Deivance in the News
This assignment asks you to write a sociological analysis of a report about deviance. The objective of the research is to determine the extent to which norms influence behavior and how norm violation is perceived in our society. Thus, you will pay particular attention on how the deviance was described in your chosen article. This assignment involves core concepts that you find in Chapter 7. Make sure that you have reviewed this chapter before writing your final report.
STEP 1: Find a current article about a deviant act that has been committed within the past few weeks. These deviant acts could either be positive or negative. Examples of deviant actscriminal behaviors, heroic behaviors, hoarding, Samaritan acts, etc. You can also look at acts institutions/ organizations have done that would be considered “deviant” acts. Articles should be a minimum of 500 words, recent (within three-six weeks), relevant (related to social conformity, deviance, and social control), and from a reputable news source (the KSUTC library as well as your public libraries provide free access to national news sources). You should not Google “deviance” to find a current events article; rather, check reputable online news sources or an actual article about a deviant behavior. There are always major deviant acts each week that make the national and local news.
STEP 2: Write a thorough summary of the article. This means that the summary should be at quite detailed. Summary, however, should not be more than one page.
STEP 3: Using your sociological imagination, write an analysis of the article that connects the main idea/s of the article to 5 specific key terms and 1 theory we have discussed in Chapter 7 – Deviance, Conformity, and Social Control.”
Use the following outline for your analysis:
Format to use:
I. Write a thorough summary of the article (not more than one page)
II. Sociological Analysis of the report
A. What was the norm that was violated? Describe briefly how this norm helps one determine how to act in a social setting. That is, what is the function of the norm for society in general?
B. Which deviance theory do you think can best explain the public’s reactions to this norm violation? Explain why.
C. Relate the article’s report about this deviance to at least FIVE sociological concepts we have studied in Chapter 7. (*note: in this analysis, make sure to highlight the key terms)
D. Write a conclusion for your paper by stating what you learned about how is deviance perceived in society?
STEP 4: Include the link to your article, check for any writing errors, and submit your article with your response paper.
