Deviance

What is Deviant? As this explanation states it is departing from the norm.  This may explain why this story of cannibalism wasn't deemed as deviant behavior; it was life or death and all of the survivors agreed that, that was the plan; in this given situation that was the norm. But the norms in our society are not the norms in another society in which case some people may view this cannibalistic situation as deviant behavior because it is different and the people in this tribe are not fighting for their lives like the men whose plane crashed in the Andes.  The individuals here hardly seem harmful put as they stated this tribe uses cannibalism as a form of punishment.  Is this any worse than the death penalty? Humiliating the deviant individuals in our society?

Exerts from the book Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviants may provide us with some more clues about how we decide what is deviant and therefor what is normal behavior.

Deviance is a word with a negative connotation but think about it, Martin Luther King is probably the most famous deviant still today!  His famous 'I Have a Dream' speech was considered a crime by many of his time but look where it has brought us today!  Susan B. Anthony  worked for womens right and while also trying to free the slaves, Emily Murphy whose life work was to make a woman count as a person, Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated her life to human rights, Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official fought for the rights and acceptance of homosexuals; these are examples of people who have participated in deviant behavior to better the world and our society.

These examples of deviants show how Durkheim saw deviance as being functional to society and provides a 'sense of solidarity.'

What is deviant behavior to our society may not be deviant to another and the things that we consider deviant may actually be leading us in a new, positive direction.