Fun Facts. 1  Gunpowder, paper, printing, and the compass are sometimes called the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China. 2  Kites were first used as a way for the army to signal warnings. 3  Umbrellas were invented for protection from the sun as well as the rain. 4  Chinese doctors knew about certain herbs to help sick people.
Durkheim believed that an absence of clear norms for a society or an individual might create a social setting in which deviance will occur. Deviance is behavior that violates the norms of the social group in which the behavior occurs where as a deviant is one who is characterized as a violator of a norm. Engaging in deviant behavior does not automatically lead to a deviant reputation or self-image.
Conformity as an Explanation of Prejudice and Discrimination. Influences that cause individuals to be racist or sexist, for example, may come from peers parents and group membership. Conforming to social norms means people adopt the ânormalâ set of behavior(s) associated with a particular group or society. Social norms-behavior considered appropriate within a social group-are one possible influence on prejudice and discrimination. People may have prejudiced beliefs and feelings and act in a prejudiced way because they are conforming to what is regarded as normal in the social groups to which they belong: