Durkheim, Social Solidarity, and Deviance Concepts

Mechanical solidarity

Pre-industrial societies, shared beliefs/values.

Organic solidarity

Industrial societies, interdependence due to division of labor.

Goffman's Dramaturgical Analysis

Life as a stage; people perform roles (front stage vs. back stage behavior).

Definition of the Situation

How individuals interpret a situation affects their behavior (Thomas Theorem).

Role Conflict

When roles from different statuses clash (e.g., student vs. employee).

Status

A social position (e.g., teacher, parent). Can be ascribed or achieved.

Role

Expected behavior associated with a status.

Primary vs. Secondary Groups

Primary: Close, personal (family, close friends). Secondary: Formal, goal-oriented (coworkers, classmates).

Social Structure

Framework of society: statuses, roles, groups, institutions.

Social Group

Two or more people who interact and share expectations.

Social Institutions

Organized patterns of beliefs/behavior (e.g., family, education, religion).

Stigma

A deeply discrediting attribute (Goffman); affects identity.

Role Exit

Disengaging from a role central to identity (e.g., retiring).

Achieved vs. Ascribed Status

Achieved: Earned (e.g., doctor). Ascribed: Given at birth (e.g., race, gender).

Category

People with a shared characteristic but no interaction (e.g., redheads).

Expressive vs. Instrumental Leadership

Expressive: Focus on group well-being. Instrumental: Focus on task completion.

Social Solidarity in Group Size

Smaller groups: more intimate. Larger groups: more formal, less cohesion.

Consciousness of Kind

Awareness of shared characteristics within a group.

Milgram's Study

Obedience to authority; people followed orders even when harming others.

Asch Experiment

Conformity; people conformed to group even when wrong.

Aggregate

People in the same place, no lasting interaction (e.g., bus stop).

Authoritarian Leadership

Leader makes decisions, expects obedience.

Laissez-faire Leadership

Minimal involvement; group makes decisions.

Groupthink

Desire for harmony overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives.

Conflict Theory on Deviance

Laws benefit the powerful; deviance defined by those in power.

Differential Association Theory

Deviance learned through interaction with deviant peers.

Labeling Theory

Primary deviance: Initial act. Secondary deviance: Result of being labeled deviant.

Merton's Strain Theory

Adaptations to strain: Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism, Rebellion.

Internet Crime

Includes identity theft, fraud, cyberbullying.

Victimization in the U.S.

Most crimes go unreported; young males more likely to be victims.

Rational Choice Theory

People weigh costs/benefits before committing crime.

Furman v. Georgia (1972)

Temporarily halted death penalty due to arbitrary application.

Cloward and Ohlin's Gang Types

Criminal, Conflict, Retreatist subcultures.

Gender and Arrest Rates

Men arrested more often; women more for property crimes.

Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

Compiled by FBI; based on police reports.

Plea Bargain Percentage

Over 90% of criminal cases resolved by plea bargain.

Misdemeanor

Less serious crime; usually punished by fines or short jail time.

Property Crimes

Burglary, larceny, arson, motor vehicle theft.

Occupational vs. Corporate Crime

Occupational: Individual benefits. Corporate: Benefits the company.

Limitations of Victim Data

Underreporting, memory issues, sampling bias.

Durkheim's Functions of Crime

Affirms norms, promotes social unity, encourages change.