deviation from social norms

• definition


  abnormal behaviour is seem as a deviation from unstated rules about how one “ought” to behave. anything that violates these rules is considered abnormal.

  often in place for good reason, some rules implicit, others governed by law
• AO3 susceptible to abuse

  what is socially acceptable today may not have been socially acceptable 50 years ago. danger of creating definitions based on prevailing social morals and attitudes.

  e.g. homosexuality is mostly accepted now, in the past it was under sexual and gender identity disorders in the DSM
• AO3 deviance related to context and degree

  social deviance on its own cannot offer a complete definition of abnormality.

  e.g. person on beach wearing nothing is normal, person in formal setting wearing nothing is abnormal
• AO3 strengths


  does distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviour, feature that was absent in he statistical infrequency model.

  takes into account the effect the behaviour has on others.
• AO3 cultural relativism


  define abnormality in terms of social norms is bound by culture.

  classification systems such as DSM, almost entirely based on social norms of the dominant culture in the West (white, middle-class). yet same criteria applied to subcultures.

  DSM-V makes reference to cultural contexts e.g. symptom of panic attack.