Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Saint James High School: Understanding Culture, Society & Politics Information Sheet 3
Saint James High School: Understanding Culture, Society & Politics Information Sheet 3
Saint James High School: Understanding Culture, Society & Politics Information Sheet 3
MELCs:
1. Explain the context, content processes, and consequences of socialization.
Learning Objectives:
Role strain arises when conflicting expectations are built into single status. Role conflict
arises when conflicting expectations arise from two or more statuses an individual
occupies.
UNDERSTANDING CONFORMITY AND DEVIANCE
What is conformity?
Conformity is the behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or
standards. It is the anticipated behavior to follow. It is the desire to go along with the
norms of a group of people, so you will be accepted as an in-group person (and not
rejected as an out-group undesirable person). The concept of conformity was also used
by Robert Merton (1957) to refer acceptance of cultural goals and the legitimate or
approved means of achieving them. In his scheme of adaptations to the goals and
means, only conformity to both indicates non-deviance.
What is deviance?
Deviance centers on the occurrence that violate mores.
Mores are one of the components of norms that are taken very seriously by society and
sometimes codified as laws. Mores are strong norms that are regarded as morally
significant and violation of them are considered a serious matter (Robertson 1987.62).
The word “mores” originated from a Roman term that means “the most respected and
sacred custom”.
So far, there is no existing list of universal deviant behaviors across cultures because
deviance is basically constructed and only determined by members of the society
(Newman, 2012). In short, deviance is characterized for its contextualized nature and
relativity.
For example: The act of is considered deviant in many cultures in Europe and Asia,
especially those which strictly adhere to Judeo-Christian precepts, if it is done outside
the formal rite of matrimony. In contrast, pre-modern society in Africa and some parts of
northern Sahara practice deflowering ceremonies to prospective brides prior to
marriage.
Even within a culture itself the definition of a deviant behavior may change over time.
For example: In Great Britain, the English mathematician Alan Turing was tried for
homosexual acts and even prescribed drugs to possibly cure his homosexuality,
considered as a disease in Europe then. But later on, Alan Turing’s brilliance was
recognized and awarded for his works.
The most popular form on deviance is the commitment of crime, which is defined as the
violation of norms that have been formally enacted into criminal laws. Juvenile
delinquency is also considered a deviant crime being a violation of legal standards by
children or adolescents.
THREE WAYS SOCIOLOGIST IN VIEWING DEVIANCE AS ROOTED IN SOCIETY
Third, both norms and the way events are defined are related to patterns of
social power. This idea has been advanced by Karl Marx, who considered
cultural norms, especially the laws, are likely to protect and uphold the interest of
the powerful at the expense of the powerless.
MECHANISM OF SOCIAL CONTROL
Photo courtesy: Pinterest
Deviance is checked through social control to ensure that norms and conventions are
safeguarded and order preserved.
Society controls individual ideas and behaviors through the following mechanisms:
Labelling theory: This theory states how members of society label other whether they
are deviant or not. Non-conformity provides offensive signals to holders of norms; non—
conformity is often tantamount to disagreement and disapproval. Being labeled a deviant
entails numerous consequences throughout an individual's life. After a group of people
has labeled an individual as a deviant, members of a community often treat the
individual negatively with feelings of hate, mistrust or fear.
Gossip: This is often practiced in small-scale communities where people know each
other personally. Because small-scale communities heavily rely on "getting along" with
each other, outburst or confrontational situations are not ideal. By gossiping or talking
behind someone's back and spreading rumors about him or her, society reinforces what
norms should be followed and punishes the deviants by putting them to shame.
Laws: Formal codes of conduct that are met with negative sanctions when violated The
law dictates to whom authority is given Laws change as well.
Theoretical Interpretation of Deviance
Structural Strain Theory
Developed by Robert Merton. Strain refers to the discrepancies between culturally
defined goals and the institutionalized means available to achieve these goals.
It states that social structures within society may pressure citizens to commit
crime.
This theory traces the origins of deviance to the tensions that are caused by the
gap between cultural goals and the means people have available to achieve
those goals Culture- establishes goals for people
Social structure-provides (or falls to provide) the means for the people to achieve
those goals
A good example is the popular notion that "poverty breeds crime”. People try to
achieve culturally-defined goals by exhausting all their means. However, people
living in poverty are more likely to commit burglary, larceny or theft because of
the lack of institutionalized means available to achieve these goals.
Members of the society react to strain in five different ways:
1. Conformity - individuals still accept cultural goals and try to achieve them through
culturally approved method
2. Innovation - individuals still accept cultural goals but go about in achieving it in a
culturally disapproved way.
3. Ritualism - individuals still live in society and follow its culturally approved ways,
but they no longer try to achieve cultural goals.
4. Retreat - individuals no longer desire to achieve cultural goals. They commit
illegal activities and crimes in order to earn a living.
5. Rebellion - individuals challenges the existing culturally accepted goals by
coming up with new ones and also challenge the prescribed means in achieving
cultural goals.
Photo courtesy from: The CSN Sociology Student Legacy Wiki - PBworks
The UDHR marked an important shift by daring to say that all human beings are free and
equal, regardless of color, creed or religion. For the first time, a global agreement put to
human beings, not power politics, at the heart of its agenda.
The summary of the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
What laws or legal documents ensure the human rights of Filipino citizens?
A. Venn Diagram.
Direction: Compare and contrast the concept of socialization and
enculturation using the diagram below.
socialization enculturation
B. Essay.
Direction: Based on the picture shown below, provide an explanation
based on the concept of conformity and deviance.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
___________________________________
Signature of parent/guardian over printed name