Chris Kyle was a 10-year SEAL and the deadliest sniper in American history with 160 kills while deployed four times to Iraq. Kyle’s deviance was positively evaluated by most members of the society. Critics suggest Kyle’s affiliation with the military influenced how society viewed him. Society norms believe men and women serving and protecting our country deserve respect and support. The government, military officials and military supporters were the champions encouraging and supporting Kyle’s behavior. Whereas anti-war organizations and the media were the detractors for this deviance while expressing their opinions against military presence and the killing of innocent civilians in Iraq. Nonetheless, Kyle remains seen as a hero. For example, Kyle was the subject of the best-selling autobiography and the movie “American Sniper” created after his death received the highest popularity and public acceptance. Further, I analyze Kyle’s deviance using the Differential Association and Labeling theories and discuss his transition through the seven stages of deviant identity formation. According to the Differential Association theory, Kyle’s deviance act …show more content…
Kyle now in on stage three accepted he had “a spoiled identity, one with a tarnished reputation” (Adler & Adler, 2012, p. 248), a secondary deviance, and he understood not everyone looked at him the same way as before. The label became a self-fulfill prophecy. The effect of the identity labeling resulted in society’s divisive opinions to his military service and behavior in Iraq suggesting him passing through stage six. Kyle’s deviance became a master status overpowering the society’s view and opinion of military service. Taking people’s lives to save others is still a