the recognized violation of cultural norms
deviance
the violation of a society's formally enacted criminal law
crime
attempts by society to regulate people's thoughts and behavior
social control
a formal response by police, courts, and prison officials to alleged violations of the law
criminal justice system
how does biology play a role in deviant behavior
1. Lombroso said prisoners have ape-like features
2. Sheldon said larger-built kids are more prone to criminality/delinquency
3. University of Wisconsin genetics research said that genes in the environment can be used to predict criminality`
most psychologists think that personality is shaped by
social experience
deviance is the result of
unsuccessful socialization
what did the research by reckless and dinitz show
their containment theory linked delinquency to a weak conscience; boys that displayed a strong conscience, could handle frustration, and identified with cultural norms and values were less likely to have run-ins with the police
what are the social foundations of deviance
1. deviance varies according to cultural norms
2. people become deviant as long as others define them as deviant
3. both norms and the way people define rule breaking involve social power
4 essential functions of durkheim's deviance study
1. deviance affirms cultural values and norms
2. responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries
3. responding to deviance brings people together
4. deviance encourages social change
_____'s strain theory
merton
______'s four essential functions of deviance study
merton
merton's strain theory argued that (example)
too much deviance results from particular social arrangements (ex: overpopulation of hispanic people that didn't fit in in LA led to the formation of gangs)
merton's strain theory asked if
deviance was the result of socially creating unobtainable expectations and failing to supply to necessary means with which to achieve those cultural goals
___'s deviance typology
robert k merton
two parts of deviance typology
institutionalized means: giving the opportunity to meet goals
cultural goals
OR
new means and new goals -> rebellion
four blocks of deviance typology
1. conformity: accept cultural goals and institutionalized means
2. innovation: accept cultural goals but not institutionalized means
3. ritualism: accepts institutionalized means but not cultural goals
4. retreatism: rejects both cultural goals and insti
example of conformity
someone who wants to have a successful life and goes to college to get a high paying job
example of innovation
someone who wants to have a successful life but does not feel that college will get it for them
example of ritualism
someone who knows that going to college will get them a successful life but do not care about success in that way
example of retreatism
someone who does not care about having a successful life and does not think that college will help them
example of rebel
someone who thinks that success is not financial but love and that family, not college is the key to success
cloward and ohlin's discovery
crime results not from limited legitimate opportunity but also from readily accessible illegitimate opportunity
cohen's findings
criminality is most common among lower-class youths because they have the least opportunity to achieve conventional success
deviant subcultures are characterized by
1. trouble: frequent conflict with authorities
2. toughness: value placed on physical size
3. smartness: ability to succeed on the streets\
4. a need for excitement: thrills, risk, and danger
5. a belief in fate: feeling of lack of control
6. a desire for
_____ determined the characteristics of deviant subcultures
miller
anderson's discovery
in poor neighborhoods most people manage to conform to conventional values
retrospective labeling
a reinterpretation of the person's past in light of some present deviance
projective labeling
using a deviant identity to predict the person's future behavior
harold garfinkel
social scientist who identified degradation ceremony
degradation ceremony
when an entire community stigmatizes a person in a public way
medicalization of deviance
transformation of moral and legal deviance into a medical condition
three consequences of defining deviance as a moral or medical issue
1. affects who response to the deviance
2. how people respond to deviance
3. competence of the deviant
____'s differential association theory
sutherland
differential association theory
found that a person's tendency toward conformity or deviance depends on the amount of others who encourage or reject conventional behavior
travis hirschi
a sociologist who states that social control depends on people anticipating the consequences of their behavior
____ links conformity to four types of social control
travis hirschi
four types of social control linked to conformity
1. attachment: close knit families encourage community
2. opportunity: increased resources increase conformity
3. involvement: structured life limits changes to deviate
4. belief: if I truly believe something is wrong I am less likely to do it
alexander liazos
points out that people we tend to define as deviants are typically those who are harmful as well as powerless
edwin lemert
social scientist who identified primary and secondary deviance
primary deviance
normal violations provoke reactions from others but have little effect on a person's self concept
secondary deviance
the individual changes their self concept because of the observation from an audience during primary deviance
a powerful social label that dramatically changes a person's concept and identity
stigma
the idea that deviance and conformity result not so much from what people do as from how others respond to those actions
labeling theory
thomas szasz
psychiatrist who claimed that people are too quick to apply the label of mental illness to conditions that simply amount to differences we don't like