Deviance Control in Society

Deviance Control in Society

Societies try to control deviance by labeling people which forces a deviant status upon them and limits their opportunities. Labelling someone as mentally ill becomes a means of controlling those people who do not conform to social expectations. For instance, “mental illness” starts from being classified “crazy” after engaging in what is considered as not ‘normal’ behaviour. This classification becomes a selffulfilling prophecy, as expectations are placed on these individuals who overtime unconsciously change their behaviour due to a belief that they are supposed to act in a certain way. They tend to adopt behaviours of the stereotypical mental patient, portrayed by the mass media. As they express this stereotypical behaviour they are rewarded by enterprising psychology professionals. Since these “crazy” people exhibit a lack of power in comparison to those doing the labelling they often identify with their prescribed labels sometimes to the extent that they are removed from the society of normals and committed to a mental hospital. The diagnosis of being mentally ill carries a great stigma. Society views these people as unstable and dangerous. In addition, if these people try to return to conventional roles they are often placed under suspicion and still viewed as insane, in turn they may find it difficult to obtain employment or receive promotions. Thus the deviance itself is said to be socially constructed out of social response, because regardless of initial mental condition treating these individuals as “crazy” rather than sane can result in a lost of mental balance because society limits their opportunity to control their own work and lives. The label gives people an excuse for not taking responsibility for their actions, impacting how these people are treated, how others view them and how they view themselves. As they experience these pressures and interactions in society they gradually change their self concept and begin to view...