How is one’s perspective on deviance theory like a dimmer switch?
Never exactly an all or nothing situation, most people arent 100% subjectivist or 100% objectivist, usually combine a couple things together and fall somewhere on the continuum in between the two perspectives
What is the deviance dance and what are the forms in which it can present itself?
= interactions/negotiations/debates among groups with different perceptions of whether a certain behaviour is deviant and should be socially controlled (and if so, how)
- can be uniform: everyone do same thing to make their point
- less structured: ppl take different steps to reach same goal
- chaotic/’mosh pit’: big ugly argument, get points in wherever possible
Deviance dance and the social typing process?
Dance is involved at all three steps of the process
- debate the description of someone
- debate the language/techniques used to judge/create bias
- debate the prescription/social control techniques (ex: institutionalization or not)
What are the forms of social control?
- informal (rude looks) vs formal sanctions (laws)
- retroactive (fine after speeding) vs preventative (speed limit sign to prevent speeding)
- regulation of others vs regulation of self (prevent own deviance or manage deviant image ex: covering tattoos with makeup)
What are the 5 agents of power that are capable of imposing social control and defining deviant behaviour?
- politicians/government (laws)
- scientists
- religious institutions
- media
- corporations
^^ all can be on either side of deviance dance, although media, religious institutions, and corporations seem to have a bit more freedom about which side (gov and scientists often a united front on something, like covid!)
How does conformity tie into social control and the deviance dance?
Conformity is usually a result of being socially controlled, so non-conformity is deviant and often a disagreement with agents of power
- during world war President Woodrow Wilson wanted conformity, said it was a great thing to do for country, bc needed everyone to work together to help and etc, conformity was imposed (more taxes, restructuring country)
- other leaders (JFK, Rita Mae Brown, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich) said some funky quotes that all essentially resist conformity, say that world needs deviance/non-conformists to make change
^ so that is all the deviance dance, even between agents of power themselves!
What is an example of something that doesn’t have much of a deviance dance goin on with it?
Global human rights policy: most countries on board with general consensus of what rights ppl deserve (freedom from discrimination, security of person/property, human dignity) – not much debate here on which rights/lack of rights are considered deviant
