Write a 8 page essay on Deviance and Social Control: Drug Usage in United Kingdom.Download file to see previous pages... Any deviation from them is deviance. The nature of social norms in a given soci

Write a 8 page essay on Deviance and Social Control: Drug Usage in United Kingdom.

Any deviation from them is deviance. The nature of social norms in a given social milieu determines the acceptable and unacceptable levels of social behaviour. The intolerable and unacceptable part of social conduct is branded as "deviance" or "deviant behaviour". The utterly improper instances of social behaviour have to be subjected to social control. The nature of social norms is the primary yardstick to unfold generally acceptable standards of social behaviour. Transgression of these norms enters into the realm of deviance. Socially unacceptable behaviour requires the use of social control for social harmony and societal health and cohesion.

The nature of socially acceptable norms differs from society to society and place to place - at times - from family to family also. Reasonable or permissible consumption of alcohol is necessary almost daily in colder regions of the world like United Kingdom and others. In quite a few other warmer regions and their highly traditional societies, on the other hand, alcohol consumption is a social taboo not only in routine life but also during religious and other festivals. This is specially true in traditional Indian Hindu families and conventional Chinese Buddhist households. However, modern Hindu and Buddhist homes have now come to terms with alcohol in their routine life styles.

Need for Social Control

Standards of deviant behaviour differ according to time, place, societal practices and familial understanding at a given moment ant social environment. Indeed, certain questions emerge here. Is deviance, as it were, in the eyes of the beholder? How to judge who is a deviant? Who are to be considered as deviants? ...

Indeed, certain questions emerge here. Is deviance, as it were, in the eyes of the beholder How to judge who is a deviant Who are to be considered as deviants Who will decide who is a deviant Do deviants threaten normal social existence and behaviour Is deviance socially bad Is it necessary to have social control of deviant behaviour

Every human person is an original being with personality specific distinctive traits. As such, for every individual every other person may appear to be a deviant person. However, the concept of deviance is mainly a social concept involving social norms and behaviour. An individual's distinctiveness and idiosyncrasies are not in its purview as long as they do not affect social perspectives, norms and order. Despite this, it is true to a great extent that 'deviance lies in the eyes of the beholder'. Beholders here are society, social norms and law of the land - law as derivative of established social norms and behaviour.

Deviance is an area where law does not prove to be meaningfully effective. Deviance is often a socially dangerous practice adhered to as a matter of habit formation and not so much as a crime or criminal behaviour. No doubt, long term effects of threatening deviant behaviour like addiction to drugs on an increasing scale can be more hazardous than the murder of an individual. Yet, deviance is not so easy for law of the land to deal with without social control of behaviour.

Deviance Defined

Non-conformity of behaviour to established social norms is deviance. Deviance is ideational and behavioural both. This scale of non-conformity can vary from location to location and even otherwise also. In United Kingdom it may be different in comparison to Spain and Italy etcetera.