You will choose to analyse either social media or traditional media, and write a 2000-word critical analysis identifying where groups, individuals or social acts are categorised as deviant. As part of your analysis, identify at least one norm and/or value, and examine how and why the norm and/or value has been broken. You should also focus on one label you identified in the media and discuss the prevalence of the label and the impact it has on society. For a breakdown on how to complete this assignment, see the following steps.
Step 1: Choosing your media type
Review this list of Assignment 2 concepts….
Norms, values and labels
In sociological terms, norms are practices and beliefs that contain what we think are “common-sense” views about the world but which may not necessarily be shared by all groups in our society.
Norms are made acceptable because they become associated with a set of values. Values are closely held ideologies about what is “right & wrong”. Values are moral guides that are adhered to because they show society those states of mind that underpin and enforce what makes society cohesive. Values tend to be held close to one’s personal sense of integrity and are defended more stoutly than a norm.
Norms (& values) are also reinforced through a practice known as labelling. Labelling is like it sounds; we identify people who are challenging normative practices and we identify them by their transgression and label them with their transgression. This is generally used to curtail, control or constrain these people from engaging in non-normative practices. Labelling is therefore generally considered critical in order to control normative transgressions, but it may also be positive in order to reward positively challenging normativity.
choose from one of the two following types of media:
Traditional media: Look at online or print media news sources (e.g. The Age, Herald Sun) or magazines for media items that show evidence of or discuss the breaking of values or norms.
Social media: Look at Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ or other forms of social media for people discussing or judging acts that breach norms or values. You may find people discussing or complaining about other users breaking social norms or values.
Step 2: Selecting your article and identifying your norm/value and label
Based on your chosen media type, select one article where you can identify a group, individual or social act that has been represented as deviant, one norm and/or value that is being broken and one label that is being applied as a consequence.
example articles:
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-hypocrisy-of-barnaby-joyce-is-stunning-20180212-p4z03k.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/women-s-rights-iran-arrested-motorbike-motorcycle-revolutionary-religious-values-dezful-video-harrassment-a7527051.html
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/federal-budget/budget-2017-substance-abuse-crackdown-and-random-tests-for-dole-bludgers/news-story/20f0568f9d750c97bf7e5eafde05285a
Step 3: Writing your analysis
To provide an in-depth critical analysis, ensure that you are presenting different theoretical perspectives on your chosen norm and/or value and how the label is then applied.
Provide an overview of the issue/social group in question, its background, the media it appears in, and the nature of the group/individual/journalist/politician, etc. presenting the issue, which will give you the opportunity to assess whether deviance is re-emerging as a useful or harmful social category.
Identify and explain the norm and/or value and how and why it is considered normative and the purpose of its status. Explain why the media item is suggesting that it has been broken. This, obviously, will be relative (based on the extremity of the view presented and the media that’s hosting it) and should be assessed in terms of its reception and the countervailing views.
Discuss what label had been applied, and the implications of this labelling.
Is the breaking of norms or values being highlighted to attract a labelling process? That is, does it allow someone in a powerful position the ability to identify an action that they want to highlight by drawing society’s attention to it? Do they do this by placing it in a category that draws attention to the action?
The norm that you choose may not be part of the social consensus but may in fact be a part of a minority view or subculture, so don’t feel that you have to present ‘socially sanctioned’ norms. Feel free to present normative examples from your social world that highlight possibilities for broadening our understanding of normativity.
Please note that individual crimes of an extreme nature (murder, rape, terrorism) will always be deviant so it’s probably best to set them aside.
Ensure you use at least one sociological theory from your eText to focus your analysis (e.g. normative, control, functionalist, labelling perspectives).
eText : Deviance, Conformity and Control (Custom Editicixon eBook)
By: Sharon Roach Anleu
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