Social deviance in sociology refers to the tendency of being non-normative or different from social norms. In order to understand how social deviance causes social problems one must appreciate the meaning of social control. It refers to attempts by the society to try to limit thoughts and behaviors that the society considers non-confirmative in ways that punish deviance. Therefore, social deviance contributes to social problems when an individual engages in an action that violates societal norms. According to Vazzana (2017), normal accepted behavior is constructed based on what is considered right and proper. Society is held intact when control is exercised on all levels of the social structure. Therefore, when a person breaks free from this control, and perhaps does something regarded as a non-normative in the society they create a problem with the society. People no longer accept them as a part of the community. For example, drug abuse is considered deviant in almost every society. People associated with drugs are accused of violating social norms. Substance abuse is attributed with other concerns in society such as crime, violence, and prostitution. Such vices are considered social problems brought about by social deviance in drug abuse indulgence.
Drug abuse creates a social problem on the micro and macro level. On the micro level, drug abuse affects the individual. Research indicates that drug abuse patterns share deep connections with social dynamics, which in turn lead people towards using drugs as an act of deviance (Vazzana, 2017). Social groups create rules that prohibit acts of social deviance such as substance abuse. Applying these rules tends to brand a specific group of people as outsiders. Once an individual feels they are no longer a part of a community, they are more obliged to engage in the prohibited act since the laws no longer apply to them. In the end, the person develops an addiction problem, suffers unemployment, imprisonment and most probably death. On the macro level, drug abuse as an act of social deviance affects an entire society. If one person breaks from the controls of social norms preventing drug use in a community, others affiliated to the individual will eventually follow suit. As it grows, drug abuse creates a social problem due to the vices it creates such as violence, crime, and prostitution. Eventually, the society as the macro level is affected by these vices. Social deviance generates a social problem on both the micro and macro level once one non-normative act is allowed to spread throughout a community.
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Social deviance has prevailed in every social order in the world. People will always be inclined towards acts that deviate from normal behavior. Society has two choices; either accommodate and find a solution or isolate and allow the problem to damage the society. Social monitoring in a community can help in regulating acts of social deviance. Combined with rehabilitative efforts a society can deter its community from engaging in a behavior considered non-normative. Research by Su et al., (2016) pointed out those residentially stable cities that had more journalists- regarded as social monitoring agents- tended to have lower rates of violent crimes compared to cities with lower numbers of journalists. Human beings are very keen on reputational information and normally tend to comply with social norms once they felt they were being observed (Su et al., 2016). For example to curb the drug abuse social deviance in a town, the council can establish massive campaign that monitors the activities members of a community. Monitoring yields better results compared with past solutions such as incarceration of individuals engaging in drug use and distribution. Filling up prisons with drug offenders negates efforts of curbing drug abuse in the community.
References
Su, J., Chiu, C.-Y., Lin, W.-F., &Oishi, S. (2016). Social Monitoring Matters for Deterring Social Deviance in Stable but Not Mobile Socio-Ecological Contexts. PLOS ONE , 11(11), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0167053
Vazzana, J. (2017). A Visual Model of Deviance: Social Triggers and Unacceptable Behavior. AURCO Journal , 116-125.
