12 Questions
Define deviance.
Deviance is the recognized violation of cultural norms.
Which of the following is considered a violation of society's formally enacted criminal law?
Speeding while driving
Deviant actions or attitudes always have a negative connotation.
False
According to Cesare Lombroso, what physical characteristics did he associate with criminals?
Low foreheads, prominent jaws and cheekbones, hairiness, and unusually long arms.
Deviance is a recognized violation of cultural __.
norms
Match the deviance theory with its description:
Labeling theory = Deviance and conformity result from how others respond to actions Differential Association theory = Deviant behavior is learned through interactions with others Control theory = Focuses on the social ties that bind people and prevent deviant behavior
What is the term used when a person is discredited in the minds of others and becomes socially isolated?
Stigma
What is the term for a formal stigmatization of a person by a community?
Degradation ceremony
Retrospective labeling involves interpreting someone's past in light of their present deviance.
True
What does projective labeling of a stigmatized person involve? Using the person's deviant identity to predict future _______.
actions
What has led to the medicalization of deviance according to the content?
Increasing influence of psychiatry and medicine
Match the type of social control from Hirschi's Control Theory with their descriptions:
Attachment = Encouragement of conformity through strong social bonds Opportunity = Accessibility to legitimate opportunities reducing deviant behavior Involvement = Engagement in legitimate activities inhibiting deviance Belief = Strong adherence to conventional morality and respect for authority figures
Study Notes
Definition of Deviance and Crime
- Deviance: recognized violation of cultural norms, a broad concept varying from culture to culture or group to group.
- Crime: violation of society's formally enacted criminal law, a category of deviance.
Social Control
- Social control: attempts by society to regulate people's thoughts and behavior, often informal.
- Informal control: from parents, friends, and community, can be praising or scolding behavior.
- Formal control: involves the criminal justice system, including police, courts, and prisons.
The Relativity of Deviance
- Deviance is relative, varying according to cultural norms and context.
- What is deviant for some people may not be deviant for others.
Biological Explanations of Deviance
- Biological explanation of deviance: rooted in the idea that human behavior is the result of biological instincts.
- Early theories suggested that criminals had distinct physical characteristics, but these were later discredited.
- Recent research investigates the connection between genes and crime.
Psychological Theory of Deviance
- Psychologists see deviance as caused by abnormalities in individual personality.
- Personality traits are shaped by social experience, and deviance is a result of unsuccessful socialization.
- The containment theory: a personality that controls deviant impulses helps individuals stay out of trouble.
Social Foundations of Deviance
- Deviance varies according to cultural norms and context.
- People become deviant as others define them that way.
- How societies set norms and define rule-breaking involves power.
Structural-Functional Theories of Deviance
- Deviance is an essential part of social organization, serving several important social functions.
- Durkheim's functions of deviance:
- Affirms cultural values and norms.
- Clarifies moral boundaries.
- Brings people together.
- Encourages social change.
- Merton's Strain Theory:
- Deviance is a result of imbalance between cultural goals and approved means.
- People may respond to strain in different ways, including conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion.
Symbolic-Interaction Theories of Deviance
- Labeling theory: deviance and conformity result from how others respond to actions.
- Differential association theory: people learn deviant behavior through associations with others.
- Control theory: conformity depends on anticipating the consequences of behavior.
Labeling Theory
- Deviance is a result of how others respond to actions.
- Primary deviance: initial norm violation that provokes a slight reaction from others.
- Secondary deviance: when a person begins to employ deviant behavior as a means of defense, attack, or adjustment.
- Stigma: a powerfully negative label that greatly changes a person's self-concept and social identity.
Differential Association Theory
- Learning any behavioral pattern, including deviant behavior, takes place in groups.
- Associations with deviant groups or conformists influence behavior.
- Studies confirm that young people are more likely to engage in delinquency if they believe their peers encourage it.
Control Theory
- Social control depends on people anticipating the consequences of their behavior.
- Hirschi's control theory links conformity to four types of social control:
- Attachment: strong social attachments encourage conformity.
- Opportunity: greater access to legitimate opportunities encourages conformity.
- Involvement: involvement in legitimate activities inhibits deviance.
- Belief: strong belief in conventional morality and respect for authority figures control deviance.
This quiz explores the concept of deviance, including its definition, biological and psychological explanations, and social foundations. It also delves into theoretical approaches to understanding deviance, including structural-functional and symbolic-interaction theories.
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