Theoretical Understanding of deviance

: A reaction to the movie John Q. Deviance defines for the society or groups what behaviors are acceptable or not. We define deviance as “any behavior, belief, or condition that violates significant social norms in the society or group in which it occurs. In this essay I will discuss Theoretical Understanding of deviance by using the movie John Q. The first social foundation of deviance is that they only exist in relation to cultural norms. Nothing you say, do, or think is actually deviant. As society and culture changes around us so does what is considered deviance. For example: tattoos and piercing are normal now but couple of years ago that was considered deviant behavior. A theoretical explanation for deviant behaviors that mirrors the one in this film is Merton’s structural Strain theory which explains why people accept or reject the goals of society. According to this theory, all structures in the society provide goals for people to achieve and acceptable means to attain them. John Quincy Archibald's son Michael collapses while playing baseball as a result of heart failure. John rushes Michael to a hospital emergency room where he is informed that Michael's only hope is a transplant. Unfortunately, John's insurance won't cover his son's transplant. Out of options, John Q. takes the emergency room staff and patients hostage until hospital doctors agree to do the transplant. Structural strain theory: stems from Durkheim’s Anomie. Deviance occurs in societies where anomie is great. It is the outcome of social strains which put pressure on people to deviate. There is a discrepancy between socially approved goals and availability of socially approved means of achieving goals. Deviants lack approved means, fall into state of anomie, use deviant means Merton’s conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion. John violated social norms or the standards of conduct or expectation of a group or a society because he holds the doctor hostage along with innocent bystanders just to save the life of his son. Because of John’s desperation to save the life of his son he violated the law to achieve his goal/ objective. People who watched this film try to sympathy with John Q. They understand John Q’s decision to snaps and hold the staff and patients of the hospital's emergency room hostage at gunpoint. This is the reason why deviance allows the society to set the boundary of acceptable acts and behaviors.

Rational Choice theory is also applicable in this movie. According to Max Weber all actions are rational actions. An individual who wishes will more or less weigh the consequences of one’s actions. The cops surround the hospital and try to negotiate with the father to let the hostages go and they'll help get the boy a heart. The father didn't want to believe them so he comes up with the idea that he would donate his own heart to his son. If hostage is the only solution to ensure the life of his son, he decides to do it than to take his son home to die. The hostages couldn't believe what he wanted to do especially the doctor. The doctor didn't want to do the surgery, but the father held the gun to the doctor's head and convinced him to do it. In the process of weighing them, John tried to figure out the risks and benefits. The benefits of saving the life of his son outweigh the risk of imprisonment that’s why the action of hostage has taken.