Positive Deviance

The word deviance and acts of deviant behavior are overwhelmingly associated with negativity. Although most sociologists would argue that deviance is socially constructed and that a deviant behavior is one that is misaligned with a society, culture, or other group's norms, the word conjures up delinquency, weirdness, or other undesirable or unconventional behavior. However, nontraditional behavior is not always negative. In fact, some nonnormative behaviors are quite positive. For example, although safety is a public norm, some individuals run into burning buildings to save lives. Therefore, even though this goes against all rules of safety enforced by parents, peers, and public safety officials, these individuals deviate from the safety norm in a positive way. There has been a debate among sociologists as to whether the term positive deviance is useful. Nonetheless, to understand the full spectrum of human behavior, studying this type of deviation from the norm is necessary.

All categories of deviance are some combination of the interaction between norms and the reaction to the violation of these norms. That is, the concept of deviance is not only characterized by a violation of normative expectations but also by the reaction of audiences, specifically the people's evaluation of the behavior. That is, an individual may conform, overconform, underconform, or not conform at all (nonconformity) to the norms of a group or society. In addition, the level of conformity a person adheres to can be met with positive or negative social evaluations.

When individuals conform, they change an action or belief due to real or imagined group pressure. This does not necessarily involve private acceptance of the norm. That is, individuals can conform behaviorally (often without consciously recognizing the change in themselves), yet they may not internalize the change in their attitudes. An example of this is the behavior of teenagers in high school. Boys and girls often change their behaviors to fit into a particular clique, but the individual may privately reject the change. Conformity levels vary greatly from person to person and among different situations, actions, and beliefs.

Most underconformists or nonconformists, such as the thief or the illicit drug user, are judged negatively in our culture. However, there are some underconformists or nonconformists who, depending on the audience, might be viewed positively. A gang member in a particular community, who breaks the law to provide for his or her community, is an example of this type of deviant.

Most sociological research on deviance has been conducted on underconformists or nonconformists. There are relatively fewer studies conducted on overconformity. Overconformity involves going beyond societal normative expectations. An example of negatively valued overconformity in American society is the school overachiever, sometimes referred to as a dork or geek. This student is an incessantly studious person and is often ridiculed by his or her peers. Alternatively, some individuals overconform to the delight of an audience. Positive deviance is overconformity that is positively evaluated. When an individual's behavior exceeds the expectations of others in ways that people admire, it fits the definition of [Page 536]positive deviance. Out of the ordinary acts, particularly those that are self-sacrificing, fit this category. Therefore, religious figures are often placed in the positive deviance category due to their unwavering gifts to humanity. Other examples of positive deviants include the following: virginity pledgers, Olympic athletes, and war heroes.

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