Introduction
People have different ways of behaving and doing things, but the society expects them to have decent manners that will be accepted by everybody. It is important to explain that all human beings cannot behave in similar ways but they should show respect for societal norms, laws and policies that guide their behavior.
Those that do not behave in generally accepted ways are believed to violate the rules of the society and thus they may be punished, discriminated or ridiculed by the public (Jensen, Arnett, Feldman and Cauffman 209). This research paper will focus on a deviant behavior that is common in most public places even though most people do not know it.
Definition
Deviant behavior is a conduct that violates the socially agreed laws that govern human behavior (Mahoney and Stattin 118). It is important to explain that the society has a set of rules that guides the behavior of its members and those that violate them face punishments. There are no places or books where societal rules are written, but people agree by general consensus that some ways of behavior should not be practiced or tolerated because they violate their religious or cultural beliefs.
People believe that some things should not be done in public places and those that do them are perceived to violate the norms of their societies. Some behavior may not be perceived to be deviant depending on how a society places moral importance and considerations on them. For instance, most African communities believe that kissing is a sacred affair and it should be done in private places by married people (Furnham, Petrides and Frederickson 278).
Therefore, those that kiss in public are perceived to contravene the moral standards of these communities. However, most western cultures perceive kissing as a way of showing love, care, concern and even greeting others.
Therefore, their members do not have to do it in hiding. This paper will discuss various issues about cutting lines in public places like banks, health care facilities, learning institutions and voting centers. This behavior is considered deviant because it violates the rights of other members to access public services at the correct time.
Common sense dictates that when people go to places and find others there they should wait until when they are served before them. It is common knowledge that a journey that starts late ends late and this means that queuing is not an offense or an expression of weaknesses. Lastly, this behavior is considered to be deviant because it does not recognize the importance of order in the society (Mahoney and Stattin 121). Queues are important in ensuring service providers are able to attend to all people without delays and in a satisfactory manner.
However, jumping queues makes service providers stranded because they are unable to know who came first or last. In addition, it becomes difficult to serve people when they are not organized because there will be no adequate space for service providers to do their work. People should always learn to do things how others do and if they are not sure about them they should ask so that they do not violate the norms of societies.
It is necessary to explain that some conservatism societies have strong moral practices and do not entertain deviant behavior from their members or visitors (Furnham, Petrides and Frederickson 286). Therefore, they will not hesitate to punish those that violate their codes of conduct. People cannot be served at the same time by one person, especially when they are seeking services from public offices.
Literature Review
Theoretical Perspective
Edwin Sutherland explains that people learn deviant behavior from others. He used his Differential Association Theory to explain that the society or environment offers fertile grounds for breaking social norms. Therefore, it enables people to learn and accept which norms they should violate. He explains that people that belong to a particular reference group are very influential in providing norms of conformity and deviance; therefore, they have major influence on how other people behave and react towards the need to obey social norms.
He suggested that intimate groups like families, workers and friends are very influential in determining how their members behave. Therefore, people learn good and bad behavior from their associations with others and from various socialization agents like the media, family and places of work. This scholar argues that juvenile gangs provide an environment in which youths become deviant because they praise acts of violence, nonconformity and retaliation as a way of identifying and protecting their positions in the society.
Similarly, this theory can be used to explain why jumping a queue is a deviant behavior that should not be tolerated. Some people, especially the elites, usually think that they are very special; therefore, they cannot queue and wait to be served. This makes them to think that they are special and thus they usually jump queues and want to be served before other people.
This group of social elites is influenced by its high economic class to despise other members of the society and think that they deserve to queue while they do not because they are special. This theory has contributed to the development of criminology, especially in its focus on understanding and explaining criminality.
Therefore, people understand that they learn deviance from their close friends and family members and how the society teaches them about it (Jensen, Arnett, Feldman and Cauffman 219). However, some critics argue that this theory lacks terminologies that are important in lending it to social science research methods; therefore, the lack of its empirical validation weakens its application in explaining this concept in a sociological perspective.
Durkheim’s Theories of Deviance and Suicide: A Feminist Reconsideration by Jennifer M. Lehmann
This author believes that Emile Durkheim offered the best definition of deviance and gave appropriate illustrations that are helpful in understanding this phenomenon. She explains that Durkheim understood deviance as an essentially a social phenomenon and this means that it was spread or acquired through human interactions.
