Study Notes for Chapter 6: Conformity, Deviance and Crime

Chapter 6: Conformity, Deviance and Crime

Big Questions on Deviance

  • U.S. Population vs. Prisoners:

    • The U.S. comprises 4.3% of the global population but accounts for over 20% of the world’s prisoners.

  • Key Questions:

    • Why are incarceration rates so high?

    • What are trends in crime rates?

    • Why are racial disparities so significant?

    • Who are considered "deviants"? (What defines deviance?)

    • Which societal rules are observed, and which are broken?

Definitions and Concepts

  • Deviance:

    • The recognized violation of widely accepted social norms.

  • Norms:

    • Guidelines for behavior (the "do’s and don’ts" of society).

    • Types of Norms:

    • Folkways: Norms for routine or casual interaction.

    • Mores: Norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance.

  • Crime:

    • The violation of a society’s formally enacted criminal law.

    • Criminal Justice System: The formal response by the police, courts, and prison officials to alleged violations of the law.

  • Deviant Subcultures:

    • Subcultures that harbor values substantially different from the mainstream culture.

Intersection of Deviance and Crime

  • Examples of deviant acts include:

    • Moral Offenses: Nudity, bizarre clothing, sexual assault, and underage drinking.

    • Illegal Acts: Murder, exceeding the speed limit.

Theories of Deviance

Biological Theories of Deviance

  • Cesare Lombroso (1876):

    • An Italian physician theorized that physical traits could identify criminals.

    • Characteristics he identified included:

    • Low foreheads

    • Prominent jaws and cheekbones

    • Protruding ears

    • Hairy bodies

    • Long arms

    • Critique: This approach lacks scientific support and neglects societal influences.

  • William Sheldon & Gluecks (1949):

    • Suggested that body structure might predict criminality, emphasizing muscular builds in delinquency.

    • Lack of conclusive evidence linking biology to deviance.

Functionalist Theories of Deviance

  • Émile Durkheim:

    • Introduced the concept of anomie (normlessness) as a state when society fails to effectively regulate the expectations or behaviors of its members.

    • Proposed that crime and deviance are social facts, essential for societal development.

    • Functions of deviance include:

    • Adaptive Function: Promotes social change and cohesion.

    • Affirmation of Values: Responses to deviance clarify moral boundaries.

Merton’s Strain Theory (1938, 1968)

  • Proposed that excessive deviance stems from social arrangements.

  • Key Concepts:

    • Cultural Goals vs. Institutionalized Means: The disparity between societal aspirations (material success) and legitimate paths to achieve them leads to deviance.

  • Terms:

    • Anomie: A state of normlessness or breakdown of social norms.

    • Relative Deprivation: When individuals feel deprived concerning their peers, leading to feelings of discontent and potential deviance.

Cloward and Ohlin (1966)

  • Emphasized the Relative Opportunity Structure:

    • Crime arises not merely from lack of legitimate opportunities but from an abundance of illegitimate opportunities.

    • Types of Criminal Subcultures:

    • Criminal: Presence of criminal opportunity (e.g., gangster culture like Al Capone).

    • Conflict: Violence in areas where respect is earned through aggression (e.g., prisons).

    • Retreatist: Subcultures formed by those who fail to achieve traditional success (e.g., homeless populations, drug users).

Reinforcement/Interactionist Theories

  • Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory: People learn deviant norms through socialization.

  • Hirschi’s Control Theory: Suggests four types of social control that deter deviance:

    • Attachment: Bonds to others.

    • Commitment: Investment in conventional activities.

    • Involvement: Participation in conventional activities.

    • Belief: Acceptance of social norms and laws.

Symbolic Interaction Analysis

  • Labeling Theory (Becker, 1966):

    • Deviance and conformity depend on societal responses to acts rather than the nature of the acts themselves.

    • Example: Not the act of smoking marijuana itself but societal reactions that label it deviant.

  • Edwin Lemert: Introduced the terms:

    • Primary Deviance: Initial act of rule-breaking.

    • Secondary Deviance: Continuous deviance as a result of societal labeling, leading to a deviant career.

  • Stigma and Master Status:

    • The process by which labels affect identity and societal standing.

    • Degradation Ceremonies: Public rituals that label individuals as deviant.

  • Projective Labeling: Future expectations based on current labels.

Conflict Theory

  • Views crime as a form of political action that challenges power structures:

    • Challenges to the status quo are seen as deviant.

    • Those labeled deviant typically belong to weaker social sectors.

  • Critique: Oversimplification of crime related only to oppression.

Crime Statistics and Data

Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)

  • These reports provide data on crimes against persons or property, highlighting the overrepresentation of “working-class” crimes.

National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

  • Indicates that in 2018, less than half of violent crimes were reported, revealing that overall crime rates have been declining since the 1990s, despite a notable recent increase in homicides (approximately 25-30% increase from 2019-2020).

U.S. Hate Crimes

  • Hate crime statistics:

    • 6,121 in 2016

    • 7,300 in 2019

    • 8,052 in 2020

    • About 11,800 in 2023.

  • Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr Hate Crime Prevention Act (2009): Added federal protections against hate crimes.

U.S. Incarceration Rates

  • Prison population breakdown:

    • 4.3% of the U.S. population but comprises a significant portion of global prisoners.

    • Demographics in prison:

    • Black: 35.8%

    • Hispanic: 21.6%

    • White: 33.6%

    • Female: 7.2%

    • Non-U.S. citizens: 4.3%

  • Most offenses in prison: 47.3% violent, 20.2% drug-related offenses.