science

Primary deviance

Primary deviance is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Primary deviance rather than just read about it. In short: Primary deviance is the initial stage in defining deviant behavior. Prominent sociologist Edwin Lemert conceptualized primary deviance as engaging in the initial act of deviance.

Key takeaways

Primary deviance belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Primary deviance to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Primary deviance from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Primary deviance is the initial stage in defining deviant behavior. Prominent sociologist Edwin Lemert conceptualized primary deviance as engaging in the initial act of deviance. This is very common throughout society, as everyone takes part in basic form violations. Primary deviance does not result in a person internalizing a deviant identity, so one does not alter their self-concept to include this deviant identity. It is not until the act becomes labeled or tagged, that secondary deviation may materialize. According to Lemert, primary deviance is the acts that are carried out by the individual that allows them to carry the deviant label.

Influences on primary deviant behavior

Family and home life Parental support and the influence that parents have on their children is one of the highest contributors to the behaviors in adolescents. This is the primary stage in which behaviors, morals and values are learned and adopted. The guidance from parents is intended to mold and shape the behaviors that will qualify them to properly function in society. Praise, love, affection, encouragement and many other aspects of positive enforcement are some of the largest components of parental support. However, this is not all it takes to prevent deviant behaviors from forming and occurring. Parents must enforce "effective discipline, monitoring, and problem-solving techniques." Children who come from homes where parents do not enforce positive behaviors and do not punish deviant behaviors appropriately, are children who are likely to engage in deviant behaviors. This type of bond is considered weak and cause the child to act out and become deviant."

Peers Strong parental bonds are essential to the social group that the child will choose to associate with. When there is little to no control in the home, no positive enforcement from parents, and the child does not have positive feelings towards schooling and education; they are more likely to associate with deviant peers. When associating with deviant peers, they are more accepting of deviant behaviors than if they chose another social group. This is why it is vital that the parent-child bond be strong because it will have an ultimate influence on the peers they choose and will have an influence on if they choose to engage in primary deviant behaviors as juveniles.

Sociological contributors

Frank Tannenbaum

Frank Tannenbaum theorized that primary deviant behaviors may be innocent or fun for those committing the acts, but can become a nuisance and viewed as some form of delinquency to their parents, educators and even those in law enforcement. Tannenbaum distinguished two different types of deviancy. The first one being the initial act which the child considers to be of innocence but are labeled as deviant by the adult, this label is called "primary deviancy". The second is after they have been initially labeled, that they graduate to secondary deviance, in which both the adult and child agree that they are a deviant. Tannenbaum stated that the "over dramatization" of these deviant acts can cause one to be labeled and accept the label of being a deviant. Due to them accepting this label, they will eventually graduate from being a primary deviant to a secondary deviant thus committing greater crimes.

Theoretical approaches

Labeling Theory

The most prevalent theory as it relates to primary deviance was developed in the early 1960s by a group of sociologists and was titled "labeling theory". The labeling theory is a variant of symbolic interactionism. Symbolic interactionism is "a theoretical approach in sociology developed by George Herbert Mead. It emphasizes the roles of symbols and language as core elements of human interaction. Labeling theory according, to labeling theorists, is applied by those put in place to keep law and order, such as police officers, judges; etc. Those are the people who typically label the people who have violated some law or another. The label "deviant" does not come from the person who has committed the act, but someone who is more powerful than the person being labeled. This theory has been tremendously criticized for not being able to explain what causes deviance early on. However, the labeling theory's main focus is to explain how labeling relates and can cause secondary deviance.

Anomie theory Robert Merton developed the anomie theory which was dedicated specifically to the causes of deviance. The word anomie was derived from the "Godfather of Sociology" Emile Durkheim. Anomie is "the breakdown of social norms that results from society's urging people to be ambitious but failing to provide them with legitimate opportunities to succeed". Merton theorized that society places substantial emphasis on the importance of achieving success. However, this goal is not attainable for people of all social classes. Due to the absence of resources for people of lower social classes to achieve a great level of success, Merton theorized that people are forced to commit deviant acts. Merton has labeled the deviants behavior's as innovation.

Social learning theory The social learning theory theorizes that deviant behavior is learned through social interactions with other people. Edwin Sutherland developed an explanation for this theory which explains how one learns deviant behavior. This explanation is called differential association.

Differential association Differential association theorizes that "If an individual associates with people who hold deviant ideas more than with people who embrace conventional ideas, the individual is likely to become deviant." The person that is presenting the deviant act is not always necessarily the deviant. The emphasis of differential association is that if someone is presented with the opportunity they will likely commit the act. Although someone may associate with both deviants and those who hold conventional ideas, if the deviant contacts outweigh the conventional contacts then deviancy is likely to occur. Differential Association's main key point refers particularly to the association aspect. Differential Association is theorized to be "the cause of deviance".

Example of primary deviance

Charles Manson

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Primary deviance: George Herbert Mead — George Herbert Mead

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Primary deviance

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Primary deviance claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Primary deviance before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Primary deviance ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Primary deviance

In research: Primary deviance appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Primary deviance in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Primary deviance is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Criminology, Deviance (sociology), Sociological theories, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Primary deviance outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Primary deviance in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Primary deviance means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Primary deviance out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Primary deviance in simple terms?

Primary deviance is the initial stage in defining deviant behavior. Prominent sociologist Edwin Lemert conceptualized primary deviance as engaging in the initial act of deviance.

Why does Primary deviance matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Primary deviance?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Primary deviance.