Deviance, Dying As

The word deviance is derived from the Latin verb deviare, meaning “to deviate.” To deviate is to extend outside the parameters of normative expectation. Dying as deviance, then, is a death that occurs in other than an expected condition, manner, or situation. This entry explores this unique concept within the context of death and the human experience. Thus an analysis of deviance addresses several issues relating to who deviates; from what these individuals deviate; what deathrelated actions constitute deviation; and how society reacts to death perceived as a deviant act.

Because deviance is understood to be outside the realm of the expected, the concept of deviance is a distinctly human affair. Predicated on the expectation that certain behaviors and attitudes are to be followed, behavior that is contrary to expectation elicits a negative response. It is important to note, however, that what constitutes deviant behavior for some is not necessarily deviance for all. As the postmodernist world becomes more tolerant of diverse perspectives, the interpretation of the seriousness and importance of deviance may become more difficult and differentiation between difference and deviance more problematic. On the other hand, the impact of national strategies to address perceived terrorist threats may influence behaviors and attitudes in a direction of national solidarity and, consequently, toward a more universally standardized expectation of behavior. Not all deviance is considered to be serious, though some deviant acts are viewed as both deviant and wrong because they violate social norms agreed upon and upheld by virtually all societal members. Other deviant acts may be interpreted as wrong by some and not by others.

Deviant death presupposes a culturally specific set of beliefs, values, and norms that are, in some way, violated through the experience of death. Such experience includes those who die as well as individuals who, while in close proximity, may be a participant in lifesaving or death-inducing acts or be among those who observe the death.

Explanations of Dying as Deviance

A variety of sociopsychological explanations are useful for understanding and interpreting dying as deviance. Statistical deviance means that the form of deviance occurs infrequently. This could include desirable spontaneous remission from a terminal or chronic disease or an undesirable diagnosis of a particularly rare disease. This framework is without a moral sense of deviance and simply serves as a measure of occurrence.

An absolutist concept of deviance presupposes that certain behaviors and/or attitudes are simply [Page 363]inherently and intrinsically wrong. This perspective assumes full societal agreement on what is, and is not, deviant. Laws are viewed by some as a codified response to certain kinds of serious deviance. Others argue that such laws are developed to protect the interests of the privileged and powerful.

The symbolic interactionist perspective holds that deviance is so defined through interpretation; that is, the act is perceived by others to be deviant. When an act has meaning, that meaning is socially constructed through different or conflicting interpretations of the same behavior. For the symbolic interactionist, the social world is filled with symbols that are meaningful, but these symbols are, to an extent, fluid in their use/application. For example, death of enemy targets caused by military personnel during active warfare is defined and interpreted as desirable, whereas death caused by military personnel during a barroom brawl is defined in a significantly different way. Thus dying is likely to be interpreted differently depending on the context in which dying occurs.

...