Deviant Behavior Emergence Essay

Deviancy has been defined as the actual shift from a standard-norm conforming behavior towards a direct behavior alteration that is not accepted by society or viewed as unacceptable by the minor cultures. People who engage in defying acts are seen as having low self-control. They engage in many conventional behaviors, but due to low self-control, they are predisposed to committing deviancy if opportunities arise. This explanation explains all types of deviant behavior (Hunter & Dantzker, 2005 p. 53). Deviant behaviors are deemed to arise out of environmental etiologies that stimulates the intrinsic character of an individual, which in the end, results to behavioral deviation. Such scenario is evident in specific events in life that most of the time due to adaptation and societal strain implicated in these deviating individuals (Holmes, Maahs & Vito, 2007 p. 67). Discussion Adaptation is one of man’s greatest capacity and need in order to survive the ever-changing structure of the society. Such change causes strains through events or environmental stressors that facilitate as an alarm for adaptation to begin, which, consequently, cause deviancies (Hunter & Dantzker, 2005 p. 153; Holmes, Maahs & Vito, 2007 p. 77). Such causation is better explained by the theoretical angles of strain theory, which connotes the contribution of societal strain and pressure. The socio-cultural domain of every individual recognizes the absolute need to adapt to strains in order to progress to success or conditions of fulfillment (Siegel & Senna, 2004 p. 14). Strain theory talks about the causation of crimes not directly because of strain but due to failure in tolerating these kinds of stimuli. They are both result of negative impregnation of environmental pressures that in the end leads the client vulnerable to breakdown (Holmes, Maahs & Vito, 2007 p. 67-68). The theory suggests that a person performs acts of deviancy not because of attachments or relationships but rather because of the pressuring strain. In criminological perspective, the crime rates, according to this theory, justify the increased criminal persona in places wherein financial depression or extreme difficulties are present (Siegel & Senna, 2004 p. 314). The last resort of the individuals is nothing but to commit crimes. In an example given, a person is ready to kill just to get the material possession that the person wants to acquire (Holmes, Maahs & Vito, 2007 p. 67). In all cases, the behavior emerges from a sequence of structural conduciveness, structural strain, generalized beliefs, precipitating factors, mobilization for action, and the breakdown of social control. Structural strain is loosely defined as ambiguities, deprivations, conflicts, and discrepancies in social structure. If in case strain does provoke collective behavior (e. g. panic, crazes and fads) in the context of other determinants, deviant behaviors result, which involves a short-circuiting of levels of social action that gives it a crude, excessive, eccentric, or impatient quality (Snow, Soule and Kriesi, 2004 p. 50). Structural strain theory traces the origins of deviance to the tensions caused by the gap between cultural goals and the means people have to achieve these goals. In society, culture establishes goals for people; social structures provide, or fail to provide, the means for people to achieve those goals. If the means to achieve goals are out of balance, deviant behavior is the result (Andersen and Taylor, 2006 p. 174) In the United States, most people place a high value on the culturally valued goal of economic success and social mobility. Americans tend to believe that anyone can achieve success-that is, they believe that all people, regardless of the circumstances into which they are born, can achieve affluence and stature (Ferrante and Wallace, p. 37). In the case wherein, a depressed community is surrounding a person, significantly full of drug addicts and negative and influencers, a person still strives to obtain moral life in spite of community pressures and sociological influence. Let us say that this person has been given a good working opportunity as well as good family relationships, the person might still withstand the implicating strain imposed by the negative environment and progress to success (Kendall, 2006 p. 213). The driving force utilized by the individual is the positive reinforcement obtained from the home environment and/or the natural desire of the individual to succeed. It is very much justified by the state of mind involved and utilized by the individual, which provides the driving force and enables adaptation to stress (Holmes, Maahs & Vito, 2007 p. 67; Kendall, 2006 p. 213). However, if the positive reinforcements break down and add up to strain, which consequently causes failure to succeed and adapt on the goals imposed, deviancy arise due to structural strain manifested in collective behaviors. Conclusion Every society presents every individual with varying stress, which involves internal and external stressors. Such conditions facilitate stress and act as the primary strain, which implicates the need for adaptation towards the implicating societal pressures. The study concludes that deviant behavioral patterns arise if such adaptive goals are not meant due to structural strain, which is evident among American society.