1. Chapter 6
Deviance and Crime

2. Chapter Outline What Is Deviance?
Functionalist Perspectives on Deviance
Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives on Deviance
Conflict Perspectives on Deviance
Postmodernist Perspectives on Deviance
Crime Classifications and Statistics
The Criminal Justice System
Deviance and Crime in the U.S. in the Future
The Global Criminal Economy

3. Deviance
Deviance is a formal property of social situations and social structure.
Deviance is conferred by audiences.
Deviance is relative and it varies in its degree of seriousness.

4. Functionalist Perspectives
Deviance is universal because it serves three
important functions:
Deviance clarifies rules.
Deviance unites a group.
Deviance promotes social change.

5. Merton’s Strain Theory of Deviance
Mode
Method
Conformity
Accepts culturally approved goals and pursues them through culturally approved means.
Innovation
Accepts culturally approved goals; adopts disapproved means to achieve them.
Ritualism
Abandons society’s goals; continues to conform to approved means.
Retreatism
Abandons approved goals and approved means to achieve them.
Rebellion
Challenges approved goals and approved means to achieve them.

6. Deviance: Functionalist Perspectives
Theory
Key Elements
Merton Strain theory
Deviance occurs when access to the approved means of reaching culturally approved goals is blocked.
Cloward/ Ohlin Opportunity theory
Lower-class delinquents subscribe to middleclass values they cannot attain. They form gangs to gain status and may achieve goals illegitimately.

7. Deviance: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives
Sutherland
Differential association
Deviant behavior is learned in interaction with others.
Hirschi Social control and social bonding
Social bonds keep people from becoming criminals.
Becker Labeling theory
Acts are deviant only because they have been labeled as such.
Lemert Primary/secondary
Secondary deviance occurs when a person accepts the “deviant” label and continues to behave in “deviant” ways.

8. Deviance: Conflict Perspectives
Marx/Quinney Critical approach
Powerful use law and the criminal justice system to protect their own interests.
Daly/ Chesney-Lind Feminist approach
Liberal - Women’s deviance arises from gender discrimination.
Radical - Focuses on patriarchy. Socialist - Focuses on capitalism and patriarchy effects on women’s deviance.

9. Deviance: Postmodern Perspectives
Foucault: Knowledge is power
Power, knowledge, and social control are linked. Example: In prisons, methods of surveillance make prisoners think they are being watched all the time, giving officials a form of power over the inmates.

10. FBI Crime Clock In 1 Minute: 1 index crime every 2.7 seconds.
1 burglary every 14.9 seconds.
1 violent crime every 22 seconds.
1 car theft every 25.7 seconds.
1 assault every 34.8 seconds.
1 robbery every 60 seconds.
Every 6 minutes:
1 forcible rape.
Every 33 minutes:
1 murder.

11. Arrest Rates by Sex, 2001 Offense Men Women
All offenses (except traffic)
77.5 %
22.5%
Murder and manslaughter
87.5%
12.5%
Robbery
89.9%
10.1%
Fraud
54.6%
45.4%
Larceny–theft
63.5%
36.5%

12. Arrest Rates by Race, 2001 Offense All offenses (except traffic) 69.5%
White (Latinos/as)
African American
Native American
Asian
All offenses
(except traffic)
69.5%
28.1 %
1.3 %
1.1 %
Murder/ manslaughter
48.4 %
48.7 %
1.6 %
Robbery
44.5 %
53.8 %
0.6 %
Larceny–theft
66.1 %
31.2 %
1.2 %
1.5 %
Fraud
67.7 %
31.0 %
0.7 %

13. Functions of Punishment
Retribution - punishment should fit the crime.
Social protection - restrict offenders so they can’t commit further crimes.
Rehabilitation - return offenders to community as law-abiding citizens.
Deterrence - reduce criminal activity through a fear of punishment.

14. Death Row Census, 2001
Race
African American: 43% (represent only 12% of the U.S. population.)
White: 55%
Native American: 0.8%
Asian: 0.7%
Gender
Male %
Female – 1.42%