DFSN

• A person is seen as abnormal if their thinking or behaviour violates these  unwritten rules (social norms) about what is  acceptable, is unexpected by other group members or offends in some way the other members of that society/ social group.
• P- One issue with the deviation from social norms definition of abnormality is the idea of cultural  relativism.
• E- Social norms differ between cultures  and what is considered normal in one culture may  be abnormal in another.
• E- For example, in  approximately 75 countries in the world  homosexuality is still illegal, and therefore  considered abnormal. 
• L- However, in the rest of the  world homosexuality is considered normal. The  result of this is that there is no global standard for defining behaviour as abnormal and therefore  abnormality is not standardised.
• Defines abnormal behaviours as any behaviour that breaks or goes against the social norms of society. 

  Social norms are defined as moral standards or rules that are set up by society. They inform people about how they are expected to behave. If people do not behave in this way they would be defined as abnormal. 
• Social norms can be classified as being either implicit or explicit. We can therefore determine whether or not a behaviour is abnormal based on if they break an implicit or explicit rule. 
• Implicit rules

  Implicit rules, if broken are more associated with deviance. These rules are usually unspoken and so not officially documented.
• Explicit rules

  Explicit rules are broken through direct violation of written laws. People who break these laws are seen to be criminal.
• A further limitation is that the views of society, which is central to this definition in determining which behaviours are considered acceptable, change over time.  For example, until 1973 homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder due to it deviating from the social norms whereas now it is much more socially accepted and therefore no longer seen as an abnormal behaviour.  This is a limitation because behaviours that may be regarded as deviant or criminal by one generation yet years later may be seen as acceptable by the next.This would therefore impact on how abnormal behaviour are defined and so the definition lacks temporal validity as opinions change over time.
• What is a limitation of defining abnormal behaviors using deviation from social norms?

  It is culture specific
• How do social norms vary?

  They depend on the culture's views
• How might the same behavior be perceived differently in various cultures?

  It may break social norms in some cultures
• What behavior may be considered socially accepted in one culture but not in another?

  Hearing voices
• On the other hand, a  strength of deviation from social norms is that it’s a useful tool to help identify abnormal behavior. For instance, the key defining characteristics of antisocial personality disorder is the failure to conform to culturally normal ethical behaviour i.e. recklessness, aggression and deceitfulness.  These signs of the disorder are all deviations from social norms suggesting that this definition is useful to help diagnose psychological disorders.This is a strength as it demonstrates that deviation from social norms as a diagnostic tool has real life application, especially since it is widely used in clinical practice during the early stages of diagnosis. Therefore it has value in the world of psychiatry, meaning that deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality has high credibility.
• What condition might hearing voices meet criteria for in some cultures?

  Schizophrenia
• Who conducted research on the diagnosis of Schizophrenia among Afro-Caribbean immigrants?

  Cochrane
• What did Cochrane's research find about Afro-Caribbean immigrants in the UK?

  They were more likely diagnosed as Schizophrenics
• Why were Afro-Caribbean immigrants diagnosed with Schizophrenia according to Cochrane's findings?

  Their talking to spirits was seen as hallucinations
• What is a problem with defining abnormal behaviors across different cultures?

  There are inconsistencies in behaviors considered abnormal
• What issue does the variability of social norms across cultures raise?

  Problems with cross-cultural validity
• Why can't deviation from social norms provide a universal explanation for abnormality?

  It may not accurately explain all cultures