In this paper, we shall discuss why feminism is considered a form of deviant behavior. When social conduct is such that it clashes with accepted standards of either morality or social values, then it is considered deviant. Goode (1994) defines deviance as "behavior or characteristics that some people in a society find offensive and that generates--or would generate if discovered--in these people disapproval, punishment, condemnation of, or hostility toward, the actor or possessor" (p. 29). It is very important to understand that deviant behavior need not always be immoral, it can also be strange or queer in nature compared to old and traditional behavior pattern and thus come to be labeled as 'eccentric' or abnormal. We usually study deviant behavior in the context of morally unacceptable behavior but the truth is that any behavior pattern, which is inconsistent with conventional thinking, can be termed as deviant behavior. If we keep this in mind, it would be easier to understand why feminism or feminist behavior has often been categorized as a form of deviance. .

             Feminism today exists in various forms and is characterized by an intense desire of female population of the world to be considered equal to men and thus be given same rights as men in every field. Over the years however, feminism has developed various branches and while some forms of feminism are acute or intense, essentially the underlying principles are the same. In every branch, one thing is certainly common i.e. struggle for equal rights and pride in one's gender. Though on the surface it appears to be a perfectly reasonable and logical movement and one cannot understand why it would be linked with deviance, it is only when we delve deeper into the subject of both deviance and feminism that we get our answers.

             Deviance, as mentioned above, is a form of human conduct, which is considered eccentric or different when judged by general social standards.