What counts as crime and deviance, and who decides?
Defining crime and deviance, the social construction of deviance, and how definitions vary by time, place and culture, including formal and informal deviance.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology crime topic, defining crime and deviance, explaining the social construction of deviance, and how definitions vary by time, place and culture.
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What this dot point is asking
Eduqas wants you to define crime and deviance, explain the difference between them, and show that deviance is socially constructed, varying by time, place, culture and situation. This is the starting point of the crime topic on Component 2 and underpins everything that follows, especially labelling theory.
Crime and deviance defined
The key point is that crime is defined by the law, while deviance is defined by social norms. The two overlap but are distinct, and the exam often tests the difference directly. Deviance is the broader idea, since it covers any rule-breaking, not just law-breaking.
The social construction of deviance
This idea is central to the whole topic. It connects to the key concepts of norms and values, and it leads directly into labelling theory, which argues that an act becomes deviant only when society reacts to it and labels it that way. Saying deviance is socially constructed is the foundation for the interactionist view of crime.
How definitions vary
A few clear examples show the variation:
- Over time: attitudes to behaviour such as dress, relationships and drinking have changed greatly, so what was once deviant may now be accepted, and the reverse.
- Between cultures: an act that is normal in one society (certain foods, gestures or customs) may be seen as deviant or even criminal in another.
- By situation: nudity is normal in a changing room but deviant in the street; physical contact is normal in a sport but deviant elsewhere.
These examples prove there is no universal list of deviant acts. A strong answer uses time, place and situation to show that society, through its norms, decides what counts as deviant, which is exactly what "socially constructed" means.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas 20194 marksExplain the difference between crime and deviance.Show worked answer →
A four-mark explain item: define both and bring out the contrast.
Crime is behaviour that breaks the law and can be punished by the state, such as theft or assault. Deviance is behaviour that breaks the norms or rules of a society and is seen as unusual or unacceptable, but is not necessarily illegal, such as pushing into a queue or talking loudly in a library.
Develop the contrast: some acts are both criminal and deviant (murder), some are criminal but not widely seen as deviant (minor speeding), and some are deviant but not criminal (queue-jumping), which shows the two overlap but are not the same. Markers reward clear definitions of both and an explicit statement of how they differ.
Eduqas 20218 marksExplain why deviance can be described as socially constructed.Show worked answer →
An eight-mark explain item: three developed points, no formal evaluation needed.
First, deviance varies by time: behaviour seen as deviant in the past (such as certain dress or attitudes) may be normal now, and the reverse. Second, it varies by place and culture: an act acceptable in one society may be deviant in another, so there is no fixed list of deviant acts. Third, it varies by situation: the same act (nudity, violence) may be normal in one setting and deviant in another.
A fourth point strengthens the answer: because society decides what counts as deviant through its norms, and those norms change, deviance is created by society rather than being a fixed quality of the act, which is what "socially constructed" means. Markers reward three or more developed points showing deviance varies, each tied to social construction.
Related dot points
- Theories of crime and deviance, including Durkheim's functionalist view, Merton's strain theory, Albert Cohen's subcultural theory, the Marxist view, and Becker's labelling theory.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology crime topic, covering the main theories of crime: Durkheim's functionalism, Merton's strain theory, Albert Cohen's subcultural theory, the Marxist view and Becker's labelling theory.
- The data on crime, including official statistics, victim surveys and self-report studies, the dark figure of crime, and the strengths and weaknesses of each source.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology crime topic, covering how crime is measured: official statistics, victim surveys and self-report studies, the dark figure of crime, and the strengths and weaknesses of each.
- The social distribution of crime, including the patterns by social class, age, gender and ethnicity, and sociological explanations of these patterns.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology crime topic, covering the patterns of crime by social class, age, gender and ethnicity, and how sociologists explain them.
- Social control, including formal and informal control, the agencies of social control, and the role of the media in moral panics.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology crime topic, covering formal and informal social control, the agencies of control, and the role of the media in creating moral panics.
- The key sociological concepts of culture, norms, values, roles, status, sanctions and subculture, and how they make up the shared way of life of a society.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology key concepts topic, covering culture, norms, values, roles, status, sanctions and subculture, the building-block terms used across Component 1 and Component 2.
Sources & how we know this
- Eduqas GCSE Sociology (C200) specification — WJEC Eduqas (2017)