A student wakes up late and realizes her sociology exam starts in five minutes. She jumps into her car and speeds down the road, where she is pulled over by a police officer. The student explains that she is running late, and the officer lets her off with a warning. The student’s actions are an example of _________.

 Options:

a. primary deviance b. positive deviance c. secondary deviance d. master deviance

The Correct Answer Is:

a. primary deviance

Correct Answer Explanation: a. primary deviance

The student’s actions in this scenario are an example of primary deviance. Primary deviance refers to the initial violation of a norm or rule, often resulting from situational factors such as being late for an exam.

In this case, the student wakes up late and realizes she is running out of time for her sociology exam, prompting her to speed down the road. The primary deviance occurs as a spontaneous reaction to the immediate circumstances, and in this instance, it involves breaking the traffic rules due to the urgency of the situation.

Explanation of why the other options are not correct:

b. Positive Deviance:

Positive deviance involves actions that surpass societal norms in a positive manner, often leading to beneficial outcomes. The student’s behavior of speeding to make it to an exam due to waking up late doesn’t align with positive deviance.

While the urgency of the situation may be understandable, breaking traffic laws is not considered a positive deviation from societal norms. Positive deviance typically involves actions that result in constructive or advantageous outcomes for individuals or society, which isn’t the case here.

c. Secondary Deviance:

Secondary deviance occurs when an individual’s initial deviant act leads to labeling or stigmatization, which, in turn, fosters further deviant behavior and a deviant identity. In this scenario, the student’s action of speeding due to being late for an exam is an isolated incident driven by a specific situation rather than a response to societal labeling or stigmatization.

There’s no indication that this behavior will lead to a continued pattern of deviant actions or the adoption of a deviant identity.

d. Master Deviance:

Master deviance refers to severe and widely condemned forms of deviant behavior that typically result in strong societal disapproval. The student’s act of speeding, while a violation of traffic rules, does not fall into the category of master deviance.

Master deviance involves behaviors that are highly serious, such as major criminal offenses or actions that significantly harm others. The student’s behavior, while breaking a traffic rule, is not an extreme or universally condemned act.

In summary, the student’s behavior of speeding due to being late for an exam does not align with positive deviance, secondary deviance, or master deviance due to the specific nature of the situation, the absence of habitual or labeled deviance, and the lack of extreme or universally condemned behavior.

Instead, it best fits the definition of primary deviance an initial, spontaneous deviation from societal norms driven by unique situational factors.

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