The Impact of Deviance Throughout Life

Abandon Normalcy All Ye Who Enter Here



Normalcy and deviance go hand in hand. One cannot judge an action to be one or the other without the opposite being there to give a basis for comparison. Normalcy is defined as being usual, regular, or common. Deviance on the other hand is a condition strikingly different from the usual. Sociologists do not believe the act itself is deviant; they believe it is the reaction to the act that marks it as deviant. What one group of people see as deviant behavior may not be in another group.

Society can function only on the expectation of and the existence of normalcy. When certain behaviors become expected and counted on to be forthcoming people can peacefully coexist. Deviant behavior throws a monkey-wrench into the workings of society. Deviance is an acquired trait, we are not born with the knowledge of deviant and normal behavior. We learn these from the society around us. Instructors of behavior come in many different forms. They could be parents, siblings, role models, or peers. Whether the instruction is purposefully taught or is passed on unawares, outside influences play a major role in how a person behaves. In this presentation we will attempt to enlighten the reader as to the various pressure groups and the demands they place on a person. We will look at which groups have more influence on an individual at different stages of life and the shifting of power a person encounters as one group’s influence wanes and another group’s increases. This website was created to help people better understand deviance.