University:
College
Course:
College Sociology
Academic year:

2023
Views:

228

Pages:

18
Author:

danheartshanle

Explaining Deviance: Social Interactionism Interactionist Perspective Interaction among individuals influences deviance Interactionists have proposed three major explanations for deviance • Control Theory • Cultural Transmission Theory • Labeling Theory Control Theory • Control theory explains deviance as a natural occurrence • Control theorists are interested in why people conform rather than the causes of deviance Control Theory • Social ties among individuals determine conformity • Individuals who are integrated are likely to conform Control Theory • Those who have weak ties to the community are likely to commit deviant acts Control Theory • Communities in which most members have strong social bonds will have lower rates of deviance because community members are able to exert stronger social control over those who deviate Control Theory People develop bonds to their community in 4 ways – Travis Hirschi 1.They form attachments with others who accept the norms of society Parents, teachers, friends 2.They have a strong belief in society’s moral codes 3.The show commitment to traditional societal values and goals Getting a good education, job 4.They are fully involved in nondeviant activities leaving no time for deviant behavior Control Theory • Criminologist Travis Hirschi suggests that conformity is the result of strong selfcontrol. • Children may develop more self-control if their parents punish them for deviant acts and reward them for conformity Cultural Transmission Theory • Cultural Transmission Theory explains deviance as a behavior learned through interaction with others • However, in interactions among individuals engaging in deviance, the norms and values being transmitted are deviant behaviors Cultural Transmission Theory • The concept of differential association is essential to cultural transmission theory • Differential association refers to the frequency and closeness is associations a person has with deviant and nondeviant individuals • If the majority of an person’s interactions are with deviant individuals, the person is more likely to be socialized into patterns of deviant behavior • Learning of deviant behavior occurs in primary groups Cultural Transmission Theory • Cultural Transmission Theory views all individuals as conformists • The deviant individual conforms to norms that are not accepted by the larger community • The nondeviant conforms to socially accepted norms. Cultural Transmission Theory • Some people show strong commitment to society’s norms yet still engage in deviance • Through techniques of neutralization, people suspend their moral beliefs • These techniques are learned through social interaction • Denying responsibility, denying injury, denying the victim, condemning the authorities, and appealing to higher loyalties Labeling Theory • Labeling theory focuses on how individuals come to be identified as deviant • All people commit deviant acts, yet not everyone is labeled as deviant • Two types of deviance • Primary and Secondary Deviance Labeling Theory Primary Deviance • The occasional violation of norms • Individuals who commit acts of deviance do not see themselves as deviant and neither does society Labeling Theory Secondary Deviance • Deviance as a lifestyle • Individual being labeled as deviant and believing in the label themselves Labeling Theory • Once someone is labeled as deviant, people judge their actions based on that label • The deviant label often restricts an individual’s options and forces them into a deviant lifestyle • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_bmFJRcseg