Normalization of deviance is a sociological concept, coined by Diane Vaughan, describing how unsafe practices slowly become accepted norms within an organization because they don’t immediately cause disaster, leading to eventual failure, famously seen in the Challenger space shuttle disaster. It’s a gradual drift where deviations from standards are rationalized as acceptable due to pressure, efficiency, or lack of immediate consequences, making serious risks invisible until it’s too late. | Step

Retro Report on PBS | The Theory of Normalization of Deviance | Episode 7

Merton’s Strain Theory of Deviance in Sociology