Final answer:
Deviance is a violation of established norms and can include both minor and major behaviors. It is not necessarily bad and can even foster social change. Crime refers to behaviors that violate official laws and are subject to punishment. The motivation behind deviance and crime can be explained by different sociological perspectives.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to sociologist William Graham Sumner, deviance is a violation of established contextual, cultural, or social norms, whether folkways, mores, or codified law. It can include minor behaviors such as picking your nose in public or major behaviors such as committing murder.
Deviance is not necessarily bad and can even foster social change. It is a social construction that varies across societies and over time.
Deviance is a more encompassing term than crime and includes a range of activities, some of which are crimes and some of which are not.
Crime refers to behaviors that violate official laws and are punishable through formal sanctions. While deviance can be relative and perceptions of it can change quickly and unexpectedly, crime is viewed as more significant by society.
The three major sociological perspectives offer explanations for the motivation behind deviance and crime. Functionalists argue that deviance is a social necessity that reinforces norms. Conflict theorists suggest that crime stems from systems of inequality.
Symbolic interactionists focus on the socially constructed nature of deviant labels. Deviance and crime are learned from the environment and are influenced by those around us.