Deviance on Television - 1049 Words

Deviance on Television In sociology, the term deviance refers to behaviors or attitudes which go against certain cultural norms. It is evident that deviance is a fascinating topic not only for sociologist, but for television industry and its viewers, as well. In recent years, increasing number of shows begun to feature individuals violating every kind of social norm from folkways to taboos. The Secret Life of the American Teenager, an American television series on the ABC Family television network, is one of the many contemporary shows that portray deviant behaviors on national television. It’s intended for the target audience of teens and their families who are trying to cope in a culture where teen girls and boys are sexually active.†¦show more content†¦Her father died in a plane crash and she felt responsible for it. Anne Juergens and George Juergens got divorced, after fifteen years of marriage, because of their marital affairs. I believe that Secret Life of the American Teenager is a good series that show the relationships between families and friends, and how they deal with an unexpected teen pregnancy. It aims to reveal what is like to be a pregnant teenager and how a teen mother copes up with people’s judgments. It also aims to reveal what is like to be a mother in a very young age, and how a teen mother juggles motherhood responsibility and school responsibility. I think that the show is realistic and relevant. It is not unusual for girls to get pregnant in a very young age anymore. I personally know three teenagers that got pregnant at the age of sixteen. Watching this show reminds me of those three people. This show helps me gain a better understand on what teen mothers are going through. However, some viewers might think otherwise and disagree with me. After all, each of us has different perception on certain matter. Some viewers might think it is a dumb show and that it is not appropriate to watch, because of its explicit scenes and language. Bu t, I personally think that the series can be an eye opener or a series that people, especially teenager can learn from. The series did a great job on projecting the consequences of teenage pregnancy and how it has great effects not only to one’s self, but toShow MoreRelatedThe Sociology Of Deviance, Kai T. Erikson1563 Words   |  7 Pages In his Study in the Sociology of Deviance, Kai T. Erikson defends the point that deviant forms of behavior are a natural and beneficial part of social life. One of his main arguments is that, in our modern society, â€Å"the agencies of control often seem to define their job as that of keeping deviance within bounds rather than obliterating it altogether† (Wayward Puritans 24:2). Now, what if society gave to its agencies of control the role of annihilating deviance? What if the set of boundaries wasRead More VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA Essay782 Words   |  4 Pages Violence in the Media Violence has been a part of society ever since the days of the caves men, but only recently has television lifted its ban on the graphic depiction of violence. American children and adolescents are being exposed to increasing amounts of media violence, especially in television, movies, video games, and youth-oriented music. Video game violence, childrens cartoons, and music lyrics have become increasingly graphic. In movies, action films depict vivid precise murders, rapesRead MoreThe Learning Theory and Television Essay567 Words   |  3 Pagesnumber of television one watches. That is not to say that watching television causes violence but that there is a significant amount of correlation to warrant further research. The effects can be explained using the learning theory. The learning theory states â€Å"that deviance is learned through social interaction.† The learning theory is all about the ability of anyone to learn deviant behavior. Thats where the media would come in because it provides the deviant behavior. In the media deviance is almostRead MoreSexual Deviance Is Any Abnormal Sexual Act997 Words   |  4 PagesSexual deviance is any abnormal sexual act, behavior, or fantasy that falls outside of the social norm; however, who determines normal and for how long does that normal apply? Historically, intercourse described penile/vaginal penetration in the â€Å"missionary position† of a man and woman in marriage and was needed for procreation; incidentally, public discussion, display, or exposure met with disgust, disapproval, and rejection. The norm predominantly established through religion rallied againstRead MoreDeviance And Its Effect On Society1328 Words   |  6 Pa gesIn the United States of America, societal deviance changes nearly on a daily basis. Depending on the current culture, deviance is modified to make societal heroes like celebrities, political figures, and sport players look less deviant and more like role models for the public. The change in what is considered â€Å"normal† is customarily a result of society in general. By using a reference group of people, individuals tend to identify with those who are in the lime light. Then when that role model doesRead MoreSocial Deviance in the Media915 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Deviance in the Media Amy Hanson SOC/100 January 24, 2016 Andrea Harris I will be taking a look at how social deviance is portrayed in the media today. The television program I will be discussing is the show Cops. Cops is a reality television program that first aired in 1989 and was created by John Langley and Malcom Barbour. The show takes a raw and edgy look at social deviance through the eyes of law enforcement officials. It is unconventional, in the sense that it is unscriptedRead MoreEffect of Media and Mass Communication Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesOur society depends on the news media to provide information to help us form opinions and make voting decisions. It is clear the media has a huge impact on our culture. The media influences a number of subjects in our culture; one of which is deviance. Deviance can be described as the fact or state of diverging from usual or accepted standards within both social and sexual behaviour. Our cultures view on deviant behaviour is moulded by rules carried out by the government. It provides the basis of ou rRead MoreEssay on Deviance and Society969 Words   |  4 Pages Determining Deviance The dictionary defines deviance as the breakdown or diversion from the accepted norm or expected standards of behaviour of a society. The concept of deviance however has no standard definition, it is deemed to be culturally relative. That is to say that your culture (norms, values and morals) determine what you as an individual or your society deems deviant behaviour. Functionalist Findings on Deviance The functionalist sociologist wouldRead MoreEssay about Social Deviance1286 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Deviance Social deviance is a term that refers to forms of behavior and qualities of persons that others in society devalue and discredit. So what exactly is deviance? In this essay we are concerned with social deviance, not physiological deviations from the expected norm. In general, any behavior that does not conform to social norms is deviance; that is behavior that violates significant social norms and is disapproved of by a large number of people as a result. For societiesRead MoreThe Ever-Changing Deviant Society Essay1499 Words   |  6 Pagescharacteristics of deviance, relevancy of deviance to society, problems arising from deviance, causes of deviance and how deviance has changed throughout the years. So what, really, is deviance? According to John Macionis in Society: The Basics (2008), deviance is â€Å"the recognized violation of cultural norms†. These norms â€Å"guide virtually all human activities, [making] †¦ the concept of deviance quite broad† (Macionis, 2008). In America a cultural norm may range from watching television frequently to