Sociology Vocabulary

Conflict Theory

A theory that examines social and economic factors as the causes of criminal deviance.

Control Theory

A theory that states social control is directly affected by the strength of social bonds and that deviance results from a feeling of disconnection from society.

Attachment

Measures our connections to others, where strong attachment to people leads to conformity to society’s norms.

Commitment

Refers to the investments made in the community, influencing the likelihood of committing a crime.

Involvement

Participation in socially legitimate activities which lessens a person’s likelihood of deviance.

Belief

An agreement on common values in society that influences conformity to social values.

Corporate Crime

Crime committed by white-collar workers in a business environment.

Corrections System

The system tasked with supervising individuals who have been arrested for, convicted of, or sentenced for criminal offenses.

Court

A system that has the authority to make decisions based on law.

Crime

A behavior that violates official law and is punishable through formal sanctions.

Criminal Justice System

An organization that exists to enforce a legal code.

Deviance

A violation of contextual, cultural, or social norms.

Differential Association Theory

A theory stating individuals learn deviant behavior from those close to them.

Formal Sanctions

Sanctions that are officially recognized and enforced.

Hate Crimes

Attacks based on a person’s race, religion, or other characteristics.

Informal Sanctions

Sanctions that occur in face-to-face interactions.

Labeling Theory

The ascribing of a deviant behavior to another person by members of society.

Legal Codes

Codes that maintain formal social control through laws.

Master Status

A label that describes the chief characteristic of an individual.

Negative Sanctions

Punishments for violating norms.

Nonviolent Crimes

Crimes that involve the destruction or theft of property, but do not use force or the threat of force.

Police

A civil force in charge of regulating laws and public order.

Positive Sanctions

Rewards given for conforming to norms.

Power Elite

A small group of wealthy and influential people at the top of society.

Primary Deviance

A violation of norms that does not result in long-term effects on self-image.

Sanctions

The means of enforcing rules.

Secondary Deviance

Deviance occurring when a person’s self-concept begins to change after being labeled as deviant.

Self-Report Study

A collection of data acquired through voluntary response methods.

Social Control

The regulation and enforcement of norms.

Social Disorganization Theory

A theory asserting crime occurs in communities with weak social ties.

Social Order

An arrangement of practices and behaviors on which society’s members base their daily lives.

Strain Theory

A theory that addresses the relationship between socially acceptable goals and means to reach those goals.

Conformity

Choosing not to deviate and pursuing goals through socially accepted means.

Innovation

Pursuing goals through criminal or deviant means when legitimate means fail.

Ritualism

Lowering goals to reach them through acceptable methods.

Retreatism

Rejecting society’s goals and means.

Rebellion

Replacing society's goals and means with one’s own.

Street Crime

Crime committed by average people against others, usually in public.

Victimless Crime

Activities against the law that do not result in injury to others.

Violent Crimes

Crimes based on the use of force or threat of force.

Émile Durkheim and Deviance

Proposed that deviance in society brings stability.

Karl Marx and Deviance

Believed society was divided between the bourgeois and the proletariat, influencing power dynamics.

C. Wright Mills

An American sociologist known for analyzing power structures in society.

White Collar Crime

Crime committed by individuals in their professional life, typically involving deceit.