Why I am/Not Deviant

Jorge Turcios

Professor: Williams

Sociology 360

February 1, 12

Why I am/Not Deviant

            I consider myself deviant for many reasons. I have always being labeled by society as different; especially in middle school. I remember being bullied particularly by the males in my classroom. They bothered me because my voice was soft. They said I sounded it like a girl. This type of aggression carried over into my family. They believed I did not meet the social standards, or the stereotype, of the “macho man”.  I was too feminine, I was always playing with the girls, and sports were not my strongest achievements.  My grandfather was a carpenter, a very masculine occupation, and he was always trying to get me to help him, which I did want to do it. I preferred to help my grandmother in the home chores. I thought that was fun, and I felt comfortable doing it. I remember  my aunt was always telling me “be strong, like a man,” or  “men do not cry.” Obviously they have all these ideas on how a male should act, and I was far away from being the strong “macho” figure; I was seen as too weak. All these reflections raised one question in my head. Who gives power to society to judge, discriminate, and put down another human being just because he or she looks or acts different? What can we do to change peoples’ mentality and create a world that can tolerate those individuals who are different than us?

            According to Howard Becker, deviace is created by society (Becker 39). What this means is that everything that is man made has it own flaws. We as humans create all these social constructed norms, which are not always perfect. The constructions of these are of special interest to those individuals who have money and influence. Therefore, it is unfair to treat other human beings different, based on social norms. In addition, Becker agreed that deviant acts may change from time to time based on human needs. He mentioned that sometimes-official enforcement declares some acts deviant to actually create pressure on a certain groups. For example, in the 1950s the United States government added emphasis on a law that was applied to any individuals practicing sodomy. Those found guilty were charged and incarcerated. This was considered a crime, mainly attacking homosexual activities. In this case the government created a label and created oppression and marginalization on this type of behavior. Also, in the documentary, Before Stonewall, the United State government attacked all homosexual activities as deviant acts. Ronald Reagan even said that homosexually is “…tragic illness” (Before Stonewall film).  The government and the media had influence to make citizens believe that homosexuality was a crime and it should be punished. 

            This brings us to another theory “Conflict Theory” which was created by Richard Quinney. He introduces the idea that “ definitions of crime are composed of behaviors that conflict with the interest of the dominant class” (Quinney 45). It relates to the Labeling Theory in the way that social constructed norms are rules regulated by those in power. In my case, I remember that when I went to talk to the my teachers about the kids bothering, one of the teacher my teacher laughed and told me I was being too sensitive. He said to me, “ your friends were only playing, and that they did not mean what they said.” I felt that no one really cared; I knew it was my fault being feminine and having a voice that sounded like a girl. The system was set up to protect those individuals that were more masculine, just because they play sports and won trophies for the school. I was considered a minority because I did not play any sports and also I was too girly. 

            Being deviant can be fun sometimes. Who wants to look like everyone else anyways? We love to claim our individualism, but in reality we are afraid of being labeled as the “other”:  those individuals that are going against social norms. For my experiment I decided to pick my nose during dinner, and in public places. I did it in front of my co-workers, at the restaurant, and in front of my family. Everyone responded in different ways. In my family my mother right away jumped in and told me what I was doing was nasty, and asked me to stop. My dad did not care. In the restaurant, I was offered a napkin and the waiter keep coming back to ask me if everything was okay. At work my coworkers just looked at me like I was a crazy person, but no one said anything.  I saw that picking your nose is something private like sex.  You do not do it in public or people will react with disgust.  I was not harming anyone with my behavior, but it was definitely not appropriate. Therefore, if we want to have an impact in our society we need to start revising those norms that are considerer “normal” and try to expand them to fix everyone’s personalities and behaviors. 

Credits:

Word Count: 857

Work Cited

Becker, Howard. “Labeling Theory.” Readings In Deviant Behavior. Eds. Alex, Thio. Thomas, Calhoun. Addrain, Conyers. Boston, MA. :2010. 39-41. Print

Before Stonewall. Dir. Greta, Schiller. Robert, Rosenber. Perf. Rita Mae Brown, Red Jordan Arobateau, Ann Bannon. 1984. Documentary.

Quinney, Richard. “Conflict Theory.” Readings In Deviant Behavior. Eds. Alex, Thio. Thomas, Calhoun. Addrain, Conyers. Boston, MA. :2010. 45-49. Print