These are my deviant friends. Deviant behavior violates norms and causes negative reactions. This picture would cause a negative reaction from most parents, policemen, and all members of MADD. Deviance is a relative term, for what is seen as deviant in one culture may be seen as normal in another. Deviance also depends on the reaction of the witness. Any cop who witnessed this would see it as deviant behavior and have a field day writing tickets and making arrests. However, I see it as normal and do not have any type of negative reaction.
Erving Goffman connected deviance to stigmas, any physical or social attribute that devalues a person's identity and how society sees them. Natalie is an example of a physical stigma. Regarless of the fact that she is a sweetheart, people in society judge her and look down on her for having purple hair and tattoos.
Our initial plan for this picture was group, but the reactions of these people when we asked if we could take their picture for a school project put them in the category of deviance avowal. They were sitting on the curb smoking weed when we asked them for permission. Then they asked us "what are we? criminals?". We did not identify them as criminals. They, however, label themselves as criminals and behave deviantly in order to solidify the self-given identity.
If were to go to work and steal all the gold and diamonds in there, I would be an example of white-collar crime. The above picture shows me, a high status white-collar worker, breaking into the safe full of jewels at my work during work.
Since Natalie is a deviant criminal, society is forced to incapacitate her to protect the rest of society.
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