W7 - Ahn seo hyeon(안서현)

Deviance

Summary

Deviance can be divided to two types - 

1. behavior that against cultural norms 

   ex) crime

2. violations of informal social norms

   ex) talking loudly in a library

And deviance is relative. If one behavior isn't deviant in Korea but it can be deviant in USA. 

There are many theories in deviance. Among them, I am interested in labeling theory.

(By Rcragun (자작) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

Labeling theory

Labeling means exhibiting the behaviors. Labeling can make one person deviant. And it results power imbalance. There are two things that help to understand labeling theory.

1. deviant identity is adopted

2. the idea of stigma( situation of the individual)

Interesting point & My think

Interesting point about labeling theory is that all deviant cannot be illegal.

Tattoos can be deviant in one society but cannot be illegal.

Tattoos are related to person's freedom.

And I think labeling theory is not good. I will tell one example.

There is one person and he is not deviant in his society.

But bad people label him as deviant and other people regard him as deviant.

He will get stress and hate society, then he can be really deviant.

So labeling theory can lead one person's life to bad way.