SOCI 236 - The Sociology of Deviance: Life Beyond the Mainstream

FC SSCI CD

4 credits
Who gets to make rules in society, who breaks them, and why? This course introduces students to classic and contemporary sociological perspectives on how societies define, regulate, and respond to nonconformity. We will explore how behaviors and identities come to be labeled “deviant,” how power shapes the boundaries of what is considered “normal,” and how social inequalities influence who gets targeted as an outsider. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with a lens to understand why some forms of nonconformity in society are punished, while others are tolerated or even celebrated.