Me, Deviant?

I would say that to a part of society I am deviant, and to others I am not. It is interesting how people that are not involved in the “usual” activities of deviance can be labeled as deviant. These people are deviant from the norm, but in the opposite direction of crime. To the secular portion of society, people who are religious in their lifestyle and decision-making processes are deviant from the secular part of society who sees it as acceptable, even normal, to drink, or have sex before marriage. Because this is the case, not everywhere, but with some people, I am considered as both deviant, and not deviant. The people I am seen as not deviant by are the people who live the same lifestyle that I live, focusing on self-control, and realizing that the pressures of society discourage breaking the law. The two theories of deviance that seem to apply to me are Control Theory, and Game Theory. Control theory is probably the stronger of the two affecting my decision to refrain from deviant behaviors because the way I live reinforces/strengthens the bond between myself and society. Knowing that my actions affect yet more actions, and that doing something deviant jeopardizes the likelihood that I will achieve the best that I can keeps me from being deviant. Game Theory helps me make decisions that will be beneficial, if not now, then at some time in the future. Failing to successfully implement Game Theory leads to deviant decisions, like not doing homework or adequate studying even though doing so would be beneficial in the future. "the path of least resistance is far more appealing, which is why it's the one we're most likely to choose."(2)
I actually stumbled upon my act of deviance that I will use for my example in this post. I had been to the dentist to get a filling, so half of my mouth - and consequently my face - was numb. Because half of my face was effectively useless, my speech and facial expressions were different than they normally are. I left the dentist's office, and went to my Comparative Public Policy class. In the course of this class, I answered a question posed by the professor. When I spoke, about eighty percent of the class' heads turned to regard the person with the "weird" voice. My words were slurred, and I realized that I sounded as if I either had a speech impediment or some sort of mental incapacity. I do not remember ever feeling so "out" as I did at that point. My action was not deviant in and of itself, but the group of people that I sounded and looked like I was a part of is deviant from the able bodied societal norm that people expect of college students - or people in general. "The simplest view of deviance is essentiall statistical, defining as deviant anything that varies too widely from the average."(1)



(1) Konty, Mark A. "Boundaries: Readings in Deviance, Crime and Criminal Justice"
(2) Power, Privilege, Difference and Us (Johnson)