Chenise’s Declassified Sociology Survival Guide! This guide may or may not be right for you. User discretion is advised!  Inspired by Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide Conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, functionalism theory & deviance.

Introduction: Welcome! Oh hey! Welcome to Sociology 12-0!

Introduction: Welcome! So, you have found yourself thrown in to the world of Sociology! It’s a lot to take in especially right now looking at the three main theories and deviance at the same time! I don’t claim to know it all, I am however offering the things that helped me during sociology!  Rule #1: Don’t Panic!! Keep your cool and get things done and study hard! The first thing you should look at is the main definitions!

Definitions GAH! THESE DEFINITIONS!!

Definition Know How! Rule #2: Know your definitions & remember them through examples. So this is what helped me studying all of the definitions; 1. Read the definitions. 2. Write out the definitions. 3. Remembering the definitions and theories are easier with examples so create those.

Definitions Conflict Theory: The difference between the people in control and the people under them. Issues between different groups in society. Functionalism Theory: Social stability and the ways that all parts of society interact and contribute to the whole. Symbolic Interactionism: People’s interactions to symbols and such things as that.

Definitions Deviance: behavior that’s different from what society’s norms are defined as. Deviant: a person who breaks society’s rules. You remember that kid that would always spit spit balls into the back of your head and get in trouble for it. That’s him. He’s a deviant as he is breaking a rule. Norm: what defines right and wrong behavior in our society. School rules are an example. They define right and wrong in the school community.

Definitions Positive Deviance: a person who will over-conform to the social expectations and rules/norms. An example that was always referred to in class was; if thin was in then this person would be too thin. Negative Deviance: Just the opposite of the above; the under conformer. Social Control: social control promotes conformity. Anomie: a time/place where norms are weak, not there, or conflicting. Victim Discounting: If a crime happens to a lower class person then it is seen as less serious. Stigma: a bad trait that is used to describe a person.

Definitions Crime: acts that violate norms and laws. Social Sanctions: rewards and punishments that encourage conformity. Positive sanctions: smiles, pats on the back, promotions/awards. Negative sanctions: fines, imprisonment, gossip.

Symbolic Interactionism & Deviance What’s it all about?

Symbolic Interactionism Differential Association Deviance could be learned through the socialization of the person. Primary groups passing on deviant behaviour. 3 characteristics explained on the next slide. Labeling Theory Explains why deviance is a relative part of society. Says that society creates deviance because we label people as such. Can create stigmas. Degrees of deviance explained next.

3 Characteristics of Differential Association It depends on how much deviant behaviour that you have been exposed to. The more you’re around this behaviour the more likely you are to pick it up. Deviant behaviour versus non-deviant behaviour. You are more likely to pick up deviant behaviour from loved ones. Deviant behaviour demonstrated by loved ones. How old was a person shown this deviant behaviour? Younger children learn it quicker than older children. Age.

Degrees of Deviance Primary Deviance Secondary Deviance Edwin Lemert’s made the actual distinction between these two; Primary Deviance A person only engages in a few isolated acts of deviance. It’s out of character for them to defy. Example: If Anna is a straight A student who follows the rules and then she steals from a store or something; it is considered out of character. Primary deviance. Secondary Deviance Deviance is a lifestyle for this type of person. Example: A person who always breaks the school rules.

Functionalism & Deviance Here we goooo!

The Basics Deviance and their contribution to society could make society a smooth operator. With that deviance could have positive and negative effects. Functionalism has 2 important theories; strain and control.

Negative & Positive Effects - Ruins trust between groups and individuals. - The deviant behaviour if it’s not addressed, then it can be influential on others. - Expensive. Positive - Durkheim actually found that deviance in society will clarify social norms and will exercise social control. - Deviance can be a safety mechanism (a small act od defiance [primary deviance] can relieve stress) - Promotes unity in groups. - Start social change.

Functionalist Perspective Control Theory Strain Theory

Strain Theory? Remember Durkheim? Well, he’s back! Strain theory was his concept. However he didn’t name it. Robert Merton adapted it and called it strain theory. If there are no shared norms in society, people don’t know how to act and everything can become disorganized. When there are no or little social norms or if they are conflicting; this is called anomie.

It is most likely to happen when there is a missing link with the accepted goals and a real way of getting them. There is one way to respond and that is conformity. You accept the goals and the legal means to achieve success. There are four ways that people respond to strain that are deviant and I thought that the chart that Ms. Carson used helped me a lot.

Responses to Strain Strain Innovation Rebellion Ritualism Retreatism

So… What Does That Chart Mean? Innovation is the most obvious type and the most prevalent. They want/accept success but they don’t use legal ways to get the success they want. They may use criminal behaviour to get success. Rebellion is that they do not want success and nor the ways to get it. They make their own goals and ways of getting it. Ritualism is when they do not want success but they use means to achieve it. It’s like the people are just going through the motions and they don’t really care about what they’re doing. Retreatism is when they don’t want success or the means of getting it. It’s sort of like rebellion but they don’t replace the goals.

Rule #3: Make a flow chart to remember these better Rule #3: Make a flow chart to remember these better. Here is an example of mine that I made;

Conflict Theory & Deviance Last one, you can do this!

How it Relates We looked at the conflict theory as a relationship between minorities, crime, and the judicial system. I want to relate it to a media related example. But here is the rundown of minorities and the judicial system. This theory supports that the minorities in society get treated unequally in the judicial system. It is found that non-white people are more likely to be convicted as guilty. This is known as victim discounting.

The Hunger Games What?!? Where?!? Yeah, I’m a Hunger Games fan. I read all the books and they are great! Ms. Carson brought up that conflict theory is present in the series. I never thought about it until then and I started to see it. ***WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS!!*** So, if you have read the books; you would know that the world has now been made in to 12 Districts and The Capitol who runs everything and can control everything; including a persons death.

The Hunger Games The Capitol is the running party and at one time there were 13 Districts. The 13th District rose up and fought the oppressive Capitol. District 13 was obliterated and blown off the map. Now to remind the people of the 12 remaining Districts; the Capitol has created The Hunger Games. Each District offers up one male and one female between the ages of 12 and 18 to compete in the Hunger Games where they will fight to the death until only one person is left standing, People have taken it for 74 years until Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are thrown in to the Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games Peeta and Katniss are known as the star crossed lovers after Peeta admits his undying love for her in front of everyone. Everyone wants them both to live through the games but they know that there will only be one winner. Katniss, unknowingly, starts an uprising while in the games. She makes a statement with one of the tributes when they die. When this person dies; she covers the person in flowers to represent that all of the tributes are not just pawns in their game. Katniss starts and leads a hard and tough uprising against the Capitol

The Hunger Games The capitol thinks that this will pass (victim discounting) and think that they are untouchable. The governing in Panem is a dictatorship and they do not have a relationship with the people of the districts. So the districts could be considered the minority and the capitol the judicial system. That is the connection. There are other connectors but they are farther ahead in the series so I will stop there.

White Collar Crime Crimes that are committed by higher status people and relate to their jobs. The punishment is usually more lenient and not as severe.

Good luck! I hope this helps! The End Good luck! I hope this helps!