In “Deviance, Crime, and Violence,” Angela Barian defines “deviance” as the “behaviors that violate social norms or common expectations for behavior” (Barian 3). In a society, we have certain norms that dictate one’s behavior, and the adherence to these social norms (and how we respond to those who violate these norms) help determine the cohesiveness of a society.
Some acts that were previously considered deviant have the capacity to evolve into more socially acceptable acts over time. An example of this would be same-sex marriage: “In 2007, the majority of Americans said they opposed same-sex marriage” (Barian 4). It was only legal in the state of Massachusetts, and the rest of the states had passed same-sex marriage bans. However, since then, public opinion has drastically changed in favor of same-sex marriage. “By 2013, over three quarters of Americans said that a family member, friend, or coworker had come out to them.” The representation of LGBTQ+ people in media has also increased as LGBTQ+ people were finally receiving more recognition (although we still have a long way to go…). Because gay marriage used to be prohibited among the 50 states, and the opinion of LGBTQ+ matters used to be quite negative, we can say that this used to be regarded as deviant behavior. “Understandings of deviant behavior rely on social agreement” (5).
Sources:
Barian, Angela, and Patrick Sharkey. “Deviance, Crime, & Violence.” Edited by S. Khan, A Sociology Experiment, https://www.sociologyexperiment.com/product/deviance-crime-and-violence/.
Sociology of Community 