DEVIANCEDEVIANCE

Deviance is a Deviance is a recognized violation of recognized violation of cultural norms cultural norms

Question: Question:

How do Sociologists look at How do Sociologists look at deviance?deviance?

CRIME AND CRIMINALITYCRIME AND CRIMINALITY

When we think When we think of deviance we of deviance we often think of often think of crime and crime and criminalitycriminality

Cesare LombrosoCesare Lombroso and the biological roots of and the biological roots of

criminality criminality

William SheldonWilliam Sheldon

body structure body structure as a predictor of as a predictor of criminality criminality

Major Theories in SociologyMajor Theories in Sociology

FunctionalismFunctionalism

Symbolic Symbolic InteractionismInteractionism

Conflict TheoryConflict Theory

STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM

Emile DurkheimEmile Durkheim

deviance affirms cultural values and deviance affirms cultural values and normsnorms

-condemning something as “deviant” -condemning something as “deviant” clarifies moral boundariesclarifies moral boundaries

-constructing an act as deviant can -constructing an act as deviant can unify social groupsunify social groups

-what is constructed as deviant may -what is constructed as deviant may often be reconstructed as a social or often be reconstructed as a social or commercial goodcommercial good

Robert Merton’s Strain Robert Merton’s Strain TheoryTheory Deviant behavior Deviant behavior

arises from social arises from social realities in which few realities in which few opportunities or opportunities or “means” to an end “means” to an end exist to achieve exist to achieve cultural goalscultural goals

?what is “innovation, ?what is “innovation, ritualism, retreatism, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion” for rebellion” for Merton?Merton?

Strain TheoryStrain Theory

Conformity-Conformity-embracing the embracing the society’s society’s definition of definition of success and success and adhering to the adhering to the established and established and approved approved means of means of achieving achieving successsuccess

Strain TheoryStrain Theory

Innovation-refers to used Innovation-refers to used of illicit means to reach of illicit means to reach approved goalsapproved goals

Strain TheoryStrain Theory

Ritualism- involves strict adherence Ritualism- involves strict adherence to the culturally prescribed rules, to the culturally prescribed rules, even though individuals give up on even though individuals give up on the goals they hoped to achievethe goals they hoped to achieve

Strain TheoryStrain Theory

Retreatism-giving up on both the Retreatism-giving up on both the goals and the means to achieve goals and the means to achieve themthem

Strain TheoryStrain Theory

Rebellion-rejecting the socially approved ideas Rebellion-rejecting the socially approved ideas of success and the means of attaining that of success and the means of attaining that success but replacing them with alternative success but replacing them with alternative definitions of success and alternative definitions of success and alternative strategies for attaining the new goalsstrategies for attaining the new goals

Deviant SubculturesDeviant Subcultures

?why should the ?why should the

notion of a “deviant notion of a “deviant subculture” be subculture” be understood as understood as relative (meaning it relative (meaning it depends on who is depends on who is making the making the assertion of assertion of deviance)?deviance)?

SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONIST SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE ON DEVIANCEPERSPECTIVE ON DEVIANCE

what we understand what we understand to be deviant is to be deviant is nothing more than a nothing more than a function of function of perspectiveperspective

examples: “crimes” examples: “crimes” such as murder, such as murder, theft, statutory rapetheft, statutory rape

Deviance and Conflict Deviance and Conflict TheoryTheory

Conflict TheoryConflict Theory

This approach links deviance to This approach links deviance to social inequalitysocial inequality

Who or what is labeled “deviant” Who or what is labeled “deviant” depends on which categories of depends on which categories of people hold power in a societypeople hold power in a society

Deviance, Conflict Theory Deviance, Conflict Theory and Capitalismand Capitalism

Deviant labels have Deviant labels have often been applied to often been applied to people or populations people or populations that are perceived to that are perceived to have no or little use in have no or little use in a system of industrial a system of industrial or capitalist or capitalist productionproduction

