deviance
behaviors that violate significant social norms.
stigma
a mark of social disgrace that sets the deviant apart from the rest of society.
unifying the group
deviance differentiates between the conforming members of society and the deviant ones, and punishments serve as warnings saying that certain behaviors will not be tolerated by society.
strain theory
looks at deviance as the natural outgrowth of the values, norms, and structures of society.
cultural transmission theory
explained deviance as a learned behavior, learned through social interaction.
labeling theory
focuses on how individuals come to be indentified as deviant. Includes primary and secondary deviance.
degradation ceremony
the process of labeling an individual as deviant in which the individual is denounced, found guilty, and given the new identity as deviant.
retreatism
when a person rejects cultural goals and norms, engages in deviant behaviors, poses a serious threat to society, and makes no effort to take part in society.
white collar crime
a crime offense commited by people of high social status in the course of their proffesional lives. i.e fraud, embezzelment.
social norms
expected "rules" that govern behavior. Each society has a unique set of them. Because there are so many, occasional violations are unavoidable.
promoting social change
deviance can help promote social change by identifying problem areas. i.e when a lot of people violate a particular norm, its an indication that something needs to change.
anomie
the situation that arises when the norms of society are unclear or are no longer applicable.
primary deviance
nonconformity that goes undetected by those in authority. Consists of the occasional deviant act and the acts that are well concealed.
Richard Quinney
a sociologist that says that the ruling class defines deviant behavior as behavior that threatens their power base.
labeling as deviant
first, an individual must be detected commiting a deviant act, and it becomes know to other people. Then, that individual must be stigmatized by society.
clarifying norms
Deviance defines the boundaries of acceptable behavior, and punishments serve as warnings to others stating that certain behaviors wont be tolerated by society.
criminologists
social scientists who study criminal behavior.
control theory
explains deviance as a natural occurance. is interested in why people conform, rather than the cause.
differential association
the frequency and closeness of associations that a person has with deviant and non-deviant individuals.
secondary deviance
results in the individual being labeled as deviant and accepting that label as true.
ritualism
when a person rejects cultural goals, accepts social norms, engages in deviant behavior, isn't a serious threat to society, and upholding the norms becomes the end itself. i.e passing up an promotion at work to avoid a possible failure.
violent crime
murder, forcible rape, robbery