Soc Lesson 16

Making Moral Judgments

• Culture defines normal behavior, which varies across societies and eras.
• Moral evaluations are used to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.
• Moral judgments can be influenced by societal conventions, tradition, and religion.
• Examples of deviant behavior include homosexuality in Pakistan due to cultural and religious norms, and drug use in Pakistan due to its prohibition.

Defining Normal and Deviant Behavior: The Functions of Deviance

• Deviance is any breach of norms, whether minor or major.
• Deviance is relative, and what is considered abnormal by one group may not be considered abnormal by another.
• Sociologists use the term "deviance" in a non-judgmental manner to describe any action that elicits unfavorable reactions.
• Everyone is a deviant in some way, as we all occasionally transgress social standards.
• The stigma of deviance can grow to define a person's identity.
• Deviance serves three key functions:
  • Clarifies moral boundaries and affirms norms
  • Promotes social unity by punishing transgressors
  • Promotes social change by driving groups to reconsider and revise their moral guidelines

Defining Normal and Deviant Behavior: The Dysfunctions of Deviance

• Deviance can have detrimental effects on society, such as instilling fear and insecurity.
• Deviance can cause social disorder and the collapse of social structures.
• Examples of deviance's dysfunctions include the emergence of extremist organizations in Pakistan, which has disrupted society and instilled terror.
• Deviance can result in injustice and prejudice towards vulnerable populations.

Identity as Deviance

• A career model of deviance illustrates how the use of the label and subsequent internalization result in continuous and greater deviation.
• Deviance can become a master status, dominating and overriding other statuses an individual holds.
• People may internalize the deviant identity to the point where they begin to see themselves as generally abnormal.
• Role engulfment occurs when people become so engrossed in their deviant identity that it influences their subsequent behavior.

Mechanisms of Social Control: Internal Means of Social Control

• Internal control mechanisms refer to a person's internal sense of right and wrong.
• Internal mechanisms of control can include morality, values, and personal convictions.
• Family upbringing and cultural norms can influence an individual's internal mechanisms of control.
• Internalized social control can effectively direct behavior and foster social cohesion.

Mechanisms of Social Control: External Means of Social Control

• External means of control refer to the application of external factors to control behavior.
• Examples of external social control mechanisms include laws, institutions, and social norms.
• Governmental institutions and the judicial system act as external social control mechanisms in Pakistan.
• Family obligations and gender-based social standards can also function as external sources of control.

Social Control and Deterrence

• Social control is a crucial component of sociological study, and deterrence is its most crucial component.
• The deterrence hypothesis states that negative social sanctions, particularly punishment, will be avoided if they are perceived as being certain, swift, and severe.
• There are two types of deterrence: specific deterrence, which prevents a person from repeating a particular behavior, and general deterrence, which deters others from doing similar things.

Informal and Formal Social Control

• Informal social control procedures are used when voluntary social control is insufficient and folkways or mores are broken.
• Examples of informal social control include gossip, ridicule, and ostracism.
• Informal social control can be sufficient to deter deviation and promote compliance, but formal controls may be added to reinforce informal social control when formal norms are broken.