State and Government as a Deviant: Analysis and Theories Essay

This essay delves into the concept of a government acting as a deviant entity within society. It explores how governments can deviate from their primary function of ensuring social harmony, particularly in response to issues like suicide bombings. The essay discusses the role of social institutions and the legal power vested in the state, while also examining the perspectives of Max Weber and Karl Marx to explain governmental deviance. It analyzes how a government might isolate itself from its societal purpose, leading to actions that contradict the interests of its people. The essay also touches upon the conflict theory, highlighting how the state, with its monopoly on legitimate violence, can suppress certain groups for limited resources, thus contributing to societal disorder and deviation from established norms. References to sociological studies are included to support arguments.

Running head: STATE AND GOVERNMENT AS A DEVIANT
STATE AND GOVERNMENT AS A DEVIANT
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1STATE AND GOVERNMENT AS A DEVIANT
In order to maintain harmony in the society, there are social institutions consisting of
groups who enforce conformity. Social institutions that work to maintain harmony in the society
can either be formal or informal (Holmes et al., 2013). In order to maintain conformity, these
social institutions use sanctions that can be either positive or negative. In this essay, one of the
legal, social institution will be discussed that exists in society for the wellbeing of its people
enforcing the law. The essay aims to discuss the idea of a government that exists to ensure
conformity, acting as the deviant considering government’s reaction on suicide bomber. The
discussion is also inclusive of Max Weber and Karl Marx theories.
According to the French sociologist Emile Durkheim, deviance can be defined as an
inevitable part of the way society functions. Deviance, as per his argument is the basis for change
and innovation, and it is through deviance that social norms get defined and clarified. Although
the reason for deviance varies, there can also be a different explanation for the explanation of it.
It is important to note that there are crimes which the society may not consider as deviance.
Neither all criminals are considered deviant by society nor are all deviants considered criminals.
Suicide bomber are the people who carries bomb and let it explode along with themselves
(Burrell & Morgan, 2017).
A state is a group of people who have a common goal and purpose like any other social
institutions. The group of people aim to make the maintain harmony through the help of three
bodies legislative, executive and judiciary. In order to work for the common good and well-
being, the state is bestowed with legal power (Moravcsik, 2013). The state has the power to
create laws which people are bound to follow as they are constructed for the benefits of society.
The only reason for a state to entitle with power is for it works for the society and its people.
People have always relied on the state for justice and independence, and therefore, it is hard to

2STATE AND GOVERNMENT AS A DEVIANT
imagine state as the deviant body. It is important for government to take actions that can reduce
suicide bombers (McCauley & Moskalenko, 2014). As widely known, absolute power corrupts
absolutely, a state being the body bestowed with power can act deviant without interruption. It is
essential that the member of the institution is needed to educate themselves so it can provide just
decisions on several different aspects as includes every possible factor of human life.
It is important for the decision makers to make the appropriate decision considering
factors that make significant differences in people’s life. As discussed before, every deviant is
not criminal, in order to be a criminal one has to go violet legal laws. Any person breaking laws
needs will be considered deviant by society. A person breaking the law can be the subject of
legal trial however not until it violates the laws. Deviants are maniacs of society that causes
disorder in a community and yet not eligible for a legal trial. It is the state that people look up to
when they seek social harmony (Vohs et al. 2018). However, the concern is what happens when
the government itself act as deviant, how can it act deviant and what can be the possible reasons
for the government to act as a deviant. The government can be called as deviant when it isolates
itself from its purpose of serving the society. people have a certain expectation from a
government or the state when the state do not act accordingly creating laws or making decisions
that are against social harmony, it is the behaviours of deviants.
There can be various reasons for the government to act deviants and not work towards
people’s interest however it can be explained through the perspective of Max Webber. According
to Webber, the government is the institution that has a monopoly on the usage of violence
legitimately. The government held the power of using violence in order to implement policies or
pass any order. Presence of no external institution that can check state make the state act as
deviant.

3STATE AND GOVERNMENT AS A DEVIANT
According to the conflict theory of Karl Marx, every person has an equal right to
everything. However, since the resources are limited there is constant conflict among the people
in order have access to these resources. Therefore, the action of suicide bomber is not taken care
as it helps in making the resources available for the larger groups. Marx divided the society into
two groups, the dominant group and the suppressed group that is suppressed by the dominant
group. The dominant group is the group with power since it has the power of money. Their
conflict between these two groups is a source of social change as well. They are the one who gets
access to limited resources. In this particular case as well, the reason has been less action taken
to reduce people in order have full access to the resources (Rahim, 2017).
Any violence of social norm is considered deviance. It is mostly perceived as a negative
aspect, however, there is a positive aspect as well. The reason state can act as deviant is for it has
no parent institution that can check the institution. In the case of suicide bombing attack too, it
can be understood the way it went wrong. Despite the fact that it was an inappropriate act
government did not protest and make the amendment. The reasons as explained Marx and
Webber is simple. The government has the monopoly of using violence legally, and since it
contains the dominant group, it is simply suppressing the suppressed group for the limited
resources of society.

4STATE AND GOVERNMENT AS A DEVIANT
References:
Burrell, G., & Morgan, G. (2017). Sociological paradigms and organisational analysis: Elements
of the sociology of corporate life. Routledge.
Holmes Jr, R. M., Miller, T., Hitt, M. A., & Salmador, M. P. (2013). The interrelationships
among informal institutions, formal institutions, and inward foreign direct investment.
Journal of Management, 39(2), 531-566.
McCauley, C., & Moskalenko, S. (2014). Toward a profile of lone wolf terrorists: What moves
an individual from radical opinion to radical action. Terrorism and Political Violence,
26(1), 69-85.
Moravcsik, A. (2013). The choice for Europe: social purpose and state power from Messina to
Maastricht. Routledge.
Rahim, M. A. (2017). Managing conflict in organizations. Routledge.
Vohs, K. D., Baumeister, R. F., Schmeichel, B. J., Twenge, J. M., Nelson, N. M., & Tice, D. M.
(2018). Making choices impairs subsequent self-control: A limited-resource account of
decision making, self-regulation, and active initiative. In Self-Regulation and Self-
Control (pp. 45-77). Routledge.