Deviant Pizza Guy

Deviant Pizza Guy

               

     As I discussed in my first blog “Deviant Pranksters,” I have realized that context seems to be a recurring theme in deviance. Deviance occurs in the household, at the workplace, everywhere essentially. Deviant acts also differ depending on who you are, and how society views you. With that in mind I made it my goal to observe everyone I encountered throughout the week. Yes, that includes me, using the “Theories of Deviance,” I have been able to identify some of the small qualities that lump me into the deviant category.

In order to assess my level of deviance, I broke my research into two categories. I decided to look at my upbringing and my current lifestyle to date, in order to better explain how deviance plays into my life. The Shaming Theory has really played a large part in my upbringing. As John Braithwaite discusses, “The best place to see reintegrative shaming at work is in loving families” (Braithwaite 33). My parents have always set the pathway for me and to stray away from it would be a deviant behavior in itself. So for the most part I have gone in the general direction my parents set for me. My parent’s views aren’t uncommon an view either “don’t drink, don’t smoke, and go to school,” generally speaking. So I go to school and keep my master status of being a student, and I also enjoy drinking a few brews too. So my parents have learned to deal rather than shame me, because it could be worse.

Another Deviance theory that seems to be applied to my life is the labeling theory. Outside of being a student I have been training the past 5 years in Bodybuilding. I chose bodybuilding because I enjoy gaining muscle and improving my physicality. With having this as my hobby I have been given many labels. For example before competition you have to tan a lot, simply because darker skin reveals more cuts in the muscle groups. As you see in the competition photo below I am about ten shades darker than I am now. People often poke fun and call me the “Jersey Shore type.” According to the labeling theory “The deviant is one whom that label has successfully been applied.” With that in mind I was able to conclude that the labeling theory is directly linked with my life outside of being a student. 

                This past week I have made it my goal to break as many social norms as I can, at as many places as I could. Limited by school and work I was forced to do the majority of the deviant behavior at work. One of the main things I tried to do was invade peoples’ personal space. In Europe and other countries the idea of personal space is much smaller than in the states. Even standing a little too close to someone can make a person feel very uncomfortable. So when talking with my co workers I tried to stand as close to them as I could before they would say anything. After making the majority of the crew mad, I was beginning to get sick of the idea of being a deviant in the workplace. People just flat out stopped talking to me until I told them what I was doing. It was really interesting to see how the crew banded together with the irritation of my behaviors. I would suggest to everyone to partake in doing a deviant act at least once, for a valuable learning experience.
                                                                        

Work Cited

Becker, Howard S. Labeling Theory. Sixth. The Free Press, 1963.

Braithwaite, John. Shaming Theory. New York: Cambridge University Press.

In Class Notes/Discussion in the weeks of Jan 29-Feb 2.

Word Count 622