Erving Goffman and StigmaErving Goffman and Stigma

Stigma: culturally negative label that Stigma: culturally negative label that greatly alters or shapes ones self- greatly alters or shapes ones self-concept/identityconcept/identity

MEDICALIZATION OF DEVIANCEMEDICALIZATION OF DEVIANCE

when behavior constructed as deviant when behavior constructed as deviant becomes medicalized, the notions of becomes medicalized, the notions of objectivity and legitimacy associated objectivity and legitimacy associated with science and scientific inquiry alter with science and scientific inquiry alter the construction of the behavior;the construction of the behavior;

?What is the difference between ?What is the difference between

behavior that is “biologized” versus behavior that is “biologized” versus “medicalized”?“medicalized”?

Travis Hirschi: Control Travis Hirschi: Control TheoryTheory

four types of four types of social controlsocial control

1. 1. attachmentattachment

2. 2. opportunityopportunity

3. 3. involvementinvolvement

4. belief4. belief

attachmentattachment

Attachment to other people who Attachment to other people who respect the values and rules of the respect the values and rules of the society; individuals do not want to be society; individuals do not want to be rejected by those to whom they are rejected by those to whom they are close or they admireclose or they admire

commitmentcommitment

Commitment to conventional Commitment to conventional activities (schools and jobs) that they activities (schools and jobs) that they do not want to jeopardizedo not want to jeopardize

involvementinvolvement

Involvement in activities that keep Involvement in activities that keep them so busy with conventional roles them so busy with conventional roles and expectations that they do not and expectations that they do not have time for mischiefhave time for mischief

beliefbelief

Belief in the social Belief in the social rules of their culture rules of their culture that they accept that they accept because of because of childhood childhood socialization and socialization and indoctrination into indoctrination into conventional beliefs.conventional beliefs.

Differential association Differential association theorytheory

Refers to the difference in people Refers to the difference in people with whom members of a society with whom members of a society interact; some people learn to interact; some people learn to conform and other learn to deviate, conform and other learn to deviate, depending on their associationsdepending on their associations

Differential association Differential association theorytheory

This theory focuses on the process of This theory focuses on the process of learning deviance from family, peers, learning deviance from family, peers, fellow employees, political fellow employees, political organizations, gangs etc…organizations, gangs etc…

Differential association Differential association theorytheory

According to this theory, the According to this theory, the possibility of becoming deviant possibility of becoming deviant depends on four factors:depends on four factors:

DurationDuration

IntensityIntensity

PriorityPriority

FrequencyFrequency

LABELING THEORYLABELING THEORY

Labeling theory focuses on how people Labeling theory focuses on how people define reality or what is or is not “normal”define reality or what is or is not “normal”

No behavior or individual is intrinsically No behavior or individual is intrinsically deviantdeviant

Behavior “is” deviant because individuals Behavior “is” deviant because individuals label it deviantlabel it deviant

Members of a society create deviance by Members of a society create deviance by defining behaviors as deviant; they then defining behaviors as deviant; they then react to the deviance by rejection or by react to the deviance by rejection or by imposing penaltiesimposing penalties

LABELING THEORYLABELING THEORY

Labeling theorists define 2 stages in Labeling theorists define 2 stages in the process of becoming a deviant:the process of becoming a deviant:

1.1. Primary deviance-a violation of a Primary deviance-a violation of a norm that may be an isolated eventnorm that may be an isolated event

2.2. Secondary deviance-continuing to Secondary deviance-continuing to violate a norm and taking on a violate a norm and taking on a deviant identitydeviant identity

ANOMIEANOMIE

Anomie or Anomie or “normlessness” “normlessness” describes the describes the breakdown of norms breakdown of norms caused by the lack caused by the lack of shared, of shared, achievable goals achievable goals and lack of socially and lack of socially approved means to approved means to achieve goalsachieve goals