What is Crime and Deviance

• Crime is usually associated with behaviour that breaks the formal, written laws of a given society
• Deviance is behaviour which does not confrom to the dominant norms of pecific society
• An act can be criminal and deviant - breaking both social and legal rules eg. attacking a old lady
• An act can be deviant but not criminal - breaking social but not legal rules eg. a man wearing a dress to work
• An act can be criminal but not deviant eg. breaking the speed limit as it is illegal but not seen as breaking social rules
• Crime and deviance are believed to be socially defined behaviour - whether an act is criminal or deviant depends on the social settings in which the act takes place eg. nudity is acceptable at home in the shower but not in a public place like a supermarket - this is seen as deviant and even illegal

Criminal activities are defined by the laws of a particular society. Therefore, whether a action is seen to be criminal or deviant can depend on the time, place, social situation and culture in which it occurs:

• Time - when the act takes place eg, drinking alcohol in the morning compared to the evening. These also change over time eg. in July 2007 the UK introduced a smoking ban in public but prior to this smoking in restaurant was deviant but know it is illegal
• Place - where the act takes place eg. an adult being naked at a nudist beach compared to at a cricket match
• Social situation - the context in which the act take place eg. chanting at a funeral compared to at a football terrace
• Culture - different cultures have different expectations of appropriate behaviour eg. the use of drugs in Arab states is legal but alcohol is a serious crime