The term ‘deviance’ can really be used to describe anything that’s different from the “norm”. In sociology, deviance is not necessarily seen as a bad thing, but it’s a useful concept to start studying what is considered normal in society, and what’s outside those boundaries.
Deviance covers the spectrum of human behaviours - from the misdemeanours of being late or talking loudly on your phone in public, to drug use, mental illness and gangs.
But who decides what is acceptable, or normal behaviour, and who decides what is abnormal, or deviant? When social “norms” are constantly shifting, how does society regulate behaviour, and where do these ideas about what is normal come from?
On completion of this subject you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to:
Understand - The social constructions of normality and deviancy - and how and why social controls like regulation or criminalisation are put into place.
Explain - How social control is enacted, from your own internal beliefs and values and those you’ve been brought up with (“keep your elbows off the table!”), to external social controls like policies or laws.
Communicate - What social controls are, who enforces them, and why they exist in society, as well as explain why different behaviours are labelled ‘deviant’ versus ‘normal’.
Connect - Make the links between events and changes in society and be able to connect them to sociological theories of criminology.
Show - How social controls are enacted in society, and how changing attitudes have shaped these social controls (i.e. changing laws, or what is considered ‘acceptable’ behaviour).
We recommend between 6 - 10 hours per week, but this depends on whether you plan on studying this for personal interest or if you are planning on taking the challenge exam to show you’ve mastered the content and intend to turn your studies into credit in a degree.