Introduction to SociologySOCI201Module 3- Exploring Arenas of Sociological Study-Chapters 7, 13, 14, 15, and 17-Deviance-Straying away from the norm, normativeStatistics: standard deviation-distance certain values are from the averageThere is positive and negative devianceDeviance + Norms-Driven over the speed limit?Skipped a class?Drank alcohol while under the legal age?Have a tattoo?Taken illegal drugs?Told a lie?Been involved in a fight?Stolen anything?“Cheated” on a significant other?Cheated on an exam?Been a prick just to be a prick?Norms--Guidelines that govern our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviorsPrescriptive: tell us what we should doInformal (no written rules): “excuse me” after bumping into someoneFormals: laws that require us to pay part of our income each year in taxesProscriptive: tell us what we should NOT doInformal: don’t put your feet on the dinner tableFormal: don’t cheat on partner, don’t murderTypes of NormsFolkways: informal norms that reflect cultural traditions and guide our everyday interactions-different by culture, nation, etc.Mores (Morays): informal but salient norms that are linked to value judgments about the rightness and wrongness of particular actsAlmost always have moral connotations and include norms prohibiting acts such as incest, adultery, murder, and stealingLaws: Mores often codified into laws formal rules enacted and enforced by the stateDeviance and Norms-Deviance: violation of a social normConformity: adherence to social norms- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltaUpq_26Us -how we conform to act in elevatorsPeople stand backwards so the man being watched turns around backwards slowly alsoThey follow along in peer pressure to fit in with what the other people are doing- face the same way, take off the hats- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwxwwoJaYuo -borat dating service skin- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTxHmulfHOQ -jackass- always violating social norms- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9sMr-Ivcfs -science of gossip and rumors- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFDWOXV6iEMFunction of gossip: understand social culture/behavior, humanity, ourselvesCelebrity gossip- reflection of popular ethics – information exchangeGossip- cannot consume it without bias and your own experience what we believe and expect and reject and how we processGossip allows us to set a standard of conductDouble standard—Kristen Stewart example- she lost roles and director got more roles and kept jobGossip told us about our social expectations about relationships^Gossip or reflection of social trend? –About celebrities becoming momsMost comfortable seeing moms as “moms”Rihanna and Chris brown- flection of societies attitudes about violence towards women and going back to men who abuse them?Range of Tolerance-Most human behavior falls around the norm-Society members create a range of tolerance around the norm when it falls outside the range it is considered deviant-Under-conformity-->(considered deviant)normover-conformity (considered deviant)-How do age, race, and gender play a part of this?“She does this, women shouldn’t do this”-We’ve changed the range of tolerance for the speed limit- not normal to drive the speed limit-College: working too hard=over conforming and not working enough and going out too much= under conformingDeviance and Norms:Time: norms change over time example?Place: place where behavior occurs= important example?Situation: think time/placeCulture: different cultures=different normsParsons- Sick Role-Illness=deviant-Sick role= socially acceptable for us and certain rules for us being sick- don’t have to go to school/work, can eat what we want, can watch movies—we can be “lazy” because we have to get better -------- don’t follow social normsHave to earn this role though-want to get better, seek professional help and see a doctor-Can deviance ever be “positive”?Individuals who lead civil rights/women’s rights? - Deviance and speaking out but for a positive impactTheories on Deviance-Structural Functionalist: Durkheim + MertonConflict: How Power “explains” devianceSymbolic Interactionist: Labeling, primary + secondary deviance, master statusStructural Functionalist + Deviance--How can social deviance be “function”? --> Think Durkheim’s perspective-Even severe forms of deviance, such as crime can enhance social cohesion and solidarityGossip= reinforce social norms- reminds us about rules that we are supposed to followCrime= reminds us that its not right and we need to follow rulesMerton’s (1938) Theory of Anomie-American culture emphasizes success and wealth as important values strive for economic (and educational) successEducation system= legitimate route to widely shared goal of economic successLARGE segments of society perceive their means to success are systematically blocked—their schools suck, poorly trained teachers, discriminations, etc. = blocks what we consider the legitimate route to success—barriersInadequate school facilities, poorly trained teachers, lack financial assistance to pursue higher education, class and race-based discrimination in schools (and in labor force) à blocks their path to societal GOALSAnomie: gap between socially acceptable goals (Desires and $$ success) and structural means to those goals (access to adequate education and employment)People who experience Anomie adapt to that dilemma in one of several possible ways: changing goals, pursuing alternative means, or both5 adaptive responses: conformity, ritualism, innovation, retreatism, rebellionWhen we talk about these we are talking about accepting/rejecting socially accepted goals (success) and the culturally approved means of achieving these goals (education and employment)Conformity: people accept socially approved goals and pursue them by culturally acceptable means – even if they find those means to not be readily available to themGo through it and a little blocked, not on level playing field, going to try to get the best education and the best job even though there are barriers in the wayJust going to work harder!Innovation: finding a new way to do an old thingInnovators internalize societal goals,BUT:They either reject the culturally approved terms of achieving themOR – b/c they find the approved means unavailable à develop alternative means of pursuing those goalsF education f employment- its not going to go for me- this sucks, I cant get an education with bad teachers