Deviance, Crime, and Social Control

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers concepts related to deviance, various sociological theories of deviance, types of crime, and incarceration statistics based on lecture notes.

Deviance

Any behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society, representing a violation of cultural norms.

Social control

The techniques and strategies for preventing deviant human behavior in any society.

Structural Functional Analysis of Deviance

A perspective stating deviance affirms cultural values, clarifies moral boundaries, promotes social unity, and encourages social change.

Robert Merton's Strain Theory

The frustrations people feel when they want success but find their way to it is blocked.

Conformity

The acceptance of both the overall societal goal and the approved means.

Innovation

Occurs when an individual accepts the goals of society but pursues them with means that are regarded as improper or illegal.

Ritualism

Involves people who give up on achieving cultural goals yet cling to conventional rules of conduct.

Retreatism

Occurs when individuals reject both the cultural goals and the institutionalized means of achieving them.

Rebellion

Occurs when retreatists seek to give society new goals as well as new means for reaching them.

Social Conflict Analysis of Deviance

The view that people with power protect their interests and define deviance to suit their needs, often labeling those who threaten property or resist authority as deviant.

Power Elite

A term dubbed by C. Wright Mills describing a small group of wealthy and influential people at the top of society who hold the power and resources.

Symbolic Interaction Analysis of Deviance

A paradigm explaining how people define deviance in everyday situations, suggesting definitions of deviance and conformity are flexible.

Control Theory

Hirschi and Reckless' theory stating that our connection to members of society leads us to systematically conform to society's norms through two control systems.

Labeling Theory

Howard Becker's theory stating that deviance and conformity result from how others respond to actions rather than the actions themselves.

Stigma

A very negative and powerful label which affects the way one sees him/herself and is used to discredit someone.

Differential Association Theory

Edwin Sutherland's theory that a person's tendency toward conformity or deviance depends on the amount of contact with others who encourage or reject conventional behavior.

Crime

The violation of criminal laws enacted by a locality, state, or federal government.

FBI Violent Crime Categories

The four types of violent crime reported annually are murder, rape, robbery, and assault.

FBI Property Crime Categories

The four types of property crime reported annually are burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

White collar crime

Illegal acts committed by people of high social position in the course of their occupation.

Corporate crime

The illegal actions of a corporation or people acting on its behalf.

Organized crime

A business supplying illegal goods or services.

Hate crime

A criminal act against a person or a person's property by an offender motivated by racial or other bias.

African American Incarceration Statistics

African Americans represent $13.4\%$ of the U.S. population and $38\%$ of the prison population.

Latinx Incarceration Statistics

Latinx individuals represent $18.5\%$ of the U.S. population and $21\%$ of the prison population.

Caucasian Incarceration Statistics

Caucasians represent $60.1\%$ of the U.S. population and $35\%$ of the prison population.

2019 FBI Violent Crime Arrest Statistics

Official statistics show that $69.4\%$ of those arrested for violent crimes were Caucasian while $26.6\%$ were African Americans.

Rationales for Punishment

The four justifications for punishment: Retribution, Deterrence, Rehabilitation, and Societal protection.