Deviance is a behavior, trait, belief, or other characteristic that violates a norm and causes a negative reaction in a group. The definition of deviance varies considerably across cultures, times and situations. Some of the different deviances that our culture faces are: body modifications, being overweight, etc. Personally, I've been treated like a freak because from high school until now in collage, I've had a mohawk on and off. This isn't extreme when it comes to the world of deviance, but it was nonetheless an experience that changed my view of how people are judged. When sociologists use the word “deviant”, they are making a social judgment but never a moral one. judgement. If a particular behavior is considered deviant, it means that it goes against the normal values ​​of a particular group, but it is not necessarily that it is inherently bad. In short, it means that a person is different from the culture they live in or are in. A considerable number of academic articles on deviance focus on crimes and how different cultures label very different acts criminal or how crimes are punished. For example, in our culture, women can go out alone, but in the Middle East, they must be accompanied by a man and can be punished. Some of the different theories of deviance are as follows. Functionalists debate that deviance contributes to a social function by illuminating moral boundaries and encouraging social cohesion. While conflict theorists believe that a society's inequalities are reproduced in its definitions of deviance, such that less powerful groups are more likely to be considered deviant and criminalized. In Merton's structural tension theory, it is stated that tension or tension between socially acceptable environments...... middle of article...... leads to these patterns of criminal behavior. There is an ongoing debate about the role of punishment in the criminal system. justice system, a set of social institutions that create and enforce laws. Deterrence is a method of punishment that relies on the threat of a strict punishment to discourage individuals from committing crimes. Retribution is a method of punishment that emphasizes revenge or vengeance for the crime as the appropriate goal. Incapacitation is a method of punishment that aims to defend society against criminals by imprisoning or executing them. Finally, rehabilitation is an approach to punishment that attempts to reform criminals as part of their sentence. Positive deviance concerns actions that are well thought out and deviant in a given situation, but are then reinterpreted as appropriate. And it can lead to a positive change in social norms in a culture..