Positive Deviance
Deviance is defined as “behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society.” Criminal behavior is considered deviant but not all deviant behavior is criminal. Everyone has engaged in deviance at one time or another, though it may not have been criminal. Deviance may involve simply violating a folkway such as coming to class in evening attire or wearing stiletto heels on a beach. It may involve loud belching during dinner when a friend invites you to share a family meal. (In some cultures that is acceptable but not generally in the U.S.) Everyone has engaged in deviance at one time or another, though it may not have been criminal.
Positive deviance is a concept that is rarely addressed in introductory sociology books although the definition provided by Schaefer applies to it, too, as it is behavior that violates expectations of a group or society, only positive deviance sets itself apart by exceeding expectations, thus violating them. It can be regarded as going in the opposite direction of criminal behavior. Criminal behavior violates expectations to one extreme (negatively) and positive deviance violates behavior to the other extreme.
For instance, two historical figures have been noted for their positive deviance: Dr. Martin Luther King for his stance on non-violence even when he was repeatedly the victim of extremely harsh violence, and Mother Teresa for devoting her life to helping those sick and abandoned, while willingly exposing herself to fatal diseases as she mingled among them.
Assignment Objectives:
This assignment requires you to engage in
Acts of Positive Deviance
(AOPD)and to then critique (analyze) the interactions.
Measurable Objectives Follow.
At the end of this assignment, students should be able to perform the following tasks:
1. Discuss the concept of positive deviance and how it impacts (encourages, impedes
etc.) social situations.
2. Explain how your age, sex, race, etc. and that of the
recipient influence the outcome of positive deviance.
3. Demonstrate how to “think sociologically” by analyzing each situation involving
positive deviance using sociological concepts, theories, and terminology such as the
social construction of reality, dominant ideology, impression management, etc.
4. Explain how/if this experiment on positive deviance challenges ethnocentric points
of view regarding negative (deviant) labels of some categories of individuals and
groups.
Assignment
1. You are required to conduct three (3) acts of positive deviance (AOPD) between the
present and the due date for this assignment. AOPD may be synonymous with
random acts of kindness.
Note: I expectyou to stretch beyond your comfort zones for this assignment. Please
do not identify acts such as "I made up the bed for my sister" or "I took out the trash for my brother since he
was running late for his class." I expect you to really s-t-r-e-t-c-h but stay safe,
2. Only one (1) AOPD can be directed toward a family member, a friend or someone you know. Consider
this as a “warm-up” for the remainder of the experiment.
3. The other AOPDs must be directed toward strangers.
4. One AOPD must involve a person of a race or ethnicity different from your own and cannot
involve a classmate.
5. Please be cautious. There are someunacceptable situationssuch as offering/accepting rides
with strangers; approaching strangers in isolated or sparsely-populated areas;
becoming too personal with strangers. Your goal is to use an innocuous, common sense
approach.
6. Do not repeat AOPD.
7. Do not plan in advance what you are going to do in each case. Try to make some of
these AOPD truerandomacts of kindness.
8. You must keep a journal to chronicle your experiences. Journal
entries should address the following foreachof your AOPD:
A. Description of your AOPD.
B. Why you chose to do this particular act.
C. How you felt while doing the AOPD andwhy?
D. How did the recipient react? Speculate as to why.
E. How do you think the age, sex, race (and possibly social class) of the recipient, as well as your own,
affected the situation?
F. You mustdiscuss(not just mention) at least four (4) relevant
sociological terms, concepts, and theories in analyzing your AOPD.
10. Required length of paper 3½ - 4 page paper based on your critique (analysis) of your journal
entries.
Grading:
You will be graded on the degree of completion of the 3 AOPD, the requirements in
8A-8F, and adherence to rules of writing (grammar, sentence/paragraph organization and structure, punctuation.)
1. Completion of four (3) AOPD andall(8A-8F) requirements. 40-50 pts.
(Add’l points deducted for failure to adhere to rules of grammar, etc.)etc.)
2.Completion of four (3) AOPD; included items 8 A-8E, but partial8F. 30-39pts.
(Add’l points deducted for failure to adhere to rules of grammar, etc.)
3.Completion of three (3) AOPD; included 8A-8E, but no 8F. 20-29
pts.
(Add’l points deducted for failure to adhere to rules of grammar, etc.)
4. Completion of (2) AOPD; included 8A-8E, partial to no 8F. 10-19 pts.
(Add’l points deducted for failure to adhere to rules of grammar, etc.)
5. Completion of (1) AOPD; included 8A-8E, partial to no 8F. 1-9 pts.
(Add’l points deducted for failure to adhere to rules of grammar, etc.)
6. Completion of (0) AOPD. 0 pts.
Required length of paper: Equivalence of 3½