Which term centers on the idea that focusing on violations of social norms defines a form of wrongdoing?

• A. Criminal behaviour
• B. Social construction
• C. Deviance
• D. Public awareness campaigns

Answer: (C)

Deviance is the idea that wrongdoing is defined by breaches of social norms rather than by legal rules alone. It focuses on how a society views certain behaviors as wrong because they violate expected rules of conduct, and on the responses those behaviors provoke from others. That makes it the best fit for the statement, because it centers on norm violation as the basis for labeling something as wrong, not on whether there is a formal criminal statute. For example, some actions might be frowned upon or sanctioned by social groups even if they aren’t illegal, illustrating that deviance is about social expectations and reactions. In contrast, criminal behaviour is defined by law, and social construction refers to how categories like deviance or crime are created through social processes, while public awareness campaigns are mechanisms to inform or influence behavior, not definitions of wrongdoing.