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.

This quiz covers various aspects of sociology, including making moral judgments, defining normal and deviant behavior, and mechanisms of social control. It also explores the functions and dysfunctions of deviance and identity as deviance.