Week 7 Discussion

1. In your first paragraph, translate a key idea from the lecture into your own words. This must demonstrate that you watched the lecture and understood one of its central points. Worth 3 points.
2. In your second paragraph, apply this concept to the indicated prompt for the weekly analysis discussion board. This needs to be a second paragraph on its own, also 5-6 sentences long. Worth 2 points.
3. You will end this first post with a question of your own, either about the lecture or the topic for the week’s discussion board. Your question should be empirical or analytical, but NOT ethical (avoid the verb “should” or asking us to assess if something is good/bad, better/worse, etc. Instead, try to ask about how things work or what things mean.)

Your initial post should be roughly one double-spaced long (250-300 words) to earn full points.

You will also write a second post (worth 1 point) that replies to a fellow student’s question and should be about a paragraph long (4-5 sentences).

Students Reply:

Norms and social values create a set of guidelines as to what is acceptable and unacceptable within society. An act of deviant behavior is something that actively contradicts one or more of these societal norms. This can be done in small terms like getting a tattoo or not going to college, but deviant behavior can be extreme as well like breaking laws or committing acts of violence. However, deviance is certainly not always a negative thing. Acts of deviance that go against everyday norms can cause radical and positive change in society. An act of deviance can either further solidify why the norm is in place or it can spur the norm to become abandoned, thus prompting social change.  

In the video, it is shown how Richard is trying to change the perspectives of the men around him about toxic masculinity. Masculine and feminine gender roles are still very prevalent norms in society. Men are expected to be dominant, strong, aggressive, and the breadwinners in a family dynamic while women are the opposite. These roles are just beginning to be deconstructed but they are engrained in so many people’s ideas of gender. As we’ve seen in studies through the previous weeks of this course, men maintain higher wages than women. There is a hierarchy of genders and these norms help to keep men in this position of power while women are regarded to be more submissive, emotional, and irrational.

Is deviance more than just a phenomenon in society, but also, an essential part of it since it weighs so highly on growth and change within society?

In this week’s DB I would like you to watch two videos that explore the connections between deviance, social control and social change: (1) Katherine Switzer – first woman to run the Boston Marathon

 (Links to an external site.)

and (2) The Feminist on Cellblock Y

 (Links to an external site.)

For your first post, do three things:

1) Drawing on the lecture, explain in your own words the relationship between norms and values, and why deviance can lead to social change;

2) In your second paragraph, analyzewhich norms Richard is breaking with his Success Stories study group, and what values those norms express and protect. If you prefer to do the same analysis for Katherine Switzer’s marathon run instead, you may.

3) As always, end your post with a sociological question.