Standards of deviance include which categories?

• A. Ethical standards
• B. Organizational standards
• C. Legal standards
• D. All of the above

Answer: (D)

Standards of deviance are defined across multiple domains of social life: ethical norms, organizational codes, and legal statutes. Ethical standards reflect a society’s shared beliefs about right and wrong behavior; violating these moral expectations can be seen as deviant even if the act isn’t illegal. Organizational standards are rules and codes of conduct within a workplace or institution; breaches here are deviant within that setting and can lead to formal sanctions. Legal standards are formal laws; breaking them is deviant in the sense that it violates the law and triggers legal consequences. Because deviations can be judged against moral, organizational, or legal norms, all of these categories are included when we talk about standards of deviance.