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Social Resistance as Main Cause of Deviant Behavior

TITLE

‘The main cause of deviant behaviour is social resistance.’ Explain this view.

ESSAY

Title: The Main Cause of Deviant Behaviour is Social Resistance

Introduction
Deviant behaviour refers to actions or behaviors that depart from societal norms and values. One perspective on the main cause of deviant behaviour is social resistance, which involves social groups developing norms and values that oppose the dominant system. This essay will explore how various forms of social resistance contribute to deviant behaviour, focusing on examples such as youth subcultures, counter💥school attitudes, micro and macro resistance, cultural appropriation, gender resistance, and covert forms of resistance.

Youth Subcultures and Status Frustration
Youth subcultures, such as Teddy Boys, mods, rockers, skinheads, punks, Goths, emos, and Rastas, are examples of social groups that resist and oppose mainstream societal norms. These subcultures may be linked to status frustration, where individuals or groups experience difficulties in establishing identity and receiving status in society. By forming their own subcultural identities and values, youth subcultures engage in social resistance against the dominant system.

Counter💥School Attitudes in Education
Counter💥school attitudes, as demonstrated by Willis's study on "Lads" who subverted middle💥class educational values, also exemplify social resistance through deviant behaviour. These individuals challenge conformist behaviour and educational norms, thus resisting the dominant educational system.

Micro and Macro Resistance
Micro and macro forms of resistance play a role in deviant behaviour. For instance, individuals who Expalin as goths or listen to rap music critical of the white establishment engage in passive resistance against societal norms. On the other hand, organised movements like Rock against Racism mobilise punk culture to actively resist racist ideology. The distinction between passive and active resistance highlights the varied ways in which individuals and groups engage in social resistance through deviant behaviour.

Cultural Appropriation and Gender Resistance
Cultural appropriation, such as working💥class youth subverting dominant culture through everyday objects like safety pins, illustrates how resistance can manifest in deviant behaviour. Gender resistance, as seen in Riot grrrl zines that challenge patriarchal beauty norms, showcases how individuals use cultural appropriation to resist oppressive societal structures through deviant acts.

Overt and Covert Forms of Resistance
Holland's distinction between overt and covert resistance emphasizes that resistance can be both visible and recognised, as well as subtle and hidden. Individuals and groups engage in deviant behaviour as a form of covert resistance, challenging societal norms in ways that may not be immediately apparent but still contribute to social resistance.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the main cause of deviant behaviour can be attributed to social resistance, where individuals and groups oppose the dominant system by developing alternative norms and values. Examples such as youth subcultures, counter💥school attitudes, micro and macro resistance, cultural appropriation, gender resistance, and covert forms of resistance demonstrate the diverse ways in which social resistance manifests in deviant behaviour. By understanding the role of social resistance in deviance, we can gain insights into the complex interplay between structure and agency in shaping individuals' actions within society.

SUBJECT

SOCIOLOGY

LEVEL

A level and AS level

NOTES

The main cause of deviant behaviour is social resistance.

Explain this view:
💥 Social groups that develop norms and values different from wider society, and who resist and oppose the dominant system.
💥 Youth subcultures in particular may be linked to status frustration (links to structure and agency) and the difficulties some individuals/groups have in establishing identity and in receiving status in society. Research examples: Teddy Boys, mods and rockers, skinheads, punks, Goths, emos and Rastas.
💥 Counter💥school attitudes in education e.g. Willis’s Lads who subverted middle class educational values by devaluing conformist behaviour.
💥 Micro or passive resistance (Williams) might be goths who resist middle class values of appearance as well as setting themselves apart from the conformist mainstream; or listening to rap music that is critical of the white establishment as a form of passive resistance (Harrison).
💥 Macro or active resistance is more political and organised e.g. Rock against Racism which mobilised punk culture to oppose racist ideology. Another example could be vegan activists who join organisations to end factory farming are actively resisting, whereas people choosing not to eat meat or dairy but who rarely talk about it are passively resisting.
💥 Cultural appropriation i.e. mainly working class youth who showed resistance to the dominant culture by taking everyday objects and subverting their meaning e.g. punks and safety pins (Hebdige/Birmingham School).
💥 Gender example: Riot grrrl zines use cultural appropriation to resist patriarchal beauty norms that are oppressive to women in their magazines.
💥 Overt and covert resistance: distinction between that which is visible and recognised and that which is not (Holland).
💥 Any other reasonable point.

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