This means that people learn deviant behavior by socializing with those that do not conform to the norms of the society. Theretofore, large non-conformist groups promoted deviance very fast compared to small ones. In addition, this author claims that Durkheim considered women as essentially asocial beings. This means that they are very outgoing and like to spend time together than men.
Jennifer continues to critique Durkheim’s work by arguing that his explanation of deviance contradicts his earlier theories of Suicide and Self Determinism. However, she does not seem to create a connection between these theories and his explanation of deviance. According to Durkheim, people that are social and outgoing are less likely to commit suicide and this means that they do not easily become deviant (Mahoney and Stattin 123).
In addition, he claims that pathological social forces are responsible for shaping the behavior of an individual and this means that people have less control over their behavior. However, it is very easy to understand what Durkheim means by his explanations of deviance, suicide and self determinism.
First, it is important to understand that he singled out suicide as a deviant behavior that can be controlled easily by strengthening social relationships among people. This means that reference groups are very important in ensuring that they offer their members moral support and encourage them to live despite the challenges that face them.
He argues that more men than women commit suicide because the former do not have social bonds and if they exist they are not as effective as the ones established by their counterparts. Therefore, this author argues that Durkheim had several approaches that enable people to understand that deviance may be manifested in various forms. In addition, she supports Durkheim’s perspective that not all reference groups support deviant behavior in the society.
This means that people may join social groups if they believe that this will help them to develop their personalities. This belief has been proved right by the establishment of religious groups, community based organizations and youth empowerment forums that enable their members to present views and embrace changes that will promote their welfare (Jensen, Arnett, Feldman and Cauffman 226).
The work of Jennifer Lehman can be used to explain the concept of deviance in jumping queues in public places. First, it is important to explain that people believe that queues enable them to be served one at a time without causing confusion or interfering with the service provider (Mahoney and Stattin 125).
Therefore, the society believes that people should queue when they want to be served. It forms social regulations that the first person on the queue should be first last while the one on the other end should be the last one because these people came at different times. In addition, her work is important in explaining that Durkheim believed that the society has the power to influence its members to become deviant.
Deviant Behavior: A Social Learning Approach by R. L. Akers
This author defines the Social Learning Theory of Deviant Behavior and how its concepts explain this aspect in societies. He explains that deviance occurs in the society because of the inefficiencies of institutions like families, churches, learning institutions and courts to teach their members how to behave properly.
In addition, he believes that people learn deviant behavior because they see others violating social norms yet they are not punished. Therefore, they do so because there are no punishments for offenders. Moreover, he believes that the need to identify with groups compel members to do things that are associated with them.
This strengthens the solidarity of members and perpetuates the development and spread of deviant behavior among people of reference groups. He uses the explanations of Edwin Sutherland and B. F. Skinner to explain that deviant behavior flourishes when there are groups that are outlawed by the society.
The author claims that the failure to punish deviant members encourages them to commit crimes and break societal norms because there are no rewards for their actions. Therefore, the definitions of punishment for these behaviors make their perpetrators to perceive deviance as more desirable than the alternative conforming behavior (Furnham, Petrides and Frederickson 291).
Methodology
This experiment was designed in the following ways to ensure the researcher obtained relevant data from the field. First, a public place was considered to be an effective where the researcher would obtain information regarding people jumping queues. This research was done in a supermarket as shown in figures 1, 2 and 3 in the appendices during the evening rush hours as the researcher wanted to find out the behavior of people in this place.
The sample selected in this case involves three cashiers’ counters where customers are supposed to pay before they leave the supermarket. In most cases, people jump queues in supermarkets because they believe that they have fewer items than others; therefore, they should be allowed to be served before them.
The researcher distributed questionnaires to clients randomly as they went into supermarkets and they were expected to fill and return them after completing their shopping.
Most of those that seemed to be in a hurry did not complete filling the questionnaire but most of those that went for shopping with their families responded to all questions and even asked for clarifications where they did not understand. Other questionnaires were distributed to people along the streets and they were required to drop them at designated places. Lastly, other questionnaires were sent to selected emails and respondents were asked to fill the questionnaires and return them after a week.
The last data collection method was through interviews that were conducted in and outside supermarkets. Six supermarkets were randomly selected through a sampling procedure that involved the consideration of their location, size, nature of products, client population and closing and opening hours. Respondents were asked to answer simple questions that enabled the researcher to gather information about the views of people regarding the behavior of jumping queues during shopping in supermarkets.
