-Robert Ellickson
This quotation taken from class on Oct. 13, 2009 reminded me of an example how deviance is relative; they vary across cultures, time, context, etc. I attended boarding school for the last two years of high school. It was a small school of only 200 students and almost all of us lived on campus, in dorms with our teachers, coaches, deans. Everyone who participated in the academic aspect of this community, essentially lived together as well. Therefore, rules for appropriate behavior were established.
In this community one was not allowed to be on their cell phone or have headphones in unless they were in their own room, or be in another person's room after 11 p.m. There were certain times that were designated for required studying. What relates all of this to the Ellickson quotation is that these rules and norms only worked because the community as a whole believed in them. We had students who were taught by administrators to enforce the rules but there was also the honor code within the school that students, even those without official positions in the school, we enforce the rules on one another. It was when students broke those rules and norms that they were punished and taught the correct way or often students would be expelled. This made the community stay close and tight-knit through fear and loyalty and it was those breaks in "rhythm" that reinforced the norms in the society, which perpetuated and maintained organization within the group.
Nice connection back to that...
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