SOC 100 | Chapter 10: Deviance & Crime

Norms

• Social expectations that guide behavior and interaction.

• Present in all social situations.

Folkways & Mores

• Folkways: Everyday customs with no serious consequences if violated (e.g., informal greetings).

• Mores: Social norms with greater moral significance (e.g., laws against stealing).

Deviance

• Violation of established norms or behaviors.

• Can be an action, behavior, or state of being.

• Deviance is socially constructed and varies across cultures and time.

• Example: Tattoos are generally accepted in Canada but location and imagery still matter.

Social Control

• Institutions and procedures that enforce conformity to norms.

• Formal social control: Enforced by officials (e.g., police, laws).

• Informal social control: Enforced by peers (e.g., guilt, shame, disapproval).

Identity as Deviance

• People with identities differing from the dominant group are often labeled deviant.

• Examples:

  • Being transgender in a predominantly cisgender society.

  • Being Muslim in a predominantly Christian society.

• Social control mechanisms include:

  • Making certain identities illegal (e.g., criminalizing homosexuality in the past).

  • Excluding people through infrastructure (e.g., inaccessible public spaces).

  • Establishing societal rules favoring the dominant group (e.g., statutory holidays based on Christian traditions).

Deviance is Relative

• What is accepted in one society may be punished in another.

• Examples:

  • Toilet seats are common in Canada but considered unsanitary in some countries.

  • Marijuana use was normalized in Canada before it became legal.

Definition of Crime

• An act formally banned by law.

• The state has the authority to control and punish criminal behavior.

Criminology

• The scientific study of crime, its causes, patterns, and trends.

• Examines structural factors (e.g., poverty, racism) in the criminalization of behaviors.

• Explores how crime is socially constructed.

Crime vs. Deviance

• Crime: Requires formal intervention (e.g., theft, assault).

• Deviance: Violates social norms but may not require formal intervention (e.g., tattoos, unconventional hairstyles).

• Criminologists study why some behaviors are criminalized while others are not.

Victimless Crimes

• Crimes that violate the law but do not directly harm others.

• Examples: Gambling, drug possession.

Crime reporting and the dark figure of crime

• Certain crimes (e.g., murder, kidnapping) are highly reported.

• Others (e.g., drug dealing, robbery) are underreported.

• Some crimes are considered too insignificant to report (e.g., minor thefts).

• Crime funnel diagram illustrates that only a fraction of crimes are reported, investigated, prosecuted, and punished.

• Dark figure of crime: The gap between actual criminal incidents and those formally addressed by the justice system.

• Crimes like sexual assault are underreported due to fear of victim-blaming and humiliation.

Police reported crime rates

• Property crimes outnumber violent crimes.

• Crime rates declined from 1992–2012 but have slightly increased in recent years.

Major Perspectives | Early theories on Crime

Middle Ages: Crime attributed to supernatural causes (e.g., witchcraft, demonic possession).

Major Perspectives | Rational Choice Theory

• Crime results from rational decisions.

• Punishment should outweigh the reward of committing the crime.

• Punishment must be swift, certain, and severe.

Major Perspectives | Biological Approaches

• Cesare Lombroso (1800s): Argued some individuals are "born criminals" with physical traits resembling animals.

• William Sheldon (1940s): Linked body types to criminal behavior:

  • Mesomorphs (muscular, aggressive): Most likely to be criminals.

  • Ectomorphs (thin, introverted).

  • Endomorphs (soft-bodied, extroverted).

• These theories have been largely discredited.

Major Perspectives | Sociological Approaches

• Criticize early theories for focusing too much on individuals rather than social structures.

• Examine social patterns and environmental influences on crime.

Functionalism Perspective | Social Disorganization Approach

• Industrial societies create deviant behavior due to weakened traditional values.

• Rapid social change disrupts social networks, influencing crime rates.

Functionalism Perspective | Strain Theory (Merton)

• Crime results from a gap between cultural goals and the means to achieve them.

• Anomie: A state where social norms break down, leading to deviance.

• Adaptations to anomie:

  • Conformity: Following rules despite limited success.

  • Ritualism: Going through the motions without hope for success.

  • Retreatism: Giving up on societal goals.

  • Rebellion: Rejecting societal norms and creating new goals.

  • Innovation: Using unconventional means (e.g., crime) to achieve success.

Symbolic Interactionism Perspective on Crime & Deviance

• Examines how social control influences individuals labeled as deviant.

• Labelling Theory:

  • Being labeled as a criminal affects identity and behavior.

  • Secondary deviation: Repeated deviance due to social labeling.

  • Recidivism: Returning to crime after being involved in the criminal justice system.

  • Lowered self-esteem and exclusion reinforce deviant behavior.

• Deviance as a Master Status:

  • Once labeled, individuals are viewed primarily through their deviant status.

• Stigmatization:

  • Stigma marks individuals as socially disgraceful.

  • Leads to stereotyping and racial profiling.

  • Some individuals reject their labels and reform.

Conflict Theory Perspective on Crime & Deviance

• Crime and deviance are tools used by the powerful to maintain control.

• Questions why certain laws exist and who benefits from them.

• Criminogenic environments: Governments create inequalities that lead to crime.

• White-collar crimes are punished more leniently than lower-class crimes.

Feminsim Perspective on Crime & Deviance

• Examines how crime and deviance differ based on gender.

• Double standards:

  • Males are praised for promiscuity (“player”), while females are shamed (“hoe”).

• Feminists advocate for:

  • Reforming sexual assault laws.

  • Understanding why and how women commit crimes.

• Indigenous Women: Fastest-growing incarcerated population.