Week 4: Social deviance and control

Deviance

Any transgression of socially established norms.

social constructed - what is considered deviant behavior is not inherent or absolute

Crime

The violation of laws enacted by society; a formal type of deviance subject to social sanction punishable by law.

Social Control

Mechanisms that create normative compliance among individuals.

Formal Social Sanctions

Mechanisms of social control that prohibit deviant or criminal behavior.

Informal Social Sanctions

Unexpressed but widely known rules of group membership; the unspoken rules of social life.

Social Cohesion

The adaptive function that clarifies norms and increases conformity, thereby strengthening social bonds.

Labeling Theory

The belief that individuals notice and internalize how others label them, which affects their self-identity; deviance is created by this social labeling process.

deviance created by the social process of labeling

Primary Deviance

The first act of rule-breaking that may lead to a new label of ‘deviant' thus influencing how people think about and act toward you

Secondary Deviance

Subsequent acts of rule-breaking that occur after primary deviance, influenced by the new deviant label.

Broken Windows Theory

The idea that minor acts of deviance must be controlled to prevent a spiral of crime and social decay.

Purposes of Incarceration

Retribution, dissuasion from committing crime, removal of offenders from society, and education to prevent further crime.

Felon Disenfranchisement

The restriction or denial of voting rights for individuals convicted of felonies, often continuing beyond their incarceration.