When have we as a society, drawn the line between what is right and what is wrong? Perhaps it was the moment society begun labeling things, people, sex, and conduct. The word deviant means a person or thing that deviates or departs markedly from the "accepted norm" (dictionary.com). As individuals of a society, we have “norms” in place that need to be followed. If you do not meet those “norms”, or if you try to change them, you are considered deviant. Since the moment we are born, we begin social constructs are determining who we are. We grow up filtering everything that comes across us.
Furthermore, we use those filters to build feelings, create judgment, and form opinions about other human beings. I see it every day at work; the majority of my customers are people who receive Social Security and welfare assistant. A few of my co-workers criticize, judge, comment, and stereotype the typical African American, single mother without a job. The comments I hear are “look at her long acrylic fancy nails,"“she drives a better car than mine,” “she probably paid a fortune to maintain that fake hair.” Those are a few of the comments I heard while doing my research.
The fact that she is black and receives assistance from the government makes her deviant. What is the ideal appearance for black women that receive welfare? Are they not allowed to look good? Perhaps having a nice car, long pretty nails, and expensive hair extensions helps them cope with the pressure from society.
My coworkers are educated white females that grew up in better neighborhoods, with more privileges than some of my customers. Not only the white females are making those remarks, also the black women that are light skinned come in with racial comments. It is like a battle of color; the darker you are, the more criticized you will get. For some of them it is outrageous to see a single African American mother cashing her welfare check and speeding it on things that make them look beautiful. It is easy to judge and make assumptions because we are using those filters that were inserted in our brains, ideas that blacks are lazy, troublemakers, and love to live off from the government. All those racial comments are brought back to life when we less expected, even in the work force where everyone should be treated equally.
As humans we are always looking for approval from our peers. Following the rules of society put us in a different social category. We do not want to become the "others", those that are considered poor and are less fortunate. Men and women that have power and money are the ones who make the rules and create the label to teach who is "normal" and "deviant." Stephen Pfohl mentioned, “It is a story of both deviance and social control” (Pfohl, 6). The ones that have the power, are the ones who can make the labels for the society they live in. In the case of my coworkers, having the power of being behind the counter, where the money is, gives them the power to label the black single mother cashing the welfare check.
Works Cited Page
Pfohl, Stephen. “Images of Deviance.” Readings in Deviant Behavior. Alex Thio, Thomas C. Calhoun, and Addrain Conyers. Boston, 2010. 6. Print
