1. Deviance and Social Control

2. Deviance Behavior that violates significant social norms.
Not every social norm is socialized into every individual.
Even with rewards and punishments there are still people that break social norms of every kind.

3. Nature of Deviance All societies have norms
Not all violations of norms require a labeling of deviant
Stigma: mark of social disgrace that sets the deviant apart from the rest of society.
Examples?

4. Social Functions of Deviance
Clarifying Norms
Unifying the Group
Diffusing Tension
Promoting Social Change
Providing Jobs

5. Clarifying Norms Defines social boundaries
Punishment serves as a reminder to society that norms keep social control
Many people follow social norms because of fear of punishment

6. Unifying the Group
Brings conforming members of society together and often isolates the deviants
Reinforces the sense of community
Makes people look out for each other

7. Diffusing Tensions
May serve as a relief of frustration with society by participating in a mild display of deviance.
Ex: Participating in a large protest against a government or a corporation

8. Promoting Social Change
Prompts social change because problem areas get identified quickly.
When large number of people violate a social norm… it may be time to change the norm.

9. Providing Jobs
Judges, lawyers, police officers, prison personnel, parole officers.
Criminologists – Social scientist that study criminal behavior.

10. Functionalist Perspective on Deviance
Strain Theory: developed by sociologist Robert Merton. The major functionalist explanation.
Views deviance as the natural outgrowth of the values, norms, and structure of society.
Anomie: situation that arises when the norms of society are unclear or are no longer applicable.

11. Merton’s Strain Theory
Conformist- most common response
Innovator- accepts goals, but not the means
Ritualist- Reject goals and means: status quo
Retreatist- reject both, drop out of society
Rebel- want new goals through new means.

12. Conflict Perspective on Deviance
Believe that competition and social inequality lead to deviant behavior.
Comes from the struggle of the ruling class and the lower classes of each society.
People with power commit deviant acts to maintain power and people without power commit deviant acts to obtain economic rewards or for power and/or recognition.

13. Interactionist Perspective on Deviance
3 Major explanations of deviance:
Control Theory
Cultural Transmission Theory
Labeling Theory

14. Control Theory Deviance is a natural occurrence
Conformity comes with acceptance and integration into society by the individual
The stronger the bond in a community the lower the amount of deviance

15. Cultural Transmission Theory
Deviance is a learned behavior
Learned through interaction with others
People learn deviance as their norms
Differential Association- the frequency & closeness of associations a person has with deviant or non-deviant individuals.
Techniques of Neutralization- Suspension moral beliefs to commit deviant act(s)

16. Labeling Theory
Focuses on how individuals come to be identified as deviant
Primary Deviance- nonconformity that goes undetected by those in authority. Not considered deviant by individuals or by society
Secondary Deviance- individual being labeled as deviant and accepting that label to be true.
Degradation Ceremony- Event leads to labeling of deviant… a trial or life-changing event.