Exam Notes on Deviant Behavior, Social Groups, and Social Interaction
Deviant Behavior
Homosexuality: Examples include various individuals in different roles.
Debate on causes: hormonal, familial, traumatic, hereditary, or environmental.
Homosexuality is commonly observed and openly accepted.
Definition: Behavior straying from accepted norms, beliefs, or values.
Sociologists study it without judgment, focusing on definition and societal response.
Deviance is relative; varies across groups (e.g., abortion, premarital sex, polygamy).
Varies in time and place; radicals may be lauded later (e.g., Galileo, Darwin).
Rules can be broken if justified (e.g., People Power Revolution).
May be tolerated, approved, or disapproved.
Modern societies encourage deviation towards ideal behavior (e.g., scholars).
Pathological View: Seen as pathological, like mental illness.
Judgment by society on departures from norms.
Depends on how social power defines the act.
All societies deal with it; seriousness depends on norm variations.
Modern societies encourage freedom, weakening control.
Group norms may conflict with society (e.g., gangs).
Serious problems: drug addiction, crime, alcoholism, prostitution, etc.
Some is highly organized (e.g., drug pushing, smuggling).
Explanations:
Biological: Stems from physical makeup.
Cesare Lambroso: Criminals born with abnormal features. Criticism: limited sample.
Aberrant genetic traits. Criticism: unrepresentative, contributing factor.
Psychological: Personality disorder or maladjustment, leading to conflicts or impulse issues; frustration causes aggression.
Sociologists stress culture, structures, and interaction.
Sociological Approaches:
Functionalist: Rapid changes increase deviance.
Emile Durkheim: Natural, serves functions.
Rules strengthened when punished.
Unites members against it.
May promote change; norms change when violated.
Durkheim (1897): Anomie is normlessness in rapid change, leading to strain.
Robert K. Merton (1968): Deviance results from anomie in the US.
Conformists accept goals and means.
Disadvantaged may resort to illegitimate adaptations. Criticisms: questions if groups aspire to same goals, doesn’t explain responses.
Control Theory: Walter Reckless (1967); learned in socialization.
Participation in subcultures matters.
Social control prevents it; bond between individual and society crucial.
Conflict Theory: Focuses on unequal power; powerful advocate rules serving interests.
Laws maintain order because crime conflicts with powerful.
Strong sanctions from church groups.
Characterizes capitalist society, fixable with socialist principles. Critiques: doesn’t explain becoming deviant; explains rule formation to enhance elitist power.
Those in power define criminal, reflecting class interests.
Symbolic Interactionism: Focuses on definitions, labels, meanings.
If pleasurable, repeated until labelled.
Cultural Transmission and Differential Association: Learned through interaction; acquire techniques, motives.
Labeling Theory: Defined and labelled by agencies; stigmatized, leading to more deviance.
Gangs: provide support, identity, protection, replacing family.
Feminist Approach:
Liberal: Rational response to discrimination.
Radical: Attributed to patriarchy.
Socialist: In capitalistic and patriarchal societies, women receive low wages, resort to prostitution or shoplifting.
Positive Functions:
Makes people aware of dangers, developing common interest.
Recognition makes groups aware of tolerance limits.
May serve as a warning device, leading to changes.
Drug Abuse: Widespread, social problem.
Drug: Substance causing impairment, violating standards.
Drug addiction: Physical or psychological need, loss of control.
Physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms.
Psychological dependence: Necessary for well-being.
Social Groups and Social Organizations
Definition of Social Group: Two or more people in social interaction, guided by norms, values, expectations, with stable relations.
Concept of Society: Large grouping sharing territory, subject to authority and cultural expectations.
External to the individual.
Members perceive society as a constraint.
Every society has unique culture; culture and society are interdependent.
Aggregates: Clustered persons not interacting.
Social Category: Groups with common characteristics, may never meet.