When Being Good is Bad: Deviance Depends on Context

            To this point in my life, my “deviance” has been relatively muted.  My propensity for deviance generally manifests itself in benign ways, keeping me clear of legal sanctions, and on-par with what society deems appropriate.  However, I cannot say that this aversion to criminality came naturally, instead I argue due to my socialization, and lack of strains (privilege), my upbringing simply did not allow time or capacity for me to rebel against societal norms in a criminal manner.   Thus, my adaption falls into Merton’s definition of conformity presented in Readings in Deviant Behavior.  Merton states, “To the extent, that a society is stable, adaption type I – conformity to both cultural goals and institutionalized means – is the most common and widely diffused” (Readings in Deviant Behavior, Merton, 24).  Strain theory asserts that individuals come under some form of strain from society, this strain causes a reaction, and at times this reaction can become criminal.  The combination of my general lack of strain, coupled with my non-criminal reaction to my limited strains lead to my lack of criminality according to Strain Theory. 

       Additionally, my avenues for learning criminal behavior were very limited.  My mother is a retired deputy sheriff for Clark County, and my father is a retired prosecutor.  The examples set by my parents, along with their parenting style (forced inclusion into pro-social activities such as athletics) limited my ability to learn to be criminally deviant.  This fits with Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory in that, other aspects of my socialization such as educational privilege, and access to positive role models limited my interaction with “deviant” groups.  Sutherland and Cressey assert, “The principal part of the learning of criminal behavior occurs within intimate personal groups.  Negatively, this means that the impersonal agencies of communication, such as movies and news papers, play a relatively unimportant part in the genesis of criminal behavior” (Readings in Deviant Behavior, Sutherland and Cressey, 27). 

            These theories help explain my lack of legal deviance to this point in my life, though I certainly have exhibited “deviance” in various ways.  Becker argues definitions of deviance are as varied as the society that constructs them, saying, “some people may be labeled deviant who in fact have not broken a rule” (Readings in Deviant Behavior, Becker, 39).  The overarching theme of my deviance project confirms Becker’s previous statement; in fact, my deviance project highlights the reality that sometimes conforming to rules can be seen as deviant. 

www.rottentomatoes.com

            I chose to be deviant in a way that evokes the most hatred and disgust of any other daily activity…I chose to obey the speed limit as strictly as possible.  Granted, I always drive safely, but rarely do motorists strictly adhere to the posted speed limit, signal every turn, and always yield to a yellow light. The reactions to my deviance were varied, with the vast majority of people simply choosing to pass me with no visible show of disdain; this group is known as the “I’ve Got Places to Be” group.  However, there did exist another group that felt the need to follow me extremely closely, and make eye contact when they passed me; I call this group the “Passive Aggressive Group". Still, there is one more group reserved for two motorists who not only felt the need to pass me, and make eye contact, but also to honk and speed loudly down the road while making eye contact and/or some sort of aggressive gesture (think Cee-lo).  This third group is known as the “Move Bitch Group".  I love this example to illustrate the contextual relevance of the term “deviant”.  From a legal perspective I drove like Jesus. From a mainstream perspective, I was a moronic asshole who was obviously intent on ruining the days of every person behind me.  I believe obeying all traffic laws to the letter is seen as deviant because as a society we are always rushed, always hoping to get to the next place as quickly as possible.  Americans hate being inconvenienced, and my example of deviance simply annoyed many drivers.  The rewards of being “deviant” in this context are obviously legal; it is generally easier to conform to societies rules and by driving this way I was in less danger of getting a speeding ticket, and causing accidents.  The consequences of this “deviance” are few, with extreme negative reactions being rare, but being deviant in this way was useful to see the true nature of some of your fellow motorists. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZE2Ttdy_TA

            Overall, I was surprised to see that many people were as "deviant" as I was, and this realization was comforting.  Comfort in group solidarity is something I am sure is shared by many stigmatized groups, slow drivers included.  In the rare instance when a Passive Aggressive Group member or a Move Bitch Group member directed their dismay directly at me, I could not help but make surface judgments against my abuser.  I told myself that if they behave this way in public, they must behave horribly in private.  This reaction I had is more than likely a self-defense mechanism used to justify my standing as an outsider, or provide some comfort to blunt the stigmatization.  In this way, being labeled deviant can be as isolating as anything, and it is an intimidating prospect to feel as though the majority of society views you negatively.  

 - Steve

Word Count: 882

Works Cited:

Thio, A., Calhoun, T., & Conyers, A. (2010). Readings in deviant behavior. (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.