Deviance, Crime, Social Control

Deviance, Crime, Social Control Introduction Tattoos, vegan lifestyles, single parenthood, breast implants, and even jogging were once considered deviant but are now widely accepted. The change process usually takes some time and may be accompanied by significant disagreement, especially for social norms that are viewed as essential 7.1: Deviance and Control According to sociologist William Graham Sumner, deviance is a violation of established contextual, cultural, or social norms, whether folkways, mores, or codified law (1906). It can be as minor as picking your nose in public or as major as committing murder Can be positive; from a structural functionalist perspective, one of the positive contributions of deviance is that it fosters social change “What is deviant behavior?” cannot be answered in a straightforward manner. Whether an act is labeled deviant or not depends on many factors, including location, audience, and the individual committing the act As norms vary across culture and time, it makes sense that notions of deviance change also All societies practice social control, the regulation and enforcement of norms. The underlying goal of social control is to maintain social order, an arrangement of practices and behaviors on which society’s members base their daily lives Think of social order as an employee handbook and social control as a manager. When a worker violates a workplace guideline, the manager steps in to enforce the rules; when an employee is doing an exceptionally good job at following the rules, the manager may praise or promote the employee The means of enforcing rules are known as sanctions. Sanctions can be positive as well as negative. Positive sanctions are rewards given for conforming to norms. A promotion at work is a positive sanction for working hard. Negative sanctions are punishments for violating norms. Being arrested is a punishment for shoplifting. Both types of sanctions play a role in social control Sociologists also classify sanctions as formal or informal Informal sanctions emerge in face-to-face social interactions o Positive: a smile or pat on the back o Negative: disapproving looks or verbal reprimands Formal sanctions, on the other hand, are ways to officially recognize and enforce norm violations o Positive: official commendation; promotion at work o Negative: expulsion from school; parking fine 7.2: Theoretical Perspectives on Deviance Sociologists who follow the functionalist approach are concerned with the way the different elements of a society contribute to the whole. They view deviance as a key component of a functioning society. Strain theory, social disorganization theory, and cultural deviance theory represent three functionalist perspectives on deviance in society o Deviance is functional because it challenges people’s present views o When deviance is punished, it reaffirms currently held social norms, which also contribute to society o Strain theory: access to socially acceptable goals plays a part in determining whether a person conforms or deviates (i.e. an entrepreneur who can’t afford to launch his own company may be tempted to embezzle from his employer for start-up funds) o Merton defined five ways people respond to this gap between having a socially accepted goal and having no socially accepted way to pursue it (strain theory): conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion o Social disorganization theory asserts that crime is most likely to occur in communities with weak social ties and the absence of social control (i.e. an individual who grows up in a poor neighborhood with high rates of drug use, violence, teenage delinquency, and deprived parenting is more likely to become a criminal than an individual from a wealthy neighborhood) o Social disorganization theory points to broad social factors as the cause of deviance. A person isn’t born a criminal but becomes one over time, often based on factors in his or her social environment o Cultural deviance theory suggests that conformity to the prevailing cultural norms of lower-class society causes crime Conflict theory looks to social and economic factors as the causes of crime and deviance. Unlike functionalists, conflict theorists don’t see these factors as positive functions of society. They see them as evidence of inequality in the system. They also challenge social disorganization theory and argue that it ignores racial and socioeconomic issues and oversimplifies social trends o Power elite: a small group of wealthy and influential people at the top of society who hold the power and resources Symbolic interactionism is a theoretical approach that can be used to explain how societies and/or social groups come to view behaviors as deviant or conventional. Labeling theory, differential association, social disorganization theory, and control theory fall within the realm of symbolic interactionism o Labeling theory examines the ascribing of a deviant behavior to another person by members of society; thus, what is considered deviant is determined not so much by the behaviors themselves or the people who commit them, but by the reactions of others to these behaviors o As a result, what is considered deviant changes over time and can vary across cultures o Sociologist Edwin Lemert expanded on the concepts of labeling theory and identified two types of deviance that affect identity formation. Primary deviance is a violation of norms that does not result in any long-term effects on the individual’s self-image or interactions with others (i.e. speeding). Secondary deviance occurs when a person’s self-concept and behavior begin to change after his or her actions are labeled as deviant by members of society. The person may begin to take on and fulfill the role of a “deviant” as an act of rebellion against the society that has labeled that individual as such (i.e. student who cuts class/fights) o Secondary deviance can be so strong that it bestows a master status on an individual. A master status is a label that describes the chief characteristic of an individual o Differential association theory: individuals learn deviant behavior from those close to them who provide models of and opportunities for deviance. According to Sutherland, deviance is less a personal choice and more a result of differential socialization processes; crime= multigenerational o Continuing with an examination of large social factors, control theory states that social control is directly affected by the strength of social bonds and that deviance results from a feeling of disconnection from society. Individuals who believe they are a part of society are less likely to commit crimes against it o Four types of social bonds that connect people to society: attachment (connections), commitment (investments), involvement (participation), belief (agreement on common values) 7.3: Crime and the Law Crime, on the other hand, is a behavior that violates official law and is punishable through formal sanctions As you have learned, all societies have informal and formal ways of maintaining social control. Within these systems of norms, societies have legal codes that maintain formal social control through laws, which are rules adopted and enforced by a political authority Types of crimes  Violent crimes (also known as “crimes against a person”) are based on the use of force or the threat of force. Rape, murder, and armed robbery fall under this category; nonviolent crimes involve the destruction or theft of property but do not use force or the threat of force; street crime, or offenses committed by ordinary people against other people or organizations, usually in public spaces; corporate crime, or crime committed by white-collar workers in a business environment; victimless crime: perpetrator is not explicitly harming another person (i.e. drinking beer); attacks based on a person’s race, religion, or other characteristics are known as hate crimes A self-report study is a collection of data gathered using voluntary response methods, such as questionnaires or telephone interviews A criminal justice system is an organization that exists to enforce a legal code. There are three branches of the U.S. criminal justice system: the police, the courts, and the corrections system Police are a civil force in charge of enforcing laws and public order at a federal, state, or community level A court is a system that has the authority to make decisions based on law. The U.S. judicial system is divided into federal courts and state courts. As the name implies, federal courts (including the U.S. Supreme Court) deal with federal matters, including trade disputes, military justice, and government lawsuits The corrections system, more commonly known as the prison system, is charged with supervising individuals who have been arrested, convicted, and sentenced for a criminal offense Questions During the civil rights movement, Rosa Parks and other black protestors spoke out against segregation by refusing to sit at the back of the bus. This is an example of? An act of deviance A student has a habit of talking on her cell phone during class. One day, the professor stops his lecture and asks her to respect the other students in the class by turning off her phone. In this situation, the professor used ___ to maintain social control. Informal negative sanctions Societies practice social control to maintain ___. Social order One day, you decide to wear pajamas to the grocery store. While you shop, you notice people giving you strange looks and whispering to others. In this case, the grocery store patrons are demonstrating ____. Informal sanctions According to C. Wright Mills, which of the following people is most likely to be a member of the power elite? A senator According to social disorganization theory, crime is most likely to occur where? A community where neighbors don’t know each other very well According to the concept of the power elite, why would a celebrity such as Charlie Sheen commit a crime? Because his fame protects him from retribution A convicted sexual offender is released on parole and arrested two weeks later for repeated sexual crimes. How would labeling theory explain this? An offender has been labeled deviant by society and has accepted a new master status Which of the following situations best describes crime trends in the United States? Rates of violent and nonviolent crimes are decreasing