Deviation from Social Norms

• Social Norms

  Unwritten behavioural expectations that vary dependent on culture, time and context
• Social Deviants


  Break norms of society, seen as abnormal
• Examples of High Cultural Specificty:

  • Homosexuality
  • Religous Experiences
  • Public displays of Emotion
• (+) A03: No Culture Bias


  Social Norms don't pose a Western culture bias, not an ethnocentric way of diagnosis
• (-) A03: Moving Cultures

  Defining people who move to new cultures as abnormal is inappropriate

  • Afro-Carribean background in UK are 7x more likely to be diagnosed with Schizophrenia