Deviance is relative. Evaluate this term

Deviance isn�t always associated with formal agents of social control, like the police or the laws the Government enforce. Deviant acts can take place in everyday life and an act may be seen as normal by some people, but deviant or �strange� by others. In a certain school for example a child might spend their spare time studying and teachers might be pleased with the pupil, but students might label their behaviour strange and maybe label them a �nerd� as their behaviour goes against the norms of their school, so they are being deviant.

Deviance can also be relative depending on the time it is taking place. This is called historical deviance. Some acts that are deviant in society at the moment might not be deviant in the future and things that are deviant at the moment might become normal in the future, because society might have �moved on� and many people�s opinions might have changed on certain things. Many acts that were deviant in the past are much more acceptable and are not seen as deviant in most people�s opinions, such as homosexuality, as it used to be illegal until the 1960s and many people did not find it acceptable.

Another form of deviance is cross cultural deviance. This is something that is deviant in some cultures but not in others. Cultural norms vary from society to society. In some Asian cultures eating with your hands might be seen as ok, as it is the norm for them, however in another culture it might not be seen as normal and instead deviant and rude. Another example of cross cultural deviance is marriage. In some tribes it will be the norm to marry someone at a young age, for example by the age of 17, while in England even though the legal age of marriage is 16, it might still be seen deviant by some people to marry at such a young age.

However even though nearly every act of deviance is relative. There are some acts which are considered deviant universally, across different cultures. If someone is carrying out an act which breaks the law, it doesn�t matter people�s culture or norms, but it is considered deviant as it is illegal behaviour.

Overall, deviance is relative, as what is considered deviant in some societies may be normal in others whether most acts are deviant is relative to the time, place and the circumstances, as although many cultures might have similar norms and values, norms and values will vary from society to society.