaders and foreign operators of their natural resources. They control most especially the trade of their natural resource, crude oil and with the help of the oil companies owned by the so called "developed" societies pollute their land; and amass wealth at the expense of the people's poverty. In most part of the "developed" nations of the world, gas flaring has been discontinued owing to its hazardous effects to the environment particularly the ozone layer; it accounts tremendously for the depletion of the ozone layer and incessant increase of global warming which is responsible in part for skin cancer and other dreaded diseases. But in the so called "underdeveloped" and "developing" regions of the world these inhumane acts are still practiced without a prick of conscience.

The oppressed social actors of this society have in time past demonstrated non-violently for their emancipation and stop to the degradation of their environment. But for greed and taste of power amongst the ruling class their voices have always been daunted. The social structure of a people is the creator of their characteristics. From the sociological works of Robert K. Merton and others we understand that deviant behaviours are the offshoots of some social structural norms and values, (Knuttila, 359,360) unlike the claims of Cessare Lombroso and others that criminality and deviant behaviours are innate and as such biologically determined (Knuttila, 351,352).

Marginalization, the social process of relegating or confining an individual or a group of people to the edge in a social structure has thereby caused the oppressed social actors of this society to develop deviant behaviours in other to revolt against the continued oppression, subjugation and cruelty of their leaders towards them. Today the social structure have experienced a paradigm shift wherein the people have drifted from the usual peaceful dialogue to the use of arms and other forms of violence to speak incessantly for their right.

This insurgency has therefore become inherent in the social structure and as such the social structure is in a state of anomie as described by Emile Durkheim in The Rules of Sociological Method.

Description
This is a photo of laundry hanging to dry in France.

Sociological Imagination
In many cultures throughout the world hanging laundry out to dry is socially unacceptable. The main reason for this is the fact that it makes the living environment seem untidy. This open display of clothes hanging to dry can sometimes give the idea of less social privacy. Humans use clothes for their personal privacy, to cover what is suppose to be private on their bodies. This flaunting of clothes on clotheslines can occasionally be seen as promoting less social privacy.
In the world today the human population is exceeding our resources and using more energy than the planet can keep up to. Hanging clothes instead of drying them is a environmentally friendly way of conserving energy. ‘Green’ people are more likely to fight for a neighborhood where hanging clothes outside is accepted. This green trend will catch on and many others will start to imitate this healthy new development. People will not feel as if their privacy is being corrupted if all the rest of the houses around them follow suit because then everyone can clearly observe the rest of the clothes.

Pedestrian Trend

Description

This picture is on a street in France with pedestrians moving out of the way for a vehicle

Sociological Imagination

This picture distinctly shows how aware people are of their surroundings. People naturally learn from other in social situations and tend to follow social norms. Many of these pedestrians were probably unaware of the oncoming vehicle but quickly imitated the people around them to not get hit. We can also observe that although people see different types of vehicles everyday these people all stand and examine the vehicle as it passes, possibly because one person initiated the gaze.

The people stand aside not only because it prevents an accident but also because that is what is socially accepted in this type of situation. Moving out of the way for vehicles is within the social norm of most areas throughout the world. This not only prevents catastrophes but will also avoid conflict. If one individual were to refuse to move out of the way, many in the group would scrutinize them and possibly get angry. This rebellious act could also inspire the rest of the group to follow therefore not allowing the vehicle to pass. The driver of the vehicle also depends on predictable trends of people moving out of the way so they can safely get through to their destination.

Gas Prices

Description

One of the many gas pumps around Regina.

Sociological Interpretation

Gas prices are almost unanimously agreed to be too high, leading to much anxiety at the pumps. However, the reason for these unusually high prices is never really addressed. Through the sociological imagination, it can be established that these high prices may not be solely caused by the greed of oil companies (although this may be a factor as well), but by many complex social issues.

