Deviance and Society

Deviance and Social Norms

• Deviance: behavior that violates a group or society's standards of conduct or expectations
• Involves the violation of group norms, which may or may not be formalized into a law

Deviance and Social Stigma

• Stigma: labels society uses to devalue members of certain social groups (coined by Erving Goffman)

Deviance and Technology

• Technological innovations can redefine social interactions and standards of behavior
• Deviant uses of technology: e.g., downloading music without permission (copyright infringement)

Social Control

• Techniques and strategies to prevent deviant human behavior in a society
• Informal social control: enforcing norms through social interactions
• Formal social control: carried out by authorized agents

Types of Social Control

• Sanctions: penalties and rewards for conduct concerning social norms
• Conformity: going along with peers of similar status who have no special right to direct behavior
• Obedience: compliance with higher authorities in a hierarchical structure

Control Theory

• Connection to society leads to conformity to societal norms
• Suggests that social bonds prevent deviance

Sociological Perspectives

Functional Perspective

• Deviance is a common part of human existence
• Deviance helps define the limits of proper behavior
• Punishment helps establish acceptable behavior and contributes to stability

Interactionist Perspective

• Explains why rule violations continue despite pressure to conform and obey
• Cultural transmission: learning how to behave in social situations, properly or improperly

Social Disorganization Theory

• Social relationships in a community or neighborhood affect people's behavior
• Breakdown of communal relationships and social institutions can lead to increased deviance

Labeling Perspective

• Social class plays a role in varying fortunes of deviants
• Labeling Theory explains why certain people are viewed as deviants and not others

Social Constructionist Perspective

• Deviance is a product of the culture we live in
• Focuses on the decision-making process that creates deviant identity

Conflict Perspective

• Explains why society has laws against crimes
• Criminal laws reflect competing values and beliefs
• People with power protect their interests and define deviance to suit their needs

Feminist Perspective

• Suggests that many approaches to deviance and crime were developed with only men in mind

Merton's Theory of Deviance

Modes of Adaptation

• Conformity: accepting societal goals and means
• Innovation: accepting societal goals but pursuing them with improper means
• Ritualism: abandoning the goal of material success and becoming compulsively committed to institutional means
• Retreatism: rejecting societal goals and means
• Rebellion: replacing societal goals and means with new ones