Mizzou Social Deviance 1650 Holland Exam 1

Social Imagination (Mills)

the ability to see the link between society and self

Norms

rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members

Folkways

norms that are not strictly enforced

Mores

fixed customs or manners; moral attitudes

Laws

rules of behavior established by a political authority and backed by state power

Social Constructionist Perspective

An approach to deviance that emphasizes the role of culture in the creation of the deviant identity.

Positive v. Normative Conception of Deviance

Assumes that there is a general set of norms of behavior, conduct, and conditions for which we can agree

Critical Conception

the conception of deviance that critiques the existing social system that creates norms of oppression

Wright Mills

He was a sociologist who published extensively between the 1940's and the 1960's. He was influenced by Max Weber's description of the impacts of class, status, and power in existing social and political systems and structures. In the book entitled Sociological Imagination, published in 1959, he criticizes sociology's methods and principles and introduces a new way of thinking about the self and society. Specifically, his macrosociological proposal emphasizes the importance of sociological imagination or creativity, as opposed to objectivity. Mills was also one of the first intellectuals to conceptualize power and the relation between it and the local government of the United States in his 1956 book entitled The Power Elite. Among other things, it is there claimed that the decisions or lack of thereof of the elite (dominant class in dominant institutions of dominant countries) have great global consequences. Moreover, the elite itself is neither necessarily aware of its status nor of the extensiveness of the impact of their decisions.

street deviance

working class is more likely to commit so-called street crime, such as robbery, assault, or murder.

Elite Deviance

Nonviolent crime committed by individuals or corporations to obtain a personal or business advantage.

prevention programs

any number of programs and policies geared at keeping individuals away from crime and deviance and on a conforming path

subjectively problematic

assumes that the definition of deviance is constructed based on interactions of those in society . (not inherently deviant, become deviant when definition of deviance is applied to them)

ex: drink at 16 in others countries but US is 21

physical deviance

generally thought to be of two types: (1) violating norms of what people are expected to look like and (2) physical incapacity or disability

workplace deviance

unethical behavior that violates organizational norms about right and wrong; in the workarea

criminal deviance

especially serious forms of deviance that violate established laws

sexual deviance

sexual behavior that is unacceptable according to societal norms and expectations

subcultural deviance

behavior through which a person deviates from the norms of the surrounding society by conforming to the norms of a subculture

positive deviance

actions considered deviant within a given context but are later reinterpreted as appropriate or even heroic

Polygamy

having more than one spouse at a time

monogamy

Marriage to only one person at a time

cyber deviance

Encompasses a wide spectrum of computer related offenses

field research

research done in natural, real-life settings outside the laboratory

participant observation deviance

content analysis

applying a systematic approach to record and value information gleaned from secondary data as it relates to the study at hand

Validity

the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to

Kinsey

the last name of the man who tried to collect data about human sexual practices, but his data was biased and untrustworthy because he only interviewed white, rich people

Covert observation

observation in which the observer's presence or purpose is kept secret from those being observed

Overt observation

Participants know they are being observed

labratory observation

the study of behavior in a controlled situation

Fieldwork Sociology

Institutional Review Board

A committee at each institution where research is conducted to review every experiment for ethics and methodology.

macro level view

televised violence has a great impact because it influences the cultural climate

Micro level view

televised violence has little impact because although some people may be directly affected, most people are not

meso level view

the connection between micro and macro levels

Anomie Theory

The view that anomie results when socially defined goals (such as wealth and power) are universally mandated but access to legitimate means (such as education and job opportunities) is stratified by class and status.

strain theory

Merton's theory that deviance occurs when a society does not give all its members equal ability to achieve socially acceptable goals

Emile Durkheim

-Father of sociology, pioneer of modern social research and established the field as separate and distinct from psychology and politics

-Major proponent of functionalism

-Argued that modern society was more complex than primitive societies because they were all similar, shared a common language. Even when people were dissimilar, they relied on each other to make society function.

Robert Merton

Argued that society is set up in a way that encourages excessive deviance. Strain Theory.

Conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

innovation adoption

the diffusion of new ideas

Ritualism (strain theory)

abandons society's goals but continues to conform to approved means

Retreatism (strain theory)

abandons both approved goals and the approved means to achieve them

Revolution

a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system.

richard coward

These sociologist identified the illegitimate opportunity structures that are woven into the texture of life in urban slums and provide an alternative set of opportunities for slum residents when legitimate ones are blocked

Robert Agnew

He was a sociologist known for having developed Strain theory in the criminology field around 1990. He argued that stressors or strains (e.g., social pressure) can trigger negative emotions. These, in turn, increase the likelihood of the occurrence of certain negative or deviant behaviors such as crime. It was an expansion of Robert King Merton's theory on the sources of strain in society and has been applied to understanding other types of behaviors that are elicited by negative emotions.

Albert Cohen

Suggests that deviance can be a warning that an institution is not functioning properly.

Messener & Rosenfeld

"The American Dream refers to a commitment to the goal of material success, to be pursued by everyone in society, under conditions of open individual competition."