Deviance and Crime

Deviance and Crime

• Deviance differs from crime, with serious deviance constituting crime
• Deviance characteristics are dependent on location, time, society, societal response, subcultures, and audience
• Social control maintains order for society to function
• Sanctions include positive, negative, formal, and informal types

Functionalist Approach to Deviance

• Functionalists view social deviance in relation to how society should function
• Deviance serves a purpose by highlighting how society should function

Strain Theory

• Strain theory suggests deviance arises from a gap between goals and the means to achieve them, leading some individuals to become innovative criminals

Power Elite Theory

• Power elite theory posits that deviance is defined by the power elite, thus behaviors that don't affect them may be considered more deviant

Conflict Theory and Mass Incarceration

• Conflict theory asserts that mass incarceration of Blacks and Hispanics in the U.S. prisons is rooted in the lower class status of these groups, leading to unequal application of rules and systemic biases

Strain Theory and Mass Incarceration

• Strain theorists attributes the mass incarceration of Blacks and Hispanics to a lack of legitimate means to achieve societal goals

Labeling Theory

• Labeling theory links deviance to societal labels, with individuals more likely to become deviant if labeled as such, according to Edwin Lemert

Primary and Secondary Deviance

• Primary deviance is not as severe, while secondary deviance occurs when deviance becomes a label

Differential Association Theory

• Differential association theory explains deviance arising from interactions and learning from others

Types of Crime

• Crimes can be categorized as violent/nonviolent, street crime/corporate crime, and victimless crimes

Crime Rates

• Crime rates have generally declined since the 1990s in the U.S., though many people overestimate them

Homicide Rates

• Homicide rates in the U.S. are comparatively higher than in other countries

Criminal Justice System

• The U.S. criminal justice system consists of three branches: police, courts, and correction system (jail)

U.S. Criminal Justice System

• Mass incarceration peaked in the 2010s but has decreased since then, with a related decline in the Black prison population due to fewer incarcerations

Social Stratification

• Social stratification involves categorizing individuals based on ranks
• Factors determining an individual’s place include wealth, income, and occupation

Systems of Social Stratification

• Stratification can be closed or open; closed systems have little social mobility, while open are based on achievement

Caste System

• India has a caste system

Class vs Meritocracy

• Class systems and meritocracies differ in that class systems allow some social mobility based on factors like wealth and education, whereas meritocracies emphasize achievement and demonstrated skill

Upper Class in the U.S.

• The upper class in the U.S. ,characterized by old and new money

Middle Class in the U.S.

• The middle class in the U.S is shrinking

Lower Class in the U.S.

• The lower class in the U.S. contains different subgroups

Social Mobility

• Social mobility involves upward and downward movement in the class system

Poverty in the U.S.

• Poverty in the U.S. affects 11.6% of the population

Global Stratification

• Global stratification involves comparing different countries by GDP

Davis-Moore Thesis

• Davis-Moore thesis justifies stratification, suggesting functional roles in society deserve better treatment

Functionalist View

• Functionalists view inequality as inevitable

Conflict Theory

• Conflict theorists view those at the top as creating inequality

Symbolic Interactionists

• Symbolic interactionists study various topics regarding stratification

Conspicuous Consumption

• Conspicuous consumption involves purchasing expensive items to display status

Elizabeth Warren Case Study

• When answering a question about Elizabeth Warren’s race/ethnicity, she is white according to the definition of race because she does not the social quality to identify that way

Race vs Ethnicity

• Race differs from ethnicity since race is assigned by others and ethnicity is based on cultural grouping

Racial Minority Groups

• Racial minority group characteristics are defined by power rather than numerical size

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

• Stereotypes are not always negative, while prejudice is always bad; racism is prejudice with action

Racism

• Racism is strong type of prejudice in action

Colorism

• Colorism is the preference for and privilege of lighter skin tones within and between racial groups

Color-blind Racism

• Color-blind racism is the disregard of race as a factor in social interactions or policies, which can perpetuate inequality

Institutional Racism

• Institutional racism involves systemic practices that disadvantage certain racial groups

Intergroup Relations

• Six different types of intergroup relations exist between a dominant group and minority groups in society

Pluralism

• Pluralism is represented by the salad bowl metaphor

Amalgamation

• Amalgamation is represented by the melting pot metaphor

Assimilation

• Assimilation is the process by which a minority group adopts the norms and values of the dominant culture

De Jure vs De Facto Segregation

• De jure segregation is segregation enforced by law, while de facto segregation occurs without legal mandate

Expulsion

• Expulsion is the forceful removal of a group from a territory

Genocide

• Genocide is the systematic killing of a group of people

Native Americans

• There are specific facts regarding Native Americans

African Americans

• There are specific facts regarding African Americans

Asian Americans

• There are specific facts regarding Asian Americans

White Americans

• There are specific facts regarding White Americans

Hispanics

• There are specific facts regarding Hispanics

Sex vs Gender

• Sex is biological/physical, whereas gender is a social construct

Categories of Sex

• Categories of sex are male and female

Categories of Gender

• Categories of gender include men, women, masculine, and feminine

Sexuality

• Sexuality is sexual orientation and the expression thereof

Intersex People

• Intersex people, such as Nonbinary individuals, have biological traits that do not fit typical definitions of male or female

Transgender People

• Transgender people are those whose gender does not match their assigned sex at birth

Gender Identity Spectrum

• Gender identity is a spectrum, not a binary system

LGBTQAI

• LGBTQAI stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual, and intersex

Sociological Study of Sexuality

• Sociological study of sexuality covers topics like sexual orientation and behaviors

Heteronormativity

• Heteronormativity assumes that heterosexuality is normal for society

LGBTQ People in the U.S.

• LGBTQ people in the contemporary U.S. face discrimination but have also made progress towards equal rights, despite homophobia, transphobia, and cultural backlash

Gender-Based Socialization

• Gender is socialized through various agents like parents, teachers, media, and religion

Sexism

• Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on the belief that one sex is superior

Gender Pay Gap

• The gender pay gap in the U.S. sees women earning less (about 80%) than men

Causes of the Gender Pay Gap

• Causes of this gap include occupation sorting (job segregation), motherhood penalty vs fatherhood premium, and discrimination in hiring and promotion

Gender Based Socialization

• Gender Based Socialization, women encouraged to be nurses, men to be mathematicians

Motherhood Penalty

• The motherhood penalty describes how women are less likely to be hired when they are of childbearing age

Glass Ceiling vs Glass Escalator

• A glass ceiling represents an invisible barrier for women in their careers, while a glass escalator allows men to rise to the top easily

Feminism Waves

• First-wave feminism focused on voting rights; second-wave, on liberation, equal pay, and reproductive rights; third-wave, on diverse feminism and cultural movements; and fourth-wave, on digital activism like the Me Too movement

Gender Stratification Theories

• Sex role theory (functionalism), feminist theory (conflict theory), and doing gender theory (symbolic interactionism) explain gender stratification

Feminist Theory and Gender Stratification

• Feminist theory explains that patriarchal system needs dismantling in order to address general stratification

"Doing Gender"

• "Doing gender" theory suggests gender is a product of everyday reactions and the definitions of femininity and masculinity