Quiz 6 (Religion, colonialism, and public sociology)

What are the two definitions of deviance?

The absolutist definition of deviance states that actions are objectively good or bad, irrespective of the circumstances. The bad actions, according to this definition, are considered deviance. This definition is highly reductive and categorizes people as inherently good or bad.

In contrast, the relativist definition of deviance states that actions are not inherently good or bad, and that the context is essential. The relativist definition of deviance states that deviance is a social construct, dependent on culture, and is highly dependent on who is framing the narrative.

What does the strain theory say causes deviance?

The strain theory suggests that deviance stems from people desiring a certain level of material status in their life but not being able to achieve that status legitimately. As such, they pursue illegitimate means (violence, crime, robbery) to achieve their desires.

What does symbolic interactionism say causes deviance?

According to symbolic interactoinism, an individual’s lived experience—that is, their interactions in life—shapes their behavior and can push people towards deviance.

What is label theory?

Label theory posits that when individuals are ascribed to a category/stereotype/personality, they will struggle in life with being treated differently. Those labeled deviants suffer from mistrust, rejection, or unfair treatment from others. Sometimes this makes it hard for people to reintegrate into society.

What is deterrence theory?

Deterrence theory posits that people specifically avoid committing deviant acts because there are repercussions. These deterrent factors, such as laws and societal criticism, are what move people to not deviate.

What are the criticisms of deterrence theory?

One criticism of deterrence theory is that it makes the underlying assumption that those wanting to deviate are rational thinkers that will assess the good and harm in the actions they are plotting to take.

Another criticism is that laws are not a good deterrent, as many times people get away with their crime (uncertainty), or that punishments take too long to get carried out, making them not swift. For example, the death penalty takes too long to confirm.

What does the conflict theory state about deviance and how it relates to capitalism?

The conflict theory posits that the narrative surrounding deviance is controlled by those in power. The elite decide what’s considered right or wrong, and use their influence to push this narrative. It stems from the idea that in a capitalistic society, there is a large gap in power. In line with this, the poor will commit deviance when they feel they need material gain.

How does the conflict theory suggest the perspective surrounding deviance is skewed?

According to the conflict theory, the powerful control the narrative surrounding deviance. As such, they use their influence, such as through the news, to get people to focus on deviance that would not harm them (the elite).

Essentially, everyone is worried about deviance committed by the poor/marginalized while avoiding the deviance committed by the rich, highlighting how the perspective is skewed.

How does the media cover deviance, and what influence does this have?

The media selectively covers deviance, focusing on deviance committed in marginalized communities. This blows out of proportion the severity of certain issues. For example, the media focuses too much on physical crime while ignoring corporate crime. This has created the “tough on crime” policies, as people think violent crimes are more common than they actually are. This is making our legal system more punitive than ever before.

What did Goffman say about stigma?

Goffman argues that a stigma is a characteristic that discredits people. This characteristic could be based on race, gender, sexuality, or anything else. By attributing this characteristic to people, it widens the gap between how people present themselves and how they’re actually viewed purely because of their stigma.

How doe strain theory view crime?

Strain theory revolves around how trauma and unmet emotional needs leads people to resort to criminality to take out their frustration.

What are the three components of deviance?

1. There is a societal norm or expected behavior

2. An individual violates this norm, behaving inappropriately relative to what’s socially acceptable

3. There is a reaction from society, ranging from criticism to punishment

What is the coloniality of time and being?

The coloniality of time is pushing the narrative that development of the world revolved around European success and that non-European nations were dependent on the European’s success. It is perpetuated through the timeline of history.

Coloniality of being is pushing the narrative that non-western people are inferior to western people, and that the western lifestyle is the best way to live. This indoctrinates people to adopt western beliefs.

What is the civilization backwardness theory?

The civilization backwardness theory is the concept that the colonizers were saving the colonized people, and that the colonized people were living a “backward” or improper way of life. It’s a fundamental belief that the westerners innately had qualities that colonized didn;t possess.

What reinforced democratic imperialism?

Democratic imperialism was reinforced because people like Karl Marx reframed the narrative, arguing that the colonized people were in need of help.

What is coloniality and how does it differ from colonialism?

Colonialism is the physical authority over a foreign land, while coloniality is the mental authority over distant lands. Essentially, coloniality revolves around the idea that people may be physically free, but they are mentally/epidemiologically still enslaved to indoctrinated values.

What is public sociology?

It is a division of sociology that focuses on making professional sociology accessible to civil society. It focuses on bringing sociology into practice, doing more than just diagnosing issues.

What are the four types of sociology?

Professional (academic), critical (challenging fundamental assumptions), policy (serving clients), and public sociology are the four types.

What is marketization?

It is a driving factor behind public sociology where incorporates will fund research that benefits their interests.

Why was Buraway’s Framework critiqued by Steven Brint?

Steven Brint argued public sociology marginalized professional/academic sociology, will benefit liberal/left agendas, and assumes civil society is easy to work with

How did Buraway defend his stance against Brint?

Buraway underscored that public sociology should be interdependent with other branches and not given priority. He also argued that open, fair discourse is important, and that public sociology can help tackle the global issues of marketization and inequalities.

How did Brint propose a counterargument to Buraway’s work?

Brint affirmed that public sociology could weaken the scientific rigor and emphasis on research in the discipline. Also he feared that public sociology could become too political vested. He emphasized that sociologists should work on refining their academics and avoid too much activism.

What is white collar deviance?

White collar deviance refers to the deviant actions committed by people in privileged positions. They often get away with their crimes because of their influence. People don’t realize the severity of white collar deviance, despite its significant impact, as the media focuses primarily on violent crime.

How is race embedded in sociology and what are its roots?

Race was a social construct used to establish hierarchy. It’s rooted in colonialism, and is used to perpetuate a narrative of who is and isn’t considered “civilized.”