AU26 Sociology 1102 Chapter 6: Deviance and Social Control

deviance

any attitude, behavior, or condition that violates cultural norms or societal laws and results in disapproval, hostility, or sanction if it becomes known

crime

any act defined in the law as punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both

What are the 5 aspects for deviance?

• 1. deviance can include crimes, but deviance is often noncriminal.

• 2. deviance can be attached to any social group or individual.

• 3. what is considered deviant can include things that a group or individual

did not chose, such as medical or physical conditions and mental or physical illnesses

• 4. deviance is relative and subjective.

• 5. deviance is a label applied to the attitudes, practices, or conditions of

other people or groups.

pluralistic socieities

made up of many diverse groups with different norms and values

biosocial perspectives

focus on biological explanations for deviant behaviors

phrenology

a theory that the skull configurations of deviant individuals differ from those of nondeviants

• Franz Gall

functionalist

focus on whether deviance serves some purpose in keeping a society working

What does functionalists see society as?

characterized by a consensus on norms and values

Theoretical Perspectives that are considered as functionalist perspectives:

1. Deviance and Social Solidarity

2. Structural Strain Theory

3. Differential Opportunity Theory

4. Social Control Theory

Anomie

Durkheim’s more famous concepts

• a state of normlessness that occurs when people lose touch with the shared rules and value that give order and meaning to their lives

• people used to be guided by the same moral

regulations, but now people are guided by different regulations

Durkheim argued there were two types of social solidarity:

• mechanical

• organic

mechanical solidarity

social bonds based on similarity or likeness

organic solidarity

social bonds based on acceptance of interdependence

structual strain

form of anomie that occurs when a gap exists between the culturally defined goals of a society and the means available in society to achieve those goals

strain theory

when there is a discrepancy between the cultural goals for success and the means available to achieve those goals, rates of deviance will be high

differential opportuntiy theory

states that people differ not only in their motivations to engage in deviant acts, but also in their opportunities to do so

social control theory

explains that the probability of delinquency or deviance among youth is rooted in social control

social bonds

individual’s connections to others

conflict perspectives

focus on hierarchies within a society and the inequality that stems from those hierarchies

Theoretical Perspectives that focus on conflict:

1. Subcultures and deviance

2. Class-dominant theory

3. Structural contradiction theory

subcultural theories

explain deviance in terms of the conflicting interests of different segments of the population

class-dominant theory

propose that what is labeled deviant or criminal – and therefore who gets punished – is determined by the interests of the dominant class

What is the key aspect of the class-dominant theory?

who is the dominant class and what are their social norms and values

structual contradiction theory

That conflicts generated by fundamental contradictions in the structure of society produce laws defining certain acts as deviant or criminal

critical perspectives

similar to conflict perspectives, but with a focus on various social identities (gender, race, ethnicity, religion, etc.)

Feminist perspectives on deviance

studies of deviance have been biased because almost all the research has been done by, and about, males, largely ignoring female perspectives on deviant behavior as well as analyses of differences in the types and causes of female deviance

critical race theories

focus on the relationship between race, power, and racism

interactionist perspectives

stem from the third major theoretical paradigm within sociology: symbolic interactionism

Main interactionist perspectives

1. Labeling theory

2. Differential association theor

labeling theory

argues that deviant behavior is a product of the labels people attach to certain types of behavior

primary defiance

occurs at the moment an activity is labeled as deviant by others

secondary defiance

occurs when a person labeled deviant accept the label as part of his or her identity and, as a result, begins to act in conformity with the label

self-fulfilling prophecy

a consequence of labeling, people develop deviant self-concepts, living up to the label imposed on them (e.g., the “bad student”)

differential association theory

argues that deviant and criminal behavior is learned and results from regular exposure to attitudes favorable to acting in ways that are deviant or criminal

everyday deviance

consists of behavior in which people engage at some point (or even regularly) that are still considered deviant behaviors

property crimes

the violation of individuals’ ownership rights, including burglary, larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson

violent crimes

force or threat of force, including murder and negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault

organized crime

crime committed by criminal groups that provide illegal goods and services

white collar crime

crime committed by people of high social status in connection with their work

Catagories of white collar crime:

1. crime to benefit the individual

2. crime to benefit the organization

state crimes

consist of criminal or other harmful acts of commission or omission perpetrated by state officials in the pursuit of their jobs as representatives of the government