Institutional v. Individual Deviance

Introduction

            Any action or behavior that stands to violate a social norm can be termed as deviance (Rainwater 65). It is vital to note that the society is normally guided by the rules and expectations that are put in place. This therefore means any action whatsoever that does not meet or fulfill the expectations of the society can be said to be deviance (Goode 87). It is evident that these norms may vary from one culture to another and therefore that which may be considered as a deviant act in one society may not be deviant in another. Deviance can also be comparative to time and place (Rainwater 91). This is to mean that an act may be considered to be deviant in relation to the social context.

Institutional deviance

            This can be termed as the occurrences that take place when an institution fails to meet the needs of the people (Goode 73). Institutions can be schools, hospitals, state agencies, organizations among others. It is vital to note that all forms of institutions have an obligation of meeting the needs of the people it serves. For example a hospital is required to perform all the health functions exceptionally and ensure that the society has confidence in them.

            It is also critical to understand why the institutions should carry out the needs of the people and how things should be done.  The basic needs of a society are in most cases narrowed down into five vital requirements which are;

• The necessity of communication within the society (Goode 76).
• The necessity of order in the society (Goode 79).
• The need for security and protection from harm (Goode 81).
• The basic requirement of food, shelter and clothes (Goode 82).
• The necessity of accepting and considering the authenticity of things (Goode 84).

            It is evident that the five needs mentioned above relate to different but interconnected social institutions. These are the government, the culture, the foreign policy, the economy and the cosmology. As discussed above, each and every institution is required to fulfill at least one of the needs by ensuring that they deliver systems and models that depict suitable and conventional behavior and the moral values that direct, control and monitor the actions of human beings (Goode 131). The uniqueness, exclusivity and relation of each institution are determined by the manner in which each institution is able to fulfill its specific need.

• Government

            The government is an institution that serves the need of creating and maintaining order in the society (Krohn et al 142). It has a mandatory obligation of serving the society and any act that would cause the need not to be fulfilled can be termed as an act of defiance. Acts of crime can be termed as institutional deviance because the need for safety is not fulfilled (Krohn et al 168). There are various causes of government deviance. Some of the main causes are political unrests, terrorist attacks and any other act that is a responsibility if the government (Krohn et al 171).

            It is vital to note that the ABA international section has created and sponsored various programs and seminars in ensuring that the government securely submits that which belongs to clients properly without extortion (Rainwater 172). Trainings have been held to offer information on the methods of positive deviance especially in the United States. This deviance approach is meant to create and enhance financially and morally sound businesses that are corruption free and also establish international business (Rainwater 174).

            Increased rates of crime are also an act of deviance from the government. It is important for the government to find ways and combat the cases of crime in the society (Krohn et al 75). This can be done by ensuring that there are strict laws and regulations in relation to that. In relation to this, it is evident that the government has the authority to make legal and ethical decisions that are final and that affect the society either positively or negatively.

            The main function of the government is to make, enforce and implement laws that govern the people (Krohn et al 79). It also comes up with a constitution that are made up of laws and regulations that define the organization of the government. This is to show that when the government is not able to fulfill these needs it is then termed as institution deviance.

• Economy

            The economy has a legal obligation to meet the needs of people in terms of food, shelter and clothing (Goode 286). This also explains the reason as to why people and societies use the resources such as land, labor and capital for the provision of these basic needs. It is critical to note that a society that would be deprived of these needs would be satisfied and therefore the rule of provision would be defied (Goode 288).

There are various factors that relate with the economy such as the market. This is the process and the systems within which the society is able to exchange goods and services. The state of the economy also determines the market; this is to mean that if the market forces are weak then the society is not able to have an effective market (Goode 291). The exchange that is carried out in the market is what determines the financial stability of the society. This therefore means that for the society to be able to own things then the market forces need to be checked.

            According to economics, it is evident that capitalism states that the systems that make up an economy are determined by the private ownership of property while socialism states that the economic system is made up of the public ownership (Goode 395). In either way, is the economy of a place is declining then deviance is experienced. This would in turn lead to criminal activities. This is because the society will find means of survival despite the crumbling economy leading to crime.

            This therefore means that the economy is an institution that can be considered deviant especially when rules and regulations are not conformed to and result to negative impact to the people it serves thus causing institutional deviance.

• Cosmology

            Religious institutions have a responsibility of ensuring that the people understand their relationship with the spiritual (Rainwater 193). This is to mean that they impart knowledge to the people concerning their spiritual life. This in most cases is based on moral and ethical aspects of life. It is evident that different religious institutions have different beliefs and faith on different subjects (Rainwater 205). This can bring controversy as what is deemed to be right in a particular belief may be wrong to another.

            Institutional deviance in this aspect can be brought about when an institution fails to meet the requirements of the society (Rainwater 209). This in most cases happens when an institution that has a different faith is placed in an area where people have a different belief. In this case, the needs for the people are not fulfilled because the institution offers something different.  This can cause different responses from the society such as despise due to the irrationality in the faith (Rainwater 211).

