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Chapter 6 Deviance Defining Deviance 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 widely across cultures, time, and situations. Deviance across Cultures It is important to remember that when sociologists use the term "deviant," they are making a social judgment, never a moral one. If a particular behavior is considered deviant, it means that it violates the values and norms or a particular group, not that it is inherently wrong. Much of the literature on deviance focuses on crime and how different cultures define very different behaviors as criminal or not and the vast differences seen in how crimes are punished. Theories of Deviance
