In 1993, then-Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan published a paper in which he coined the phrase “defining deviancy down.”
He was ringing an alarm about what he saw as a dangerous social unraveling as result of our redefining deviant behavior as normal, rather than doubling down on traditional standards of behavior.
I was thinking about the "fights" we get into with kids - take off your hat, pull up your pants - where it gets easier to go along with the behavior - and what are we teaching them?
I have a pregnant girl in my class. Not married to the baby daddy - although he is still a part of her life. He is attending UGA and said last year that he intends to go to law school - so that's 6 more years of school, and she is pregnant.
I would have kept a low profile, had I been in her circumstances. She lifts her shirt to show off her tummy as if getting pregnant is on par with other achievements.
I wonder how long they will be a couple - he has lofty (and attainable) ambitions, she - well, being a baby machine is her goal - also attainable.
Do we do her a favor by saying that this behavior is acceptable?
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