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CLASS NOTES for COMS 2445 Carleton
- Course
- COMS 2445 (COMS2445)
- Institution
- Carleton University (CU )
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Lecture 1May 6th, 2021
What is Deviance?
● How do we know something, or someone, is deviant?
○ Tend to think of something that is evil or outside of the norm, harming other
people (serial killers, etc)
○ In this context, we will look at peoples behaviours, characteristics, actions that are
not bad, just outside of the norm or mainstream (ex. Being left-handed, same-
sex families, physical apperence)
○ Before covid, if you saw someone wearing a mask it would stand out to you,
thinking many different things (ex. They are a germ freak, they may be sick, etc)
then when it became mandatory it was people who weren’t wearing the mask that
stood out instead. So you became deviant if you did not wear the mask
● Is anything in and of itself deviant or is it all relative?
○ We have to be told something is bad or deviant
○ Societal interaction with the norm, we have to be taught something is wrong
○ You have to understand social norms to determine what is deviant
● What do we even mean by the word deviant?
○ Is it something ‘bad’ or just something that deviates from the norm?
How Do People Cop With Being Labelled Deviant
● Society will label some people as deviant and not
● It can affect people negatively or in other ways people all cop differently
Defining Deviance: The Objective… Subjective
Objective Definitions
● Deviance is a quality
● A common trait
● Deviance = behaviours or characteristics which have that trait
○ Argue that there are certain behaviours that are deviant in and out itself
○ Look for the causes, figure out why do people engage in this behaviour
Subjective Definitions
● Deviance is a process
● There is no common trait
● Deviance = behaviours that people in power say are in need of control
○ Argue that we have to be told what is deviant
Objectivism:
,The common trait that defines deviance is:
● Statistical rarity
● Harm
● Negative societal reaction
● Normative violation
1. Statistical Rarity
● Deviance = people, behaviours, or characteristics that are statistically rare in a population
Limitations:
● Criteria for “rare” are ambiguous
● Common acts may be considered unacceptable
● Rare characteristics/behaviours may be considered acceptable
○ But some things can be statistically rare but not be considered abnormal like
being left-handed (back in the day it was discouraged)
○ Underage drinking is not rare as it happens, but it is considered in need of social
control
2. Harm
● Deviance = people, behaviours, or characteristics that cause harm
Limitations:
● Perceptions of harm vary overtime
● Perceptions of harm are Subjective
○ Think about the most obvious type of harm like assault but there is more like
emotional harm, etc
○ Does not have to be towards a specific person, we can all say some people cause
social harm (we see people who do not practice social distancing as asked by the
government are said to be causing social harm)
○ smoking /obesity are said to cause social harm as it causes sociality a lot of
money in health care
3. Negative Societal Reaction
● Deviance = people, behaviours, or characteristics that society’s “masses” dislike, hate,
fear, distrust, etc.
Limitations:
● The criteria for determining society’s “masses” is unclear.
● Some people’s reactions have greater impact than others’
● People may be deviantized even when society’s masses react positively
○ When someone like the prime minister talks has more power then a homeless
person
, ○ People may want to change things but if they have no power then they will be
overruled
4. Normative Violation
● Deviance = people, behaviours, or characteristics that violate societal norms
● Changing views of norms
Limitations:
● Lack of consensus over norms
● Does the criminal law reflect consensus?
○ Norms are standards or expectations, we all engage or pay attention to social
norms but they are changing all the time
○ What is considered deviant at one point may be different overtime
○ Ex. drinking around children, smoking while pregnant, etc
Subjectivism: Deviance As a Label
● Deviance = people, behaviours, or characteristics that people in power say are in need of
control
● Deviance is not a quality, but rather a process
● Dominant moral codes play a role
● Deviance is socially constructed
○ Subjectist see deviance not as a inherit to a person or behaviour but see it as a
label that is given to someone or something
○ They focus not on the quality of the thing rather than on the process in which a
label is given
○ We have been told smoking is deviant (harmful, cost heath care money), the
foundation in which these are considered a deviant lie in social power control
○ Argue that deviant is socially constructed: meaning what is considered as deviant
changes over time
Agents of Power & Moral Entrepreneurs
Who has the power to define the appropriate behaviour? 5 groups:
● Politicians
● Scientists
● Religious institutions
● Media
● Commercial enterprise
○ They can act or have a relationship with people called moral entrepreneurs, they
bring a problem to public awareness
○ They all tell us what is dangerous
, The Social Typing Process
● How do people ‘become’ deviant?
● Moral entrepreneurs have the power to construct deviancy
● Description: homeless; ex-prisoner; texting driver; high BMI; underage drinking;
● Evaluation: ?? a judgement that is attached to the person by the label that was given to
them
● Prescription/ social control: ?? what type of social control or regulation will be required
Forms of Social Control
● Formal vs. informal (formal: dress code at school, informal: parents telling you what to
wear, being made fun of for the outfit)
● Regulation of others vs. self-regulation ( Of others: social control is aimed at other
people, Self: we monitor and change our own behaviour based on how we see social
norms)
● Retroactive vs. preventative
* These are NOT mutually exclusive
Ex: The criminal law is formal & includes regulation of others & is both retroactive
(punishment) and preventative (deterrent)
Summary
● Some theorists define deviance using four criteria: statistical rarity, harm, normative
violation and negative societal reaction.
○ These all have limitations
● Other theorists argue that deviance is a process that involves labelling something or
someone as deviant; the role of power in the social typing process should be analyzed.
Those with more power can impose their definitions on those with less power.
● Behaviours & individuals who are defined as deviant are subjected to various forms of
social control: these can be formal or informal, retroactive or preventative, and involve
the regulation of others or of oneself.
Lecture 2
May 11th, 2021
Chapter 2: Explaining the Deviance Act
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