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Alex Thio's "Deviant Behavior" 2009 , Essay

All of these theories represent an idea that deviance is a socially constructed phenomenon, not an objectively defined part of reality. The fourth chapter of Thio's work talks about specific forms of violence. These forms, killing, assault, and terrorism, are all examined under the microscope of different theories to help explain their existence and popularity among certain groups of people and individuals. This chapter is quite intriguing because it gives the reader certain insights into the deviants' minds when it comes to these acts. Each of these acts, for the most part, has been labeled as deviant by all cultures and society, and as such, are interesting and worthwhile examples to examine.

The Fifth chapter of Thio's book deals with rape and molestations. It talks about some of the more widely accepted reasons why these behaviors occur, and what people can do to try to re-tune their own perspective so as to better understand these behaviors relative to the definition of deviance and cultural norms. In some cultures, rape or molestation mean different things, and they have different definitions. Thio presents an excellent case that these behaviors, while usually regarded as deviant in all cultures, have certain cultural contexts and differing definitions worldwide.

Chapter six deals with family violence. This topic has interested social scientists for quite some time because it is a contradiction of values in most cultures. People don't generally kill or hurt their own family, and the special set of circumstances surrounding these behaviors is examined. Thio shed light on subjects that are often not talked about in academic circles by examining them from a sociological perspective. Thio also asks the question of why man rape and how rape is defined and dealt with in different cultures. It is refreshing to see Thio...

This subject is a sensitive on for many people, but Thio takes a comprehensive look at the motives, thoughts, and reasons for this phenomenon. He urges the reader to take a closer look at the situational contexts as well as the mental illness implications that this subject often has. He also takes a look at different groups and their respective suicide rates and posits some explanations as to why some groups had such high rates. They way in which different cultures and societies perceive the world around them and their own social safety nets has a lot to do with that group's perception of suicide as an alternative to dealing with problems or situations.
The eighth chapter in Thio's book is dedicated to mental disorder and how deviance and the definition of deviance are affected by it. It is impossible for some people to distinguish deviant behavior from "normal" behavior when they are mentally ill or incapacitated and author Thio closely examines the roots of some deviant behavior relative to mental illness. Often times mental illness is closely associated with deviance, and the average reader does not understand the underlying implications for making this connection without first understanding the definition of deviance as it relates to each culture or society's definition of mental illness. This chapter is relatively comprehensive and offers quite a few different and interesting perspectives on exactly what causes deviant behavior in mentally ill people. The factors of mental disorder and the labeling of these disorders is also explored and Thio gives the reader some valuable insights into how each different culture and society defines mental illness and deals with it.

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