Different perspectives on whether deviance is a beneficial part of a healthy society.

... A LEVEL SOCIOLOGY Introduction Deviance is any non- conformist behaviour that is disapproved of by society or a social group, whether it is illegal or not. It is norm- breaking behaviour and can range from being eccentric to criminal activity. Deviance maybe positively sanctioned (remedies) or negatively (punished) or simply accepted or tolerated. For example a soldier on a battlefield, who risks his life beyond the call of duty, may be termed deviant, as may a scientist who breaks the rules of the discipline and develops a new theory. Their deviance may be positively sanctioned; the soldier might get a medal; the physicist the Nobel prize. In another sense, neither is deviant, since both conform to the values of their society, the soldier to the value of courage, the scientist to the value of academic progress. However some groups of deviants come from those who depart from the social norm because

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