Deviance as a Relative Term

  Pick an organization with which you are familiar and which you believe to be a bureaucracy. (Suggested organizations would include your university, your place of employment, a civic or religious group to which you belong, or a government agency.) Then, using the five characteristics of bureaucracies described in the text, prove that this organization is a bureaucracy. That is, show how it matches the five characteristics of bureaucracies. Be specific. Discuss with your classmates by asking questions for clarification, pointing out discrepancies or incomplete thoughts, and giving further examples.

Bureaucracy in our University

Specialization- The University has put in place a bureaucratic scenario where the employees undergo regular training and expertise that aid in specializing in specific areas of study within the institution. The trained personnel are able to perfectly meet their obligations effectively. The management in the University has employee the graduates who have qualified in their fields i.e. school of business, medicine school and school of law who dispatch their services to the students.

Hierarchical organization- The institution has a hierarchy structure that is observed to the latter. The protocol is observed from the chancellor to the lowest employees within the university. The executive has clearly dedicated the responsibility and authority at all level that ensure smooth running.  Every department is headed by dean who oversees its activities and handles any misunderstandings among the personnel and students.

Formal rules- The University has put in place a structure of power that has fully mandate of overseeing the rules and regulations of the Campus. There is disciplinary committee that ensures the rules and regulations are observed and those who go against are punished. This is observed at all levels of the institution.

Focus- Focus is the fourth principle of bureaucracy that all members have to work towards the set goals and objective in any given environment. The University is focused at delivering quality education to its members and nurturing them into useful people in the society. It has availed all the relevant materials for study and employed qualified lecturers who pass knowledge and skills to the students.

Impersonal-Impersonal explains the way the employees, members and clients are handled in the process of passing on the responsibility of the organization. Impersonality rests paramount to the success of any structure in the global world. All the organizations are called upon to ensure equality by setting up uniform policies and procedures that give room to impersonality and uniformity at all times. The University has set rules and regulations that are uniform and applicable to within its environment.

2.      Why is deviance a relative term? Provide an example to illustrate your answer.

Deviance as a relative term

Deviance normally refers to behaviour that is associated with the norms and values within a culture. Deviance is termed as a relative term due to the fact that we live in different societies who have different cultures. The norms and values in the cultures may differ in one way or another thus the moral code of ethics is diverse. In the early 19^th century, people were burned alive for engaging in behaviour like fornication of which in the twentieth-century is a normal encounter. In most societies across the globe, if a woman is assumed to be sexually promiscuous, she is labelled as a nymphomaniac contrary to a man who is referred to as a stud or swinger.