The sample population consisted of people of three races (whites, blacks and black Americans) and every group had seven to ten participants in all categories. These participants were further grouped into old people (70 years and above), adults (between 28-69 years), young adults (between 15-27 years) and children (below 15 years).
These respondents were supposed to give their opinion regarding jumping queues (perpetrators, causes, effects and solutions). Their reactions were measured by requesting them to comment what they would do if they had the power to punish the offenders.
Discussion
Normative behavior in this context means that individuals must always ensure that they do not jump queues. Those that come early should be the first ones to be served while late comers should be the last ones. However, some people usually think that they are in more hurry than others and that is why they decide to jump queues. Normative behavior requires people who come late to be the last ones to be served; therefore, they should give others the first chance to be served.
This behavior is important in the society because it promotes fairness. People should be allowed to access public services without any favoritism. Those that come early should be the first ones to be served while late comers should come last. In addition, it ensures there is respect for others regardless of their financial or social classes. Lastly, it ensures all members of the society are equal and nobody is given special treatment.
The researcher discovered that most blacks aged between 14-40 years were fond of jumping queues while old whites were less likely to do it. This was attributed to the fact that most black youths are raised in environments that encourage them to be aggressive and consider their interests first before those of others. Therefore, they wanted to be served first even though they came late. In addition, they wanted to ensure that they were the first ones to be served even if they were not in a hurry.
The researcher discovered that most adults did not want children and youths to be served before them therefore; they openly expressed their dominance and jumped queues without considering that they were behaving badly and showing bad examples to their children. In addition, most people that had just dropped to pick an item seemed to be in a hurry and thus they were prone to jumping queues.
The violation of this normative behavior is considered to be deviant because it makes other people to feel that they are not important in the society (Jensen, Arnett, Feldman and Cauffman 218). It is necessary to explain that when people queue in hospitals, supermarkets or during elections. They want to ensure there is order in the manner in which people do things or get services from public or private offices.
However, when others jump queues they make them to think that they are not recognized as human beings. This undermines their dignities and worth and makes them to think that they are not humans like others. In addition, it shows lack of respect for other people.
In addition, the researcher observed that most people do their shopping during evening hours because of the presence of couples and single parents moving around with trolleys in the supermarket. However, some of them seemed to have stopped to pick a drink or packet of snacks and were rushing to their homes. Those that seemed to be shopping with their family members did not seem to be in a hurry to go home because they were seen discussing different brands before deciding which ones to pick.
Jumping queues was observed in two places. First, some people were not patient enough to wait for others to pick what they wanted from shelves and thus they shoved others as they tried to pick their selections. These cases were few because there was a lot of space for them to stand and it was observed that most people gave way to those that seemed to be in a hurry. The second instance of jumping queues was very pronounced at it occurred at the cashiers’ counters.
It was observed that most men did not queue and some of them pretended to be busy on their phones as they ignore other people on the queues and went to be served before them. In addition, most adults did not see the need to queue behind children and they openly jumped queues and went in front of them. Nobody was there to ensure that all clients were served punctually and thus some people spent a lot of time on the queues yet they came earlier than others.
Conclusion
Jumping queues is a primitive behavior because it shows greed, lack of respect and insensitiveness on the part of the perpetrator. People should learn to be patient and seek services without inconveniencing others. Deviant behavior should be discouraged by establishing stringent punishments for perpetrators. Agents of socialization should focus on promoting good behavior and condemning deviance. The society should reward people that behave well to encourage others to do so
Works Cited
Furnham, Adrian, Kevin V. Petrides and Norah Frederickson. “The Role of Trait Emotional Intelligence in Academic Performance and Deviant Behavior at School. Personality and Individual Differences 36.2 (2004): 277-293. Print.
Jensen, Lene Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Shirley S. Feldman and Elizabeth Cauffman. “It’s Wrong, but Everybody Does It: Academic Dishonesty among High School and College Students.” Contemporary Educational Psychology 27.2 (2002): 209-228.Print.
Mahoney, Joseph L. and Hakan Stattin. “Leisure Activities and Adolescent Antisocial Behavior: The Role of Structure and Social Context.” Journal of Adolescence 23.2 (2000): 113-127. Print.