Chapter 6 Overview
What is Deviance?
The Symbolic
The Conflict Perspective
Interactionist
Types of Crime
Perspective
The U.S. Prison
The Functionalist
System
Perspective 1
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“It is not the act itself, but the reaction to the act, that make something deviant.�
Howard Becker, 1966
Deviance- refers to any violation of norms, whether the infraction is as minor as driving over the speed limit or as serious as murder (p. 142) 2
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Canadian Hockey Team Celebrates Gold Medal Deviance and Social Control
Deviance is a violation of societal norms What is deviant to some is not deviant
to others Unlike the general public, Sociology uses the term
“Deviance” non-judgmentally to refer to any act to which people respond negatively. Deviance is relative To sociologist –all of us are deviants of one sort or
another… we all violate norms from time to time 4
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Is a specific form of deviance Violation of rules that have been written into law What constitutes crime will vary with cultures (e.g.
Adultery in U.S. vs. Arab Countries or Profiteering in China was until recently illegal where in the U.S. making lots of money on business deals
is desirable
)
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Erving Goffman To be considered deviant a person does not even have to do anything
Stigma = Characteristics that discredit people (e.g. blindness, disability, facial deformity, obesity)
A stigma is a blemish on ones identity A stigma is a violation of norms of appearance and ability A person can have a stigma by being a member of an
involuntary group (e.g. victim of AIDS, brother of a rapist)
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Examples of situations where people deal with stigma
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By making behavior Predictable
Without norms we would have social chaos Informal and Formal Norms (crimes) Norms Bring About Social Order 8
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Deviance undermines
predictability, which is the foundation of social life Consequently human groups have developed a system
of social control Social control is – the formal and informal means of
enforcing norms. http://improveverywhere.com/2010/01/10/no-
pants-2010-nyc-reports/
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We talked about this a bit in Chapter 2 Negative Sanctions- Expressions of disapproval of
deviance (e.g. frowns and stares to imprisonment and capital
punishment) Positive Sanctions- Reward people for conforming to
norms (e.g. smiles and awards, or getting a raise)
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3 different options, Sociology favors “outside the individual”
Sociobiologists
Psychologist
Look for Answers Inside Individuals
Focus on Conditions Within Individuals
Genetic Predispositions
Personality Disorders
Sociologist
Look for Answers Outside Individuals Social influences that “recruit” people 11
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Functional Analysis, Symbolic Interaction, and Conflict Theory All provide different perspectives on Deviance.
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1) Differential Association Theory 2)
Control Theory
3) Labeling Theory
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People learn deviance Differential association = we learn to deviate from or
conform to society’s norms primarily from the different groups we associate with. Families Of all jail inmates in the U.S. almost HALF have a father,
mother, brother, sister or spouse who has served prison time. Friends, Neighborhoods, & Subcultures 14
Deviance and Social Control
Created by Walther Reckless & Travis Hirschi
We all want to commit deviant acts but we don’t because of inner and outer controls The stronger the controls, the less likely deviance is to occur Inner controls:
Conscience, Morals, Religious Beliefs Outer controls:
Attachments, Commitments, Involvements 15
Deviance and Social Control
Focuses on the significance of the labels (names/
reputations) we are given. For example: “cheat” or “pervert” One way to deal with deviance is to “Neutralize” the
Label associated with the deviant act. There are 5 ways people try to reject labels: 1. Denial of Responsibility – “I am not responsible because….”
2. Denial of Injury – “No one got hurt” 3. Denial of a Victim – “He / She deserved what they got” 4. Condemnation of the Condemners – “Who are you to judge
me?” 5. Appeal to Higher Loyalties – “I had to help my friends”
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Option 2: EMBRACE THE LABEL Although most of us resist attempts to appear
deviant… some people enjoy the deviant identity (at least on a part time bases). Biker Gangs (Mark Watson’s Study)
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ď‚— According to Durkheim, deviance is
functional because: 1) It Affirms Moral Boundaries
2) Promotes Social Unity 3) Promotes Social Change 18
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I died in 1990
Robert Merton
We are all socialized to want certain
cultural goals but we don’t all have the means to attain those goals Because cultural goals (wealth or high status) are not
obtainable… People develop strain and a sense of anomie. 19
Deviance and Social Control
Conformity – This is the most common response to strain
and is a non-deviant response Innovator – Wants to achieve cultural goals but uses
illegitimate methods Ritualism – Has given up on attaining cultural goals but
still clings to conventional means of conduct Retreat – Rejects cultural goals and means to attain those
goals Rebellion – Rejects cultural goals and tries to replace
them with own goals
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White Collar Crime More privileged social class
is not crime free… they just have different illegitimate opportunities Crime that is committed by
those who have wealth and power Corporate crime is a type of
white collar crime
Street Crime Industrialized societies have
no problem socializing the poor to want items they can’t afford / have. Often committed by those of
the lower social classes as a way to survive Includes property crime 22
Deviance and Social Control
Are you sick of me yet?
The law is used as a means to oppress
the masses Those who have the wealth and power
often bypass the law and others must pay full penalties Every once in a while someone from
the upper social classes is “showcased” so as to appear fair 23
Deviance and Social Control
The U.S. has the highest amount of
prisoners in the world The recidivism rate is high; 2/3 of
those who commit violent crimes are rearrested The majority of prisoners are male,
have a high school education, and are from the lower to middle social classes 24
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http://www.correctionsone.com/ http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=correctionsone&init
=quick#!/correctionsone?v=wall&ref=search Deviant behavior does not stop
when people enter the prison system
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Deviance and Social Control