Social deviance: meaning

• Deviance refers to the failure of some individuals to follow the norms of their society.
• Norms are the accepted standards of behavior in a society and guide people’s actions.
• Most individuals internalize societal norms, making them part of their everyday behaviour.
• Individuals who violate these norms are called deviant persons.
• Deviance is two-sided: it includes both the act of breaking norms and the process of enforcing them.
• There are many types of norms, including cultural norms and formal laws.
• Deviant acts are behaviours that go against significant norms and are negatively judged by society.
• Society rewards or punishes individuals based on their conformity or nonconformity to its expectations.
• Norms vary between societies; for example, cow slaughter is deviant in Hindu society but acceptable in Muslim society.
• Due to the large number of norms, it is likely that everyone violates some norms, making social deviance a complex issue.