Durkheim argued that deviance serves a positive function in society because it:

Question

Accepted Answer

Clarifies moral boundaries and strengthens group solidarity. Emile Durkheim made the counterintuitive argument that deviance is not only normal in society but actually serves important positive functions. First, deviance clarifies moral boundaries by demonstrating what behavior is considered unacceptable. When society punishes a deviant act, it reaffirms the norms that were violated and reminds members where the boundaries lie. Second, deviance strengthens group solidarity  -  when people unite in their disapproval of deviant behavior, their shared moral outrage reinforces their sense of community and collective identity.

Durkheim also argued that deviance promotes social change by challenging existing norms. Today's deviant may become tomorrow's hero  -  the civil rights activists who violated segregation laws were considered deviant at the time but ultimately helped transform American society. Additionally, deviance serves as a "safety valve," providing a controlled outlet for tensions and discontent that might otherwise threaten social stability. These functional arguments do not suggest that deviance is desirable in excess, but rather that a certain level of deviance is inevitable and even necessary for a healthy society.

"Provides economic opportunities for the criminal justice..." reflects a social Darwinist view that Durkheim would have rejected. "Provides economic opportunities for the criminal justice..." describes an unintended economic consequence of deviance (sometimes called the "deviance industry") but not the primary social function Durkheim identified. "Proves that social norms are unnecessary" contradicts Durkheim's argument  -  deviance actually demonstrates the importance of social norms by showing the consequences of violating them. Understanding Durkheim's functional analysis of deviance is essential for the CLEP exam because it illustrates how sociological thinking can reveal non-obvious truths about social phenomena.

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