Under absolutist theory, deviance is primarily located in what?

• A. The individual who engages in the act
• B. The social norms
• C. The legal code
• D. The consequences of the act

Answer: (A)

Under absolutist theory, there are universal standards of right and wrong, so deviance is treated as an intrinsic quality of the actor rather than a product of social definitions. The act is deviant because the person engaging in it has characteristics or intent that violate these universal norms, regardless of context, norms, or consequences. Therefore, the deviance is located in the individual who commits the act.

If you looked to social norms, you’d be describing a view where deviance depends on what a group happens to define as improper; to the legal code, you’d be tying deviance to what laws say is wrong; and to the consequences, you’d be emphasizing how the act is labeled or punished after the fact. The absolutist stance keeps the focus on the actor's inherent deviation, not on changing norms, laws, or outcomes.