From a sociological perspective, deviance is defined as the violation or drift from the accepted social norms. Secondary deviance is a stage in a theory of deviant identity formation. Introduced by Edwin Lemert in 1951, primary deviance is engaging in the initial act of deviance, he subsequently suggested that secondary deviance is the process of a deviant identity, integrating it into conceptions of self, potentially affecting the individual long term. For example, if a gang engaged in primary deviant behavior such as acts of violence, dishonesty or drug addiction, subsequently moved to legally deviant or criminal behavior, such as murder, this would be the stage of secondary deviance. Primary acts of deviance are common in everyone, however these are rarely thought of as criminal acts. Secondary deviance is much more likely to be considered as criminal in a social context. The act is likely to be labelled as deviant and criminal, which can have the effect of an individual internalizing that label and acting out accordingly. Lemert made another distinction between primary deviance and secondary deviance. Originally, there may not be a distinguished group of "deviant" people, but instead we all switch in and out of deviant behavior and a minority or these individuals starting the rule-breaking acts actually get the attention of others. In that very moment, a person is engaging in secondary deviance and it is said that they start following a more deviant path, or a deviant career - would be a set of roles shaped by the reactions of others in different situations. One's self-identity is vulnerable to all of the social judgement and criticism, and once more we see the continued interplay between the mind, self and society. As Erving Goffman (1961, 1963) showed, when an individual is labelled with a "discrediting" social attribute like shyness can often serve as a permanent mark on one's character. Deviancy Process Lemert listed out the process, which he decided, was the way that an individual becomes a secondary deviant. Primary Deviation; Societal Penalties; Further primary deviation; Stronger penalties and rejections; Further deviation; Crisis reached in the tolerance quotient, expressed in formal action by the community stigmatizing the deviant; Strengthening of the deviant conduct as a reaction to the stigmatizing and penalties, and; Ultimate acceptance of deviant and social status and efforts at adjustment on the basis of the associated role. Secondary Deviance in Culture and Society Japan In