Chapter 6 Deviance and Crime

Deviance –Violates significant social norms –Relative to societal context –Differs in degree of seriousness Behavioral Belief system Condition or characteristic AIDS obesity Homosexuality

“To avoid or reduce stigma, many people seek to conceal the characteristic or condition that might lead to stigmatization”

Crime –Violation of a law –Punishable with fines, jail time and/or other negative sanctions Criminology Juvenile Delinquency –Violation of Law –Commission of status offense (i.e., running away from home)

When sociologists study deviance, they do not judge certain kinds of behavior or people as being “good” or “bad.” What behaviors are defined as deviant? Who does the defining? How and why do people become deviants? How does society deal with deviants?

Functionalist Perspectives Deviance... clarifies rules unites a group promotes social change –civil disobedience However: if too many people violate the norms, everyday existence may become unpredictable, chaotic and even violent.

Merton’s Strain Theory of Deviance Conformity Innovation Ritualism Retreatism Rebellion People feel strained when they are exposed to cultural goals that they are unable to obtain because they do not have access to culturally approved means of achieving these goals.

Opportunity Theory Criminal Gang Conflict Gang Retreatist Gang Illegitimate opportunity structures Three types of gangs: “[there appears to be] a close association between certain forms of deviance and social class position”

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Differential Association Theory association with deviants influences the likelihood of individuals’ deviant behavior - differential reinforcement theory Deviant Conventional

Why are some people deviant and some are not ? Positive self-esteem Good group cohesion Inner containments Outer containments Insulators

Social Bond Theory the probability of deviant behavior increases when a person’s ties to society are weakened or broken 1.attachment to other people 2.commitment to conformity 3.involvement in conventional activities 4.belief in the legitimacy of conventional values and norms.

Labeling Theory deviance is a socially-constructed process certain people are designated as deviants they then act accordingly Three stages: 1.Primary Deviance – initial act of rule-breaking 2.Secondary Deviance – new identity is accepted; behavior continues 3.Tertiary Deviance – the behavior is relabeled by the deviant as “normal” Social control and identity are intertwined

Crime Classification (The Law) Felonies Misdemeanors Uniform Crime Report (UCR) –Index Crimes 1.murder 2.rape 3.robbery 4.assault 5.burglary 6.motor vehicle theft 7.arson 8.larceny

Crime Classification (Sociologists) Conventional (street) crime Occupational (white collar) and corporate crime Organized crime Political crime

Conventional (street) crime Violent crime consists of actions involving force or the threat of force against others and include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault Property crimes include robbery, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson Public Order Crime”/Morals crimes involve an illegal action voluntarily engaged in by the participants, such as prostitution, illegal gambling, private use of illegal drugs and illegal pornography. --“victimless crimes”

Organized crime is a business operation that supplies illegal goods and services for profit and include drug trafficking, prostitution, loan sharking, money laundering, and large-scale theft such as truck hi-jackings Political crime refers to illegal or unethical acts involving (1) usurpation of power by government officials, or (2) perpetuated against the govern- ment by outsiders seeking to make a political statement, undermine the government or overthrow it “graft”  taking advantage of political power to gain money or property through bribery, kickbacks or “insider” deals

AGE GENDER RACE CLASS CRIME RATES

Punishment is any action designed to deprive a person of things of value (including liberty) Retribution Incapicitation Rehabilitation Deterrence Functions of punishment punishment should fit the crime change offenders behavior for release back into society they cannot commit the crime again while incarcerated people fear punishment so they will follow the law

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