Deviance may be either positive or negative. Negative deviance involves behavior that fails to meet accepted norms. People expressing negative deviance either reject the norms, misinterpret the norms, or are unaware of the norms. Positive deviance involves overconformity to norms.

What is an example of negative deviance?

Deviant behavior that diverges from societal norms can be called “social deviance.” An example of negative deviance would be adopting a style of dress of which the general public disapproves, such as the “goth” style of dress.

Is deviance positive or negative?

Although the word “deviance” has a negative connotation in everyday language, sociologists recognize that deviance is not necessarily bad (Schoepflin 2011). In fact, from a structural functionalist perspective, one of the positive contributions of deviance is that it fosters social change.