Sociology Lesson 4: Deviance

Deviance and Social Control

• Deviance refers to behavior that violates a group or society's standards of conduct or expectations
• It involves the violation of group norms, which may or may not be formalized into a law
• Deviance can lead to social stigma, which devalues members of certain social groups

Types of Social Control

• Informal social control: people use this to enforce norms
• Formal social control: carried out by authorized agents

Sanctions

• Penalties and rewards for conduct concerning a social norm
• Sanctions are used to enforce conformity and obedience

Conformity and Obedience

• Conformity: going along with peers who have no special right to direct our behavior
• Obedience: compliance with higher authorities in a hierarchical structure
• Socialization is the primary source of conforming and obedient behavior, including obedience to the law

Law and Social Control

• Law is defined as governmental social control
• Laws are directed at all members of society
• Sociologists see the creation of law as a social process

Theoretical Perspectives on Deviance

Control Theory

• Suggests that our connection to members of society leads us to systematically conform to society's norms

Functional Perspective

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

Interactionist Perspective

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

Social Disorganization Theory

• Social relationships in a community or neighborhood affect people's behavior
• Increases in deviance can be attributed to the absence or breakdown of communal relationships and social institutions

Labeling Perspective

• Social class plays an important role in the varying fortunes of the two groups
• Labeling Theory attempts to explain why certain people are viewed as deviants and are not seen in such harsh terms

Social Constructionist Perspective

• Deviance is the product of the culture we live in
• It focuses specifically on the decision-making process that creates deviant identity

Conflict Perspective

• Explains why our 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

• Feminist criminologists suggest that many of the existing approaches to deviance and crime were developed with only men in mind

Types of Deviance

Ritualism

• Abandoning the goal of material success and becoming compulsively committed to institutional means

Retreatism

• Withdrawing or retreating from both goals and means of society

Rebellion

• Alienated from dominant means and goals, seeking a dramatically different social order

Crime Categories

• Victimless crimes: the willing exchange among adults of widely desired but illegal goods and services
• Professional crime: person who pursues a crime on a day-to-day basis
• Organized crime: group activities that involve illegal activities
• White-collar and technology-based crime: illegal acts committed in business activities
• Hate crime: targets a victim due to their race, religion, disability, or physical appearance
• Transnational crime: crimes that have actual or potential effect across national borders
• Index crimes: the eight types of crime tabulated each year by the FBI in the Uniform Crime Reports