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Social Control and Deviance

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1 Social Control and Deviance
Chapter 6 “It is the deviants among us who hold society together”

2 Studying Criminology…A few simple questions
What creates a deviant or a criminal? How do some people who started their life as innocent little children end up committing heinous acts and end up in prison? What is crime? How do some acts come to become defined as criminal while others do not? Victor Rios: A sociological lens towards crime and policing…

3 Discussion Outline I. The Nature of Deviance
II. Theories of Deviance and Social Control III. Crime and the Criminal Justice System

4 I. The Nature of Deviance
Any behavior that violates a norm-Folkways, mores, or laws Informal deviance-Possible Informal sanctions Formal deviancePossible formal sanctions In analyzing deviance we must consider two important points 1. Whether something is deviant depends on who is evaluating it Deviance is what people say it is-based upon one’s value system 2. When important norms are violated, social control mechanisms function to maintain order Social control-Mechanisms that create normative compliance

5 The Nature of Deviance The Relativity of Deviance
Relativity-There is nothing inherent in an act that makes an act wrong, criminal, or deviant. Social definitions of deviance are relative to the values, beliefs, and norms of a society Defining deviance is a social and historical construct, varying from: Time to time Place to place Group to group Examples? Killing someone? Premarital sex? Sharing a water fountain?

6 Deviance is rooted in culture…
When the social structure and culture change, what is considered to be deviant/criminal changes How does culture change? The political nature of defining crime and deviance Politics?.. I.e.: The case of Homosexuality What cultural changes have taken place? What political changes have occurred? What evidence do you have? Time? Culture? Group?

7 Is what comes to be considered deviant or criminal based upon the overall harm done to American society? Why is the use of some drugs considered deviant/criminal, while others are not? Is it based on relative harm done? Does drug policy and concern about drug use make sense when looking at objective reality? I.e.: Statistics regarding the harm done by certain drugs

8 Relativity and Drug Use
Objective component is physical, psychological, or social evidence of harm Subjective component is people’s perceptions about the consequences Example: Marijuana vs. Alcohol Subjectively our society believes that marijuana is harmful and should remain illegal, while alcohol is relatively harmless and should stay legal Objectively there is little evidence that marijuana is harmful but much evidence of alcohol and tobacco and associated dangers.

9 II. Theories of Deviance: Why do crime and deviance occur?
A high school or college athlete who takes steroids to enhance performance? A 12 year old who joins a inner city gang and begins selling drugs and guns? A corporate executive who steals from his/her investors through the use of complex computer algorithms? A student who cheats on a big exam? A drug dealer who makes more money selling drugs then working a 9-5? -

10 Theories of Deviance Functionalism- Anomie Theory
Durkheim’s anomie: social condition in which people find it difficult to guide their behavior by norms that they experience as weak, unclear, or conflicting Anomie occurs when peoples expectations about what they deserve are not met What happens when the economy collapses?

11 Structural Strain Theory-Robert Merton
The acceptable means to achieving the American Dream= ??? Americans internalize goal, but may not have access to acceptable means People adapt to inconsistency between means and goals in society. Structural limitations  Strain adaptation(Crime) Innovation The drug dealer? The corporate executive? The athlete who takes steroids?

12 Cultural Transmission Theory
Youths become delinquent because they associate and make friends with other delinquents Youths learn and may be pressured into deviance Socialization into a deviant subculture; I.e.: Athletes on a new team Why do many argue against jail or juvenile hall for a first time drug offender or low level criminal? Sutherland’s Theory of Differential Association Differential association: individual’s cultural conditions help determine his/her likelihood of and attitudes towards deviance Relationships are important. Favorable attitudes of a subcultural group to violation of norms. Binge drinking in college frats and sororities; Parole rules or a parents requests

13 Theories of Deviance Labeling Theory
Labeling people as deviants has consequences for them Primary Deviance: We all engage in deviant behavior; but are we caught and labeled as deviants? Very little push back from society; no label attached to actions Secondary deviance: deviance individuals adopt in response to the reactions of other individuals Tagged as deviant, adopts identity of deviance, and maintains a deviant lifestyle People labeled “deviant” typically find themselves rejected and isolated which can result in a self fulfilling prophecy

14 Theories of Deviance Conflict Theory
Individuals victimized by capitalist oppression are driven by their struggle to survive to commit acts that the ruling class brands as criminal A focus on social class and criminal activity; How does poverty contribute to crime? The legal system reflects interests of the rich Laws created to protect privilege and property Differential punishment for business and street crimes What gov’t agency keeps track of corporate crimes?

15 Theories of deviance To some theorists, white collar criminal activity and other forms of deviance may be best be understood through rational choice theory. People are inclined to engage in deviant behavior when it has significant rewards and limited costs Deterrence theory of crime control

16 III. Crime and the Criminal Justice System
Crime- Any act prohibited by law Socially constructed The Criminal Justice System- The reactive agencies of the state: Police; court system; jails, etc. Street Crime White Collar Crime Corporate Crime

17 The American Punishment Frenzy/Prison Boom
Punitive policies Imprisonment of non-violent offenders 1980’s-The drug war Mandatory minimums Three strikes laws Plea bargains The United States had the highest incarceration rate in the world Over 7.3 million people in prison, jail, or under correctional supervision

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19 Has the drug war worked to….
-take drugs off the streets? -reduce the flow of drugs into the United States? -reduce the amount of users in the population? -decrease the strength of drugs? -take drug dealers off street corners and out of middle and upper class communities?

20 The American punishment frenzy
The Prison Industrial Complex Correctional expansion continues not because it decreases crime and creates a safer public, but because it serves the interest of certain powerful groups that benefit from tough on crime policies and continue to push for punitive policies through lobbying political leaders and running million dollar ad campaigns Private prison corporations Prison guards Unions Prison labor benefits government, corporations and a variety of businesses and communities with vested interests in correctional expansion

21 Is it right that corporations make profit on keeping bodies in cells and lobbying state and federal legislators to maintain “tough on crime” strategies??


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