The class activity of creating a list of traits that would fit under “normalcy” and “deviancy” was something I felt truly helped demonstrate the complexity of what we consider deviant. The attributes of deviancy are described as “having excluded from society, culture the norm,” whereas the traits which were listed under normalcy are described as “having not deviated from the norms, standard, or regular,” and are very particular and the ideal self.
One example I had for deviancy was other languages, as I felt the norm was English. We often hear things such as, “Speak English, this is America!” The norm is strict, and when applied to other countries (even Western ones) only describes a comparatively small amount of people, whereas the number of people who may be fluent in other languages is quite vast. However, non-English speakers in the U.S. are often treated as deviant and are generally regarded as less educated. Another example I had which shows how deviancy is rather encompassing and can be applied to a variety of demographics was our attitudes toward nonreligious individuals, or those who practice religions other than Christianity. Also, religion can help illustrate how “deviancy” is social constructed and illustrates the climate of society. For example, following 9/11 attacks, practicing Muslims have been stereotyped and labeled as deviant. Normalcy is a narrow ideal, one which only a small majority of people can obtain, whereas deviancy is applied to a mass of population.
-Angela B.
Angela,
ReplyDeleteYour examples of language (English) and religion illustrate the fact that our modern society is riddled with norms that we may not even be aware of unless we are asked to identify them (as we did in class). We are socialized to accept these norms as "natural" and therefore do no even realize that they function to impose authority upon us.