Deviant Behavior: Cursing Equals Deviance

Cursing Equals Deviance Within the last twenty-one days I committed several deviant acts. Some happened to be miniscule while others happened to be a little more substantial. Deviance is “a behavior, trait, belief, or other characteristic that violates a norm and causes a negative reaction” (Ferris and Stein, 2016, p. 151). Thus, I have committed a deviant behavior that resulted in plenty of negative reactions and responses. Last week, while working with my coworkers in our student room, I accidently dropped a heavy box I was transferring from one room to another. When I dropped the box it landed on my foot and unfortunately I was wearing sandals. Meaning the box,
97). Due to my socialization in society I have learned what is acceptable and not acceptable, so I know my cursing was most definitely an act of deviant behavior even though it was an accident. The agents of socialization are “social groups, institutions, and individuals that provide structured situations in which socialization takes place” (Ferris and Stein, 2016, p. 107). Consequently, my peers (coworkers/employer) acted as an agent of socialization to correct yours truly when I was at fault, presuming it would do me well. They informed me on how unkind language is not tolerable at work, especially inside of the church. Not only did my coworkers correct myself abruptly, but my employer sanctioned me as well. Sanctions are “positive or negative reactions to the ways that people follow or disobey norms” in addition to “rewards for conformity and punishments for violations” (Ferris and Stein, 2016, p. 80). Furthermore, my employer wrote me up which left a strike on my employee record. A secondary group sanctioned myself personally, which are the “larger, less intimate groups” rather than close primary groups (Ferris and Stein, 2016, p. 123). In addition, groups are “a collection of people who share some attributes and interests with each other” (Ferris and Stein, 2016, p. 123) insinuating my coworkers and