TOWARD A THEORY OF POSITIVE DEVIANCE

Although many studies have been conducted in regard to groups or individuals deemed to be negative deviants, there is a relative dearth of theoretical or empirical analysis of positive deviance. This dissertation attempts to theoretically analyze the concept of positive deviance. The literature related to positive deviance was examined and categorized. Positive deviance was defined as behavior that people label (i.e., publicly evaluate) in a superior sense and behavior that usually results because the behavior departs from that which is considered normal or normative. In addition, the previously postulated examples of positive deviance were utilized to form a typology of positive deviance. These types of positive deviance are the following: innovative behavior, supra-conforming behavior, altruistic behavior, possessors of innate characteristics, and charismatic behavior. Each type of positive deviance was then discussed in relation to literature from literature in sociology and other disciplines. A further theoretical issue that was presented was that of the relativity of positive deviance. As is the case with negative deviance, actions or behaviors that are defined as positive deviance vary over time, across societies, and within societies. To demonstrate this point, a group of individuals originally labeled as positive deviance (i.e., Nobel Prize winners in science) were compared with individuals collectively designated to be negative deviants and then later elevated to a positive deviant status. In addition, the literature (i.e., anomie, cultural support, societal reaction, and conflict) developed in the field of deviance (i.e., negative) was discussed in general and then examined to determine to what extent each could be applicable to positive deviance. Finally, some future areas of research were suggested. In essence, this dissertation was conducted to attempt to achieve a step toward a theory of positive deviance

Ugly duckling to swan: Labeling theory and the stigmatization of red hair

Interviews were conducted with redheads, and labeling theory is used to analyze their stigmatization in society as well as their perceptions of having red hair. First, using the relativistic stance of labeling theory, red hair is described as a type of deviance. Second, the processes involved in the labeling of redheads are examined, especially in regard to how redheads have personally experienced stereotyping. The stereotypes that redheads perceive to be socially constructed are as follows: hot temper, clownish, weirdness, Irishness, not capable of being in the sun, wild women, wimpy men, and intellectual superiority. Finally, the impact of being negatively labeled and treated in society is considered. Redheads typically receive negative treatment as children, and, as a consequence, redheads experience a lowered self-esteem, feelings of differentness, and a sense of being the center of attention. Nevertheless, redheads typically transform a negative experience into a positive one by learning to appreciate their hair color and how it has shaped their sense of self. In essence, they become an example of tertiary deviants