Deviance and Control Theories

Deviance: Definition and Basic Terms

• Deviance is the violation of cultural norms. No act is inherently deviant; it is relative to culture, context, and time.
• There are degrees of deviance; not all deviance is of the same level.
• Deviant subcultures often have their own norms.
  • Example: Crack dealers in "In Search of Respect" discussing whether to sell to pregnant women.
  • Example: Ethnography of a fence (buyer of stolen goods) who had rules about who he buys from and sells to.
  • Fences are less common now due to sites like eBay and Craigslist, where stolen goods can be sold directly.
• Social control: Attempts by society to regulate thoughts and behavior.
• Laws: Norms defined by government as principles its citizens must follow.
• Crime: Behavior that breaks the law.
• Breaking laws can be a norm.
  • Examples: jaywalking, speeding, underage drinking.
• Laws change over time.
• Sanctions promote conformity.

Sanctions

• Sanctions are ways of trying to control behavior.
• Breaking a norm can result in formal or informal sanctions.
  • Formal sanctions involve designated bodies and responses.
    • Examples: reporting cheating to a formal board, police responses.
  • Informal sanctions lack designated people and are more ad hoc.
    • Examples: gossip.
    • Example: On a chaotic subway platform, a man pulling a woman off the train was verbally attacked by other passengers.

Theoretical Perspectives on Deviance

• Different theories of deviance shape how we respond to it and our policies.

Functionalist Theory

• Rooted in the work of Émile Durkheim, who was interested in social cohesion.
• Deviance serves a function and will always exists.
• Too much deviance is disruptive and shows signs of disorder.
• Functions of deviance:
  • Affirms cultural values and norms by clarifying what is acceptable.
    • Example: Deviance around cheating clarifies moral boundaries.
    • January 6th events clarified moral boundaries for some.
  • Brings people together in the face of deviance.
    • Example: After serial killer incidents near a college campus, self-defense classes became popular and activism increased.
  • Encourages social change and introduces new ideas.
    • Activism and social movements can be seen as acts of deviance that bring about social change.
    • Examples: Rosa Parks' bus boycott, lunch counter sit-ins.
• Functionalist theory fell out of favor after the 1960s due to its conservative nature.
• Still relevant in criminology due to Robert Merton's adaptation of Durkheim's concept of anomie.

Merton's Strain Theory

• Merton adapted Durkheim’s concept of anomie (normlessness).
• Focuses on goals (what society tells us we want) and institutional means (legitimate ways to achieve them).
• Strain occurs when goals and means don't align, leading to deviance.
• Five variations:
  • Conformist: Accepts society's goals and the legitimate means of achieving them.
    • Example: Students who pursue education and entry-level jobs to achieve traditional success.
  • Innovation: Accepts goals but lacks access to legitimate means, leading to deviant paths.
    • Examples: drug dealing, sex work.
  • Ritualist: Rejects goals but accepts the means; goes through the motions without caring about the outcome.
    • Example: A student forced to attend college by their parents who doesn't care about graduating. Burned out teacher.
  • Retreatism: Rejects both goals and means; often associated with drug addiction.
  • Rebellion: Rejects and replaces both goals and means with new ones.
    • Example: commune that rejects society’s goals and creates their own with new means.
• Innovation. key area where deviance really happens for Merton.
• Most sociologists argue against this theory.
• If this theory is how we have deviance, we have to change goals or institutional means of achieving them.
• Theory doesn't conform to data. Crime is highest among those with low aspirations, not high levels.
• Theory has class bias.
• Ignores passion, anger, frustration, and doesn't explain why wealthy people commit crimes.
• Subterranean values: Goals are rooted in middle class values.

Conflict Theory

• Sees conflict at the heart of society; based on power and inequality.
• Power: The ability of individuals or groups to make their concerns and interests count, even with resistance.
• Power might involve direct force or ideology.
• Deviance is defined to maintain the status quo of capitalism, with a huge class bias.
• Criminal law is a way of controlling the poor people / workers.
• Civil courts allow the rich to settle disputes and exchange money.
• Justice pretends to be equal and blind, when it is not.
• Example of affluenza to try to excuse behavior not knowing the laws of regulation.
• Crime is a result of conflict between segments of society and is used as a weapon against poor people.
• Breaking the law is a form of resistance against who have power
• Solution: Social equality.
• Problems with this theory:
  • Social consensus around some crimes.
  • Gains made by those with less power and why do they happen when the system is against them.

Control Theory

• Believes human beings are naturally deviant; social controls keep us from being deviant.
• Focuses on why deviance doesn't occur.
• Looks at the lack of controls that allows deviance to occur.
• Social disorganization theory shapes policing today, especially in New York City.

Social Disorganization

• Social disorder: Factors like poverty can cause a lack of control over our behaviors.
• Chicago School research: Even though groups changed, deviance rates stayed the same in certain locations.
  • Spatial elements: poverty, high population turnover causes deviance. Doesn't matter the group who lives there.
• Physical disorder: Litter and graffiti symbolize that no one cares.

Broken Windows Theory

• The theory comes from studies of abandoned, vandalized cars in neighborhoods.
• If there is one broken window (sign of disorder), it signals that no one cares, leading to greater disorder.
• Rudy Giuliani's policing strategies: Small signs of disorder should be strictly addressed.
• Zero tolerance policies focusing on minor crimes in diverse places that police might not know the culture very well.
• Who is suspicious and deviant is decided to police officer.
• Increased abuse, harassment, and violence.
• One form stop and frisk. The police get to decide who looks deviant.
• Documentary: Every Mother's Son, which is about three women whose sons were murdered by the police.
• Black and brown people are over-policed.
• Doesn't address underlying causes of crime.
• Issues with underlying causes ignored of poverty turnover and broken windows
• Community issues: neighborhood issues are ignored.