The recognized violation of cultural norms

Rules and expectations by which society guides the behavior of its members  Norms = “normal” behavior  Types Prescriptive - what you are expected to do Proscriptive - what you are expected not to do  Mores  Widely observed, great moral significance; right vs wrong  Folkways  Routine, casual interaction; right vs rude

 Sanctions – rewards and punishments to get people to follow norms  Form of social control  Social control – attempts by society to regulate ppl’s thoughts and actions

 Lombroso – physical characteristics  Low forehead, prominent jaws and cheeks, big ears, lots of body hair, long arms; i.e. ape like  Sheldon – body shape  Muscular athletic builds ▪ boys  Gluecks – confirmed body shape, but suggested distance from parents related to less sensitivity to others and a self-fulfilling prophecy

 Unsuccessful socialization  Containment Theory - Reckless and Dinitz  Personality that reins in deviant impulses  stronger conscience ability to handle frustration identify with cultural norms and values

Theoretical paradigm: a set of fundamental assumptions that guides thinking ▪ Structural-functional ▪ What are the consequences (functions) of the patterns of social behavior (structures)? ▪ All social structure functions to keep society going ▪ Social-conflict ▪ Society is arena of inequality that generates conflict and social change ▪ structured in ways to benefit a few at the expense of the majority ▪ Symbolic-interaction  Society the product of everyday social interactions of individuals who attach meaning to everything (subjective)  Society is shared reality that people construct as they interact with one another

 Affirms cultural values and norms  No good w/o evil, no justice w/o crime, needed to define and sustain morality  Clarifies moral boundaries  Draws boundaries btwn right and wrong ▪ Ex - college plagiarizing student  Promotes social unity  Collective outrage, reaffirm moral ties that bind ppl ▪ Ex – 9/11, Boston marathon bombings  Encourages social change  Today’s deviance can be tomorrow’s morality, suggestions/challenges can encourage change ▪ Ex - article

 Does society provides the means to achieve cultural goals?  The gap btwn ‘what is’ and ‘what ought to be’ leaves a person strained

Deviance and conformity result not so much from what people do as from how others respond to those actions  Primary deviance  norm violation most people take part in with little to no reaction from others  little harm to self-concept  Secondary deviance  when people “make something” of the deviance  can affect self-concept

 Stigma - powerful negative label that greatly changes a person’s self-concept and social identity  Stronger commitment to deviant behavior  Master status  Discredited, isolated  Degradation ceremony

 Retrospective labeling – re-interpreting someone’s past in light of present deviance  Prospective labeling - predicts future deviant behavior based on deviant identity  Once a ____, always a ____

 Medicalization of Deviance – transformation of moral and legal deviance into a medical condition  Bad sick, good well  Exs – overeating, alcoholism, drug addiction, child abuse, sexual promiscuity  Moral or medical?  Who responds – community or specialists  How people respond – offender subject to punishment or patient needing treatment  Personal competence of the deviant person – take responsibility or lack capacity to control or understand actions 

 Social control depends on imagining consequences of one’s actions  Deterrent vs little to lose  Four types of social control  Attachment – strong social attachments encourage conformity  Commitment – greater commitment to legitimate opportunities = greater conformity; confidence in future success  Involvement – “legitimate” activities vs “hanging out”  Belief – morals, strong conscience, respect for authority control tendencies twd deviance  – 5:48

 Deviant behavior is learned  Tendency twd conformity or deviance depends on amt of contact with others who encourage or reject conventional behavior  – 4:13

 Norms and laws reflect interest of rich and powerful  Belief that norms and laws are natural and good masks their political character  Powerful have resources to avoid being labeled deviant  ses, race, ethnicity, gender, etc 

 White collar crime – crime committed by ppl of high social position in the course of their occupations  Bank embezzlement, business fraud, bribery  Corporate crime – illegal actions of a corporation or ppl acting on its behalf  Knowingly selling faulty or dangerous products, deliberate pollution  Organized crime – a business supplying illegal goods or services  Gang shopkeeper protection, drugs, sex, gambling, credit card fraud  Hate crime – criminal act against a person or person’s property by an offender motivated by racial or other bias  Race, religion, ancestry, sexual orientation, physical disability  Deviance and gender – whether ppl define something as deviant, and, if so, whose deviance it is, depends on sex of audience and actors

 Deviance – the recognized violation of cultural norms  Crime – the violation of a society’s formally enacted criminal law  act & intent (mens rea = guilty mind)  criminology- the sociological study of crime  Criminal justice system – a formal response by police, courts, and prison officials to alleged violations of the law  “What is deviant?” sheet

 Crimes against the person – (violent crimes) crimes that direct violence or the threat of violence against others  Crimes against property – (property crimes) crimes that involve theft of property belonging to others  Victimless crimes – violations of law in which there are no readily apparent victims Sociology, Eleventh Edition

 Retribution  Moral vengeance inflicted  Deterrence  Discourage future criminality  Rehabilitation  Reform offenders while in prison  Societal protection  Temporary removal of offender through incarceration  Permanent removal by execution  Criminal recidivism  Subsequent offences by people convicted of crimes