Deviant Bodies

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Deviant Bodies

• 11/17/08

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What happens when bodies deviate from the norm?

• definitions of deviance
• functionalism and conflict theory
• spoiler more questions than answers

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Statistical definition of deviance

• Frequentnormal
• Raredeviant

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Statistical deviance What is normal?
What is deviant?

• Height of men in biology class, arranged from
  shortest to tallest in 1-inch increments.
  Average 510

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Statistical deviance What is normal?
What is deviant?

• CDC national data for adults aged 20
• Men 58 190 lbs
• Women 53 163 lbs

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Statistical deviance What is normal?
What is deviant?

• Is a 53, 163-pound woman considered normal in
  U.S. society?

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Statistical deviance What is normal?
What is deviant?

• Is a 53, 163-pound woman considered normal in
  U.S. society?
• Depends on who you ask.

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Relativist definition of deviance

• deviance is behavior that violates norms AND that
  elicits negative sanctions.
• an act or appearance is only deviant if a
  negative valuation is placed on itif people
  stigmatize or punish those who act or look in a
  certain way
• varies based on the setting and the people around

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Relativist definition of deviance

• In IBOD, people might not punish the 53, 163
  pound woman for looking as she does.
• Her experiences might be different in Hollywood.

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Critical question why?

• Why do we (as a society) choose to negatively
  react to some body variations and not others?

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Diversity abounds

• Most common brown eyes
• 33 of US pop blue eyes
• Least common green eyes
• Why dont we punish green-eyed people?

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Diversity abounds

• What types of body diversity tend to elicit
  negative reactions from members of our society?

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Diversity abounds

• What types of body diversity tend to elicit
  negative reactions from members of our society?

• Extreme Bodies Super Obese
• Extreme Bodies Conjoined Twins
• transsexual bodies
• radical body modification (lots of tattoos,
  pierces, cosmetic surgery, humanimals)

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Diversity abounds

• What types of body diversity tend to elicit
  negative reactions from members of our society?

• Why focus on these types of body variations?

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sociological theories about deviance

• to the rescue!

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Functionalism

• a group defines itself by the range of behaviors
  it will accept

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Functionalism

• a group defines itself by the range of behaviors
  it will accept
• a norm becomes most evident in its occasional
  violation

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Functionalism

• a group defines itself by the range of behaviors
  it will accept
• a norm becomes most evident in its occasional
  violation
• by violating group norms and eliciting social
  controls, the deviant person shows the rest of
  the group what behaviors are not appropriate

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Functions of deviance

• reaffirms group norms
• establishes group boundaries
• increases group conformity
• increases group solidarity (fight common enemy)

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Functions of deviance

• What functions could bodily deviance serve?

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Functions of bodily deviance?

• Does stigmatizing obese people reaffirm American
  norms?
• Does stigmatizing transsexuals maintain existing
  boundaries?
• Does stigmatizing heavily tattooed people draw
  the rest of society closer together?

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Conflict theory of deviance

• power is significant
• Who gets to decide what is considered deviant?
• Who ends up in the status of deviant?

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Conflict theory of deviance

• Deviant is a label that is applied to a
  behavior or appearance when people in power feel
  threatened.

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Conflict theory of deviance

• Deviant is a label that is applied to a
  behavior or appearance when people in power feel
  threatened.
• Deviance is a tool of social control.

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Conflict theory of deviance

• Who might obese people, transsexuals, or heavily
  tattooed people be threatening, and how?

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Conclusions

• There are many ways bodies deviate from the
  statistical bell curve.

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Conclusions

• There are many ways bodies deviate from the
  statistical bell curve.
• The ones we choose to focus on (and punish)
  reveal something important about our society.

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Conclusions

• What happens when bodies deviate from the norm?

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Conclusions

• What happens when bodies deviate from the norm?
• Nothing

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Conclusions

• What happens when bodies deviate from the norm?
• Nothing
• We punish the deviants (punish the individual in
  service of society?)

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Conclusions

• What happens when bodies deviate from the norm?
• Nothing
• We punish the deviants (punish the individual in
  service of society?)
• The individuals punish themselves
  (self-surveillance)

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Conclusions

• What happens when bodies deviate from the norm?
• Nothing
• We punish the deviants (punish the individual in
  service of society?)
• The individuals punish themselves
  (self-surveillance)
• The deviants challenge the boundaries and create
  change

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Conclusions

• Ask yourself
• What characteristics of peoples bodies do we
  choose to define as significant, and what
  variations do we consider deviant?

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Conclusions

• Ask yourself
• What characteristics of peoples bodies do we
  choose to define as significant, and what
  variations do we consider deviant?
• What does this tell us about what our society
  values and about who is in power?