Interactionism And Deviance

When thinking of deviance, sociologists tend to define it as any act which breaks a culture’s norms. However, what makes an act truly deviant is determined by the negative reaction the act receives. It is important to note that what one society may perceive as deviance, another society may see as conformity (154). For example, a giving someone a thumbs up in the United States is a friendly gesture, and would be received with a positive reaction. But in some places, such as the Middle East, Russia, and Greece, this gesture is considered insulting, and as a result, it is received negatively (Hoeller). Let’s look at how the three theoretical approaches view deviance. The symbolic Interactionist perspective considers three separate theories. One,