A study of social deviation : with special reference to the New Zealand conscientious objectors and military defaulters of World War II

Abstract

Every human society has ways of behaviour which are considered normal. The individuals of a given society are expected to act in the normal way in the various social situations which confront them during their lifetime. There are, however, some individuals who do not react in accord with social norms. Important as it is to discover the mechanisms whereby individuals acquire the ability to act normally, it is equally important to realise that deviants exist and to uncover the causes for their deviations. This, then, is the problem around which this study is built. Why do individuals deviate from socially accepted norms?