Ø Crime
United
States culture classifies some deviant behavior as criminal. This sort of
behavior has written laws and sanctions against it. Persons who act in such
ways are liable to be arrested and punished in the judicial system. Most crime
has victims who are hurt or otherwise negatively affected by the behavior.
Criminal behavior influences others in a culture by inducing fear and anger at
the criminals and sadness for the victims. Crime rates can drastically alter
cities and neighborhoods in appearance and demographics.
Ø Vagrancy
Vagrancy
deviates from cultural norms requiring that all persons hold taxable employment
and reside in a structure zoned for residence paid for by rent or mortgage.
Vagrancy is an example of a crime gray zone. Anti-vagrancy laws do exist to
discourage the behavior, but most people do not consider the behavior criminal.
Rather, people consider the behavior unacceptable or repulsive. The presence of
vagrant behavior can reduce the success of a city or town business economy,
cause others discomfort when confronted with the behavior in the public sphere
and reduce the number of persons available for employment.
Ø Weakening of Norms
One
of the biggest threats deviation holds to a culture's status quo is the
weakening of norms. If too many people are allowed to operate with deviant
behavior, the behavioral norm becomes violated. This might occur in a cycle.
Professor Lisa Barnett of Coe College states that a weakening of cultural norms
might actually cause deviant behavior.
Ø Creation of New Norms
The
ability of deviant behavior to weaken norms might also provide a positive
construction of new norms. For example, 40 years ago in the United States, most
people considered body piercing to be deviant behavior. It was not illegal, but
the culture deemed the act repulsive. As more people began expressing this
deviant behavior, norms against body piercing weakened. Today, body piercing is
more culturally acceptable than ever in the United States.
Ø Revolution
When deviants seek not only to go
against cultural norms, but also to change them significantly, Cultural
Revolution can occur. Deviants may present a completely alternative lifestyle
to what is predominantly held as acceptable. If enough people adopt the deviant
lifestyle, the behavior is no longer deviant and itself becomes the norm. The
cycle then continues when persons deviate from the newly established norms.
Comments
Post a Comment
any suggestion on my side