Deviant Identity

1
Deviant Identity

• PERSONAL IDENTITY
• PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS YOU ACTUALLY HAVE.
• SOCIAL IDENTITY
• SIMILAR TO SOCIAL STATUS BUT MORE COMPLEX. OUR
  EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THE WAY SOMEONE WILL BEHAVE.

2
Intentional Deviants

• SOCIOLOGISTS ARE HIGHLY INTERESTED IN INTENTIONAL
  DEVIANTS
• PEOPLE WHO WILLINGLY VIOLATE THE NORMS
• INTENTIONAL DEVIANTS ARE WILLING TO BECOME
  DEVIANTS-
• MATZA CALLED THIS AFFINITY.

3
Elements of Deviant Identity

•   Self-Identity
•   Subculture
•   Subjective Behavior Judgement (George) Or
  retrospective interpretation Recalling past
  behavior and attributing things from the past
  to the current behavior. ahhhh so thats why
  they were.
•   Public Definition spoiled identity one
  with a damaged reputation.

4
Salience

• SALIENCE - TO WHAT DEGREE HAS THE LABEL BECOME
  INCORPORATED INTO THE IDENTITY OF THE RULE
  BREAKER?
• SOMETIMES, THE DEVIANT LABEL IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH
  SELF- IDENTITY SITUATIONAL DEVIANTS.
• SOME DEVIANTS HAVE A HIGHLY SALIENT DEVIANT
  IDENTITY

5
Dynamics of Exclusion

•   Ostracizing someone from their social group
  because of the identity of the individual
•    The more people start to treat the individual
  as deviant the more likely it is they will
  internalize the label and regard themselves as
  deviant.
•    Because we all relate to different groups and
  individuals, we often have many different
  identities by which we present ourselves.

6
Master status Auxiliary Traits

• Sometimes, the deviance becomes such a central
  part of the persons identity, that identity
  moves to Master status where it becomes a
  primary focus of that individual's identity.
• With a master status there are often many
  Auxiliary traits associated with that status.

7
Master Status Society

• When the Master status is considered deviant
• Sexual Stigma
• Laws
• Language
• Persecution
• Work--teachers ?
• As parents ?
• Psychiatry
• Religion

8
Example of Identity Building

• Becoming bisexual uses stages to illustrate how
  we develop an identity. This same process can be
  applied to many different forms of identity
  development such as nerd, jock, prostitute,
  drug dealer.
• 1.     Initial confusion
• 2.     Finding and applying the label
• 3.     Continued uncertainty

9
Another process of defining an identity

•   Process (average--6 years) Not simple social
  learning
• 1. 1st define away behavior--a phase
• 2.  Guilt
• 3.  Ambiguity--did it but not a deviant no role
  acceptance, doing vs. being.
• 4. Suspect that may be actually "a deviant
  person".

10
More of the Process

• 5. Persistence of desire for the behavior or
  lack of adherence to social norms.
• 6. Failure to explain away the behavior
• 7. Meaningful experience associated with the
  behavior
• 8. Significant other response defines for the
  individual

11
Final Stages of the Process

• 9.  Realization of normalcy of others
• 10. Pride in behavior
• 11. Synthesis - accepting the behavior as part
  of a new identity