The first of these social issues is the increasing use of automobiles in our society. This is not just because many people are lazy, but is a direct result of the environment. For example, in Regina, the public transportation system is somewhat lacking, given the fact that Regina is hit by extremely cold winters every year. Expecting people to wait for the bus when it is -50 degrees Celsius outside is unimaginable, as there are no indoor bus shelters in Regina. Because of this, it may be more effective to buy a car instead. Also, in the considerably long winters, many people choose to let their car idle before they drive it, leading to, as a society, a larger consumption of gas which in turn leads to gas prices increasing due to increasing demand.

A second social property that may influence gas prices is the population density in both Saskatchewan, and Canada as a whole. As a society, the population density is one of the lowest in the world, meaning the population is very widely spread out, even in urban areas. Due to this wide distribution of the population, walking to one’s destinations may be impractical, as the destinations are too far away from each other. This too could lead to an increase in the number of cars being sold, and in turn lead to a hike in gas prices.

Higher gas prices are not only a result of ‘greedy oil companies’, but are also driven by the multifaceted social issues of the consumers themselves. In finding a balance between practicality and convenience, the North American consumer plays a large part in driving gas prices ever higher, due to the high value North Americans place on comfort.

Sociological Imagination #1- Studying: The Silent Killer

Description

University of Regina student attempting to multitask with homework, eating, and social engagement.

Sociological Interpretation

This photograph presents an average university student’s lifestyle. Typically, the life of a student is described as the ‘best days of our lives’ and a time to party, hang out with friends, and experience new things. The hidden reality, as this picture shows, is that university life is much more stressful and demanding than some may think. Between attending classes, attempting homework, eating healthy, and keeping a relatively clean environment, students do not have as much time for fun as some may assume.

One thing that many students may struggle with is their role as a student, friend, and family member and how these roles conflict each other. As a friend, a student may feel that they are expected to spend time with their friends outside of classes. Going to the bar or out for supper not only take away from precious study time, but also take away from time that students feel obligated to spend with their family that has supported them for their entire lives. It is very difficult to meet the expectations of everyone and to do so in a functional way for yourself. Role conflict refers to “instances of conflict between two or more of the roles” an individual may have. The roles a student has are very different and often clash with each other causing role strain, which is “a situation in which a particular role may involve a set of expectations... and accomplishment...stains the energy and resources” of the person dealing with them. This can lead to the inability to meet expectations, depression, and ultimately, complete burn out.

Historically, education and the roles a student holds have not been this stressful. In the past education was not mandatory to make a decent living and therefore the stress of passing classes was not very heavy. Failure in school simply meant that an individual would have to find a different path and take on different roles in their society. Hard work and an able body was all one had to have to succeed in the past. Nowadays, an individual must prove themselves not only to be intelligent and hard working, but to be ‘more’ intelligent and hard working than the millions of other people in the world.

Education in Socialization

Description:

University of Regina: Administration of Humanities Building

Sociological Interpretation:

I am sorry that I have not yet uploaded the picture; there were some difficulties. It is a picture of the Administration of Humanities Building.

"The concept of socialization is the essential link between and individual and the social structure. It is one of the most important concepts in the discipline of sociolohy" (Introduction to Sociology, Knuttila, 68). Socialization is a learning process that is important for human existence and development. The picture is of the university because educatio is an important institute in socialization. There are many people that move to different cities or countries because they want to receive a better education; whether it be for high school or university. Education is an important aspect of socialization because it is where one begins to learn respect for their classmates as well as for their teachers, they are taught manners, neatness, and also, it is where a child begins to learn to be competitive. Education is defined as "a systematic instruction, schooling, or training in preparation for life or some particular task" (68). On page 69, Knuttila explains that the competitiveness of a child would most likely start in kindergarten. "They compete for the attention of a teacher by demonstrating their skills in painting and printing..." (69). It is where a child learns what behavior is appropriate and what is not and learn how to interact with other child. These lessons that we learn in kindergarten are carried throughout out the rest of our lives because they are some of the most important lessons that we learn and we use them every single day. At the beginning, education teached us how to read and write. Now, education expands your learning horizon by working towards a particular degree. Socialization is an important part of human lives; education is an important part of socialization.