            It is also vital to note that there is a direct link between religion and crime. Some countries relate crime to people from a particular religion (Krohn et al 112). This clearly shows that if an institution is involved in acts that the society deems to be wrong then there is not fulfillment of the societal needs (Bagchi et al 51). For example a hospital that advocates for abortions in a society that does not encourage the same can be said to be in institutional deviance because it does not fulfill the needs of the society.

• Foreign policy

            This is an institution that is responsible for ensuring that the society is safe and secure from harm especially from outside risks (Neves et al 165). This can mostly be in form of attacks from other countries where the government provides security for the residents. This is done to protect the interests of the Society. It is vital to note that some nations use threats and violence in order to relate with the neighboring countries (Neves et al 167). This is done to instill fear to the other country and especially if the nation is more empowered than the other. It is also important to note that some use negotiations to initiate peace.

            It is vital to note that in places where there are wars or international conflicts the society is not at peace (Neves et al 170). This is what causes then to flee to other countries to become refugees. It is evident that nations that are experiencing war are not able to meet the needs of foreign policy and therefore institutional deviance.

• Culture

            This is an institution that is responsible for ensuring that values, knowledge and ethics are transferred from one generation to the next (Bagchi et al 60). This is achieved from communication. With the world becoming a global village, this has become increasingly difficult. This is because people have moved and settled in different countries (Bagchi et al 66). An example is the United States where people from all over the globe meet and some settle thus bringing in with them as aspect of their culture. This has caused the corroding and fading away of culture as most countries have become multicultural (Bagchi et al 69). This clearly shows that this societal need has not been fulfilled and is therefore termed as institutional deviance.

            From the above, it is evident that institutions have a moral obligation of ensuring that the needs of the society are met. This is done by ensuring that the laws and regulations are followed and implemented. 

Individual deviance

            This is the act or behavior that is carried out by an individual and does not conform to the law and does not meet the needs of the society (Chen et al 1894). An example is that of a person who involved in drug abuse and eventually is involved in criminal activities. This is deviance because the use of drugs is prohibited in the nation and the act of crime is also illegal. It is vital to note that all people who are involved in activities that are illegal are deviants (Chen et al 1890).

            Crime is an act of deviance that is carried out by people. This is because most of them chose to do these activities at will (Kurtz 79). It is also vital to understand that some individual deviants carry out these activities for personal gain while others are forced into carrying them out.  For instance, a person who is involved in robbery in order to satisfy their addiction can be said to be one who carries out such activities at will. This is because the individual can decide to avoid the drugs and work.

            Criminal activities in most cases affect the society. This is because they also face the risks of being killed, robbed or even assaulted (Liu et al 2713). This is to mean that the society is not at peace when the rate of crime is increasing. These acts normally disrupt the rules and regulations, the expectations and the understanding especially in the social systems (Liu et al 2715).

            It is vital to note that individual deviance can be exclusively explained as a result of mental illness or the disorganization of personality and character (Kurtz 83). It is vital to note that there is a difference between deviant behaviors and deviant roles. For example, just because someone stole something they do not qualify to be called a thief. It is evident that deviant behavior is a violation of the rules, regulations and the norms and may not have an impact on the deviant role (Marshall 398). However, it is critical to note that deviant roles are always depicted even in the absence of deviant behavior.

            It is critical to note that the social norms, rules and regulations vary from one location to another. This therefore means that a person cannot be termed to be individual deviant because of how they act but only if their behavior disrupts and violates the norms of that particular place (Marshall 352). It is clear that the behavior of an individual does not mostly depend with what the person does but rather where the behavior and activity is portrayed and how it affects the society in that place.

            While speaking of individual deviance, the social context comes into picture. This is because a particular behavior can be said to be both deviant and non-deviant (Chen et al 1895).  This will depend on the different systems that are implicated to by the individual. It is also critical to note that the society and the people to who the act or behavior is being subjected to stand to judge the individual (Chen et al 1900). However, there is always an argument because different people have different perceptions and the orientation to the rules may be different. It is clear that some people may do things that may seem to disrupt the rules without their knowledge and this creates a state of imbalance on who should determine one who is individually deviant (Chen et al 1907).

Conclusion

            Both institutional and individual deviance is interrelated due to the fact that both act on deviant behaviors or actions. It is vital to note that in both cases moral ethics is of great importance because it is directly revealed through behavior. However, the rules, regulations and social norms should be clearly states and known by all people in order to ensure that the relevant risks are minimized.

            It is also vital to understand that when an institution fails to meet the needs that brought it into existence, then it means that it is corrupt. This is because the laws and regulations that were put to ensure existence are not followed. It is also evident that all people that do not conform to the rules and regulations in the society are corrupt as well.

Work Cited

 

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