What is the Difference Between Primary and Secondary Deviance?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The difference between primary and secondary deviance lies in the nature of the deviant behavior and its consequences.
- Primary Deviance: This refers to a violation of social norms or expectations that does not result in the individual being labeled as deviant. It is a mild form of deviance that does not cause a severe reaction and has only marginal implications for the individual's status and psychic structure. Primary deviance is the initial act of deviance and is often a one-time occurrence.
- Secondary Deviance: This type of deviance is associated with an individual violating social norms and expectations because they were labeled and stigmatized due to their behavior. Secondary deviance is more significant because it alters a person's self-regard and social identity, often leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy where the person changes their behavior in accordance with the label. This occurs in response to the public identification of a person as deviant and the individual's response to the negative societal reaction.
In summary, primary deviance is a mild, one-time violation of social norms that does not result in the individual being labeled as deviant, while secondary deviance is a more severe and chronic deviant behavior that results from being labeled and stigmatized by society. The concepts of primary and secondary deviance were first developed by sociologist Edwin Lemert.
Comparative Table: Primary vs Secondary Deviance
The difference between primary and secondary deviance can be understood through the following table:
| Primary Deviance | Secondary Deviance |
|---|---|
| Refers to initial acts of deviance that have only minor social reaction or mild, corrective reaction. | Refers to deviant behavior that results from being labeled as a deviant by society. |
| Examples include speeding or recreational marijuana use, which are not serious enough to result in the individual being classified as a criminal. | A person who engages in primary deviance and continues to commit further deviant acts, resulting in being labeled as a deviant. |
| Deviance is functional to society and keeps stability by defining boundaries. | Secondary deviance has major implications for a person's status and relationships in society and is a direct result of society's reaction to primary deviance. |
| Primary deviance is a passing episode of norm violation. | Secondary deviance occurs when an individual repeatedly violates a norm and is labeled as deviant. |
In summary, primary deviance refers to minor acts of deviance that do not have long-term negative consequences, while secondary deviance refers to deviant behavior that results from being labeled as a deviant by society and leads to more serious consequences.
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