What if a person you know refuses to take a bath or to brush his teeth? What if your female friends kiss affectionately in public? What if a friend walks along the beach in the nude? Are these behavior normal or deviant? How do you know if a person is engaged in a normal behavior or he is a deviant?
What is normal or deviant is dictated by culture or more precisely the norms and values of one’s culture. The culture defines which acts are considered normal and which acts are considered to deviate from the normal behavior. It is the yardstick that measures which actions are acceptable and which actions are not. Thus, in determining whether a behavior is normal or deviant it is not enough to talk about what a person did. It is also essential to find out about the social and cultural context of the person’s behavior.
For example, in Europe there is nothing scandalous about two female individuals passionately kissing each other in public. The same is true in many western countries where nude beach is allowed. However, in countries like Asia it is highly scandalous to see women passionately kissing in public. Nude beach is also not allowed in many Asian countries where it is considered immoral and scandalous. In fact, a person who walks in the nude on a beach could be arrested in these countries for engaging in scandalous behavior.
It follows that normal or deviant behavior is not necessarily about the individual or his behavior. Rather it is an issue of whether the behavior is in accordance wit the existing social rules or norms in the location where the behavior is exhibited. If a person wants to know whether a behavior is normal or deviant it is necessary to determine from what point of view the behavior is being judged. If the behavior takes place in a group or society where the behavior is the norm then it is normal. But if the behavior takes place in a group or society where the behavior is considered deviant then it is a deviant behavior.
Therefore, normal behavior can be defined as the behavior of an individual which conforms to the rules or norms of the society or group in which it occurs. Meanwhile, a deviant behavior refers to the behavior that fails to conform to the rules or norms of the group in question.
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