Social Deviance and the Law

Catalog description

Deviant behavior characterizes a course of action that violates recognized social norms. First, formal social norms govern human behavior through legal institutions. Conversely, informal social norms gather energy through no concrete regulatory structure, but through social approbation. This course focuses on both types of norms. Students will explore informal norms as an alternative way of thinking about power and governance outside the provenance of law. They will develop critical thinking skills about the authority of manners and society as equally forceful, or perhaps even more so, than formalized law. This interdisciplinary course brings together law, literature, philosophy, and film. Topics covered will be: Manners, Propriety, Violence, Sexuality, Blue laws, and Intercultural competence.