the weight of words

Words have the ability to carry immense weight. We, as a society, use simple words in order to categorize everything we see around us. They help us in our attempts to fully understand our place and how we fit in with the outside world. However, some of the words we use are meant for nothing more than to stigmatize an entire community and give ourselves the smug satisfaction of being “higher” than others.

The word I decided to delve into is pretty commonly used in today’s society: slut.

‘Slut’ is typically used to disparage a female who engages in promiscuous sexual activity. This word actually appeared first in Middle English in 1402 as ‘slutte.’  Through most of its history, it has referred exclusively to women.

What I find funny about the use of ‘slut’ in modern days is that there really doesn’t have to be any logical basis for the application of the term. Just being involved in a rumor is sufficient evidence for a woman to be labeled a ‘slut.’ The fact that this can occur makes me think of the Labeling Theory. In it, Becker states: “... just because one has not violated a rule does not mean that he may not be treated, in some circumstances, as though he had.” (1) If a girl is perceived as a ‘slut,’ no matter what her personal values may be, she is given the designation by others.

The Shaming Theory (2) is also brought to mind when using this word. Because of stigmatization the individual is separated from the rest because of the perceived deviant behavior. One does not have to look deep into a social structure to know “who the sluts are.” The question of how one confronts the stigma has many different answers. According to Dunn (3), many women attempt to walk a fine line between being labeled a ‘slut’ and a ‘prude.’ A way for someone to balance this out is to seek out an active sex life while in a relationship. This takes away the stigma of casual sexual encounters, but it does not guarantee that one will not be defined as a ‘slut.’

Another part of the Shaming Theory (2) that I found interesting was the reintegrative shaming idea. In this, the person is assumed to be mostly good and only the act is labeled as evil. This is currently used by Christians in relation to homosexuals under the guise of “love the sinner, hate the sin.” It makes me think of the idea of “born again virgin.”  The person is shamed into believing that what they have done is an evil act and can be brought back into society’s good graces by taking a pledge of abstinence.

As a male, I have hardly ever come into a situation where I have been called a ‘slut.’ Our society tends to demonize women for sexual exploration and yet praises men for it. I find it quite comical that I could act in a far more deviant manner than the ‘slut’ in society, but I would be labeled as a ‘stud’ instead. We have a deeply ingrained double-standard when it comes to female sexuality versus male sexuality and it is disheartening to say the least.

I do understand that some people have come to embrace the word in an effort to “destigmatize” it, but I do not feel this would do justice for those who have been labeled indiscriminately. Instead, we, as a society, need to analyze our own judgments when it comes to the ideas of personal expression and liberation. Isn’t that what is at the heart of the ‘slut’ argument anyway? The idea that we, as humans, should be free to express and explore ourselves without fear of condemnation from other individuals?

WC: 629

Works Cited

(1) Becker, Howard S. Labeling Theory. Ch 7 of Readings in Deviant Behavior. Calhoun, Conyers and Thio. 2010. Pearson Education Inc., Boston, MA.

(2) Braithwaite, John. Shaming Theory. Ch 6 of Readings in Deviant Behavior. Calhoun, Conyers and Thio. 2010. Pearson Education Inc., Boston, MA.

(3) Dunn, Jennifer L. "Everyone Knows Who The Sluts Are": How Young Women Get Around The Stigma.  Ch 30 of Readings in Deviant Behavior. Calhoun, Conyers and Thio. 2010. Pearson Education Inc., Boston, MA.

displaying deviance...

Part Two of Two...

I struggled for a bit whilst coming up with a deviant act to display to the world around me. I had such big ideas, but nothing really panned out. Then, while driving down I-5, it hit me, and not in the literal sense.

One thing that I have always noticed while driving is people doing the speed limit or below in the fast lane. This really irritates me as I happen to enjoy driving fast. So, I decided to see what it was like on the other side of the coin.

I had two objectives while doing this: maintain the speed limit and not an MPH higher in the fast lane, and to react to anger in a manner that would seem odd.

I have to admit, I did enjoy doing this. A number of vehicles rode “on my ass” and would retaliate by either throwing me the finger or cutting me off once they got around me. In return, I blew them kisses. I have a feeling this really irritated some drivers, but it made me happy inside.

I did this on separate occasions during the week. Every time I would get dirty looks of pure hatred from people! The funny thing to me is that I was being deviant by not being deviant and obeying the law!

After completing my “studies” I realized that most drivers today are living examples of the Differential Association Theory. This theory states that criminal behavior is learned during interactions with others. When someone learns to drive, they observe others around them first and then repeat what they’ve seen. This explains why I was the deviant when I was not the one breaking the law (1 pg 27).

WC: 285 (285 + 548 =  833)

Works Cited

1.  Differential Association Theory: Cressey, Donald R. and Sutherland, Edwin H., Ch. 4 of Readings in Deviant Behavior by Calhoun, Thomas C., Conyers, Addrain, and Thio, Alex. 2010. Pearson Education, Inc., Boston, MA.

why i am considered deviant...

Part One of Two...

Ever since I was a small child, I've always known that I was a little different from others in society. I was always well adjusted and could fit myself into the social circles around me, but there was always something a little deeper; a little odd. I felt a tad grandiose as a child to be honest. Like I could sense and feel others around me in a way that they could not. I felt not entirely human, but like a mirror to others. It took me until 2007 to truly begin to understand all that I am and was. I am a schizophrenic.

Life to me is not all that different from other people. I have senses of feelings. I can interpret symbols and have rather normal relationships. The major difference with me is inside of my head.


I hallucinate nearly daily. Some of these hallucinations are audio; some are visual. I hear others talking around and about me almost constantly. I have a hard time differentiating between what is being played in my mind and outside forces. The visual hallucinations I have can vary. Sometimes they are merely flashes of light; sometimes they are full figures. I cannot see their faces as they are blurred to me, but I can FEEL their emotions and hardships. I understand that these figures, feelings and voices are coming from within me, but I cannot fully comprehend it.

Because of what I am on the inside I have been labeled on the outside. I know that through this label I am separated from the rest of society; and it feels awful.

According to Strain Theory (1 pg. 25), I am a deviant because of "retreatism." How does this affect me? I cannot answer that. All I know is it is merely another label for me to wear around. The only hard thing about labels is that they are hard to shake.

Another way I am considered deviant is the fact that I am agnostic. As an agnostic, I cannot say for certain if there is or isn't a deity that watches over us. I feel that it would be impossible to truly know unless I was given a sign of some sort. But then again, that "sign" could be misconstrued as another symptom of my schizophrenia. So I would be right back where I started.

The majority of people in America today adhere to some sort of religion based belief structure. I understand that everyone has different views, but religion has never worked for me. I honestly can't tell the difference between fairy tales and the stories contained within the Christian Bible. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

Because of this, my moral values and beliefs are typically dismissed. Even though I have MY morals and MY beliefs and I don't subject others to them, I have been given the nickname "Satan." This is a way that others perceive me. And through labeling I am relegated to a "demonic" sub species of the human race. The good in me does not matter, because I cannot fathom a god who would damn that which he created. I know it is not a direct correlation, but I sometimes feel like the author of "My Gay Lifestyle." (2)

WC: 548
Works Cited

1. Strain Theory: Merton, Robert K., Ch. 3 of Readings in Deviant Behavior by Calhoun, Thomas C., Conyers, Addrain, and Thio, Alex. 2010. Pearson Education, Inc., Boston, MA.

2. Scudera, Domenick. "My Gay Lifestyle." ANGEL Learning. Huffpost, 1 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 Jan. 2012. <https://lms.wsu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay>.