SOC 2106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Baker University, Labeling Theory, Florian Znaniecki

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2106
• Professor: Laurence Clennett- Sirois

Document Summary

Deviant behavior differs from one society to another based on their social norms and values. Deviance is often described as a behavior that violates society"s norms, and so a person rebels as a means to establish themselves. Individuals are often labelled as deviants once they stray from the norms of society. For example, a teenager dressed in baggy clothes often is viewed as a troublemaker. This puts a stigma on the teenager, making them accept this role, and conform to it. This paper argues that deviance is a result of rebelling against society"s norms and roles. It also argues that deviance does not result from the pathology of an individual as it exists as a product of the environment one was raised, and not from their brain and mental state. Deviance can be established as a byproduct of the environment one came from in the sense that a deviant parent can raise their child to become a deviant themselves.