1. Sociology, Eleventh Edition
DEVIANCE

2. What is Deviance?
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

3. Deviance Deviance - The recognized violation of cultural norms. Crime
Norms - Rules and expectations by which society guides the behavior of its members.
Biased towards the positive.
Person who speaks up TOO much.
Biased towards the negative.
Stealing
“Different” or “unexpected” are words often used to describe deviance from a sociological perspective.
Crime
Violation of a society’s formally enacted criminal law.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

4. Social Control
Social Control - the attempts a society makes at regulating thought and behavior with the goal of preventing deviance.
Criminal justice system
A formal response by police, courts and prison officials to alleged violations of the law.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

5. Biological context
Biological factors may have a real but small effect on whether a person becomes a criminal.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

6. Personality factors
Deviance is viewed as unsuccessful “socialization”.
Reckless & Dinitz – Containment Theory
Good boys – strong conscience, handled frustration & identified with cultural norms & practices.
Bad boys – weaker conscience, little toleration & didn’t go along with conventional culture.
Good boys – have the ability to control deviant impulses  fewer run-ins with the law.

7. To Polynesians, tattoos are symbols of high social standing.
Discussion Question
To Polynesians, tattoos are symbols of high social standing.
How are tattoos regarded in our society?

8. Social Foundations of Deviance
Deviance varies according to cultural norms.
No thought or action is naturally deviant.
Gambling, prostitution, etc.
People become deviant as others define them that way.
Talking to yourself, “borrowing” a pen from a teacher.
Both norms and the way people define rule-breaking involve social power.
Homeless person v. politician
Both may openly criticize government.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

9. Discussion Question
Critics objected to rock-and-roll in the 1950s (Elvis Presley), claiming that it underminded morality. Today, rock-and-roll is mainstream music.
Do you think there is any deviance in rock-and-roll?
What about other types of music? Any artists that come to mind? Why?
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

10. The Functions of Deviance: Structural-Functional Analysis
A framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity (unity) and stability.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

11. Emile Durkheim Four Essential Functions of Deviance:
Affirms cultural values and norms
Deviance is needed.
There can be no good without evil.
Clarifies moral boundaries
Draws a line between right and wrong.
Promotes social unity
Shared outrage. Ex. 9/11
Encourages social change
Pushes boundaries.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

12. Merton’s Strain Theory
Does society provide the means to achieve cultural goals?
Conformity – Ex. School & hard work wealth
Pursuing conventional goals through normal means.
Innovation – Ex. Poor steal wealth (gangsters)
Unconventional means to achieve approved goals.
Ritualism – Ex. Can’t reach goals  conforms
Accept institutional means; reject goals.
Retreatism – Ex. Drug addicts
Rejects both cultural goals and means.
Rebellion – Ex. Establish a counterculture
Rejects cultural goals & means in favor of an alternate system.
The gap between what “ought to be” and “what is” leaves a person “strained”.

13. Figure 9-1 (p. 226) Merton’s Strain Theory of Deviance

14. Discussion Question
Andres Serrano, a photographer said that art reaches its greatest power when it is most provocative.
What title would you give this?
Is such work art or obscenity?

15. Labeling Deviance: Symbolic-Interaction Analysis
A framework for building theory that sees society as a product of the everyday interactions of individuals.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

16. Symbolic Interaction Analysis
Basic idea behind the labeling theory - the assertion that deviance and conformity result not so much from what people do as from how others respond to those actions.
Primary deviance
Passing episodes of norm violation that most people take part in with little harm done to self-concept.
Secondary deviance
When people “make something” of another’s deviant behavior.
Stigma
Powerful negative label that greatly changes a person’s self-concept and social identity.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

17. Labeling Deviance Retrospective labeling Projective labeling
Interpreting someone’s past in light of present deviance.
Projective labeling
Predicts future deviant behavior.
Medicalization of deviance
Transform moral and legal deviance into a medical condition.
Questions to determine if medical or moral issue:
Who responds? – Police or doctors
How people respond? – Offenders or patients
Personal competence of the deviant person? – competent or incompetent

18. Alcoholism, drug addiction, child abuse, sexual promiscuity, obesity
Discussion Question
Medicalization of Deviance – Do you think the following are personal weaknesses or illnesses?
Alcoholism, drug addiction, child abuse, sexual promiscuity, obesity
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

19. Sutherland’s Differential Association
Deviant behavior is learned.
Frequency of association is central to the development of deviance.
Deviance is linked to the amount of contact a person has with others who encourage or discourage the behavior in question.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

20. Hirschi’s Control Theory
HIRSCHI’S FOUR TYPES OF SOCIAL CONTROL
Attachment
Strong social attachments encourage conformity.
Commitment
The greater a person’s commitment to legitimate opportunities the greater the conformity.
Involvement
Time and energies linked to “legitimate” activities inhibit deviance.
Ex. People who hang out waiting for something to happen are likely to be deviant.
Belief
Strong belief in conventional morality and respect for authority figures controls deviance.

21. Labeling: Critical Evaluation
Works best with less serious deviance.
Consequence of deviant labeling is inconclusive.
Some seek deviant labeling.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

22. Discussion Question
People must sometimes deal with deviant labels when they have done nothing at all.
What about victims of violent rape – subjected to labeling as deviants based on the misguided assumption that they “led him on”?
Or individuals with AIDS, shunned by employers, friends and even family members?
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

23. Deviance and Inequality: Social-Conflict Analysis
A framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

24. Social Conflict Analysis
SC links deviance to social inequality.
Who/what is labeled as deviant depends on which categories of people hold power in society
Norms or laws reflect interests of rich and powerful.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

25. Deviance and Capitalism
White-collar crime
Those committed by people of high social position in the course of their occupations.
Corporate crime
Illegal actions of a corporation or people acting on its behalf.
Organized crime
A business supplying illegal goods or services.
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

26. Deviance, Race & Gender
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

27. Deviance and Social Diversity
Hate crimes
A criminal act against a person or person’s property by an offender motivated by racial or other bias.
Gender
The world applies more stringent normative controls to women.
Strain due to reality of gender-based inequality.
Judge the behavior of women and men differently.
Why do women commit fewer crimes than men?
2004 Hate Crime Data

28. Discussion Question
Consider the differing reactions to the OJ Simpson acquittal: Most whites were stunned, most blacks were elated.
How and why does race shape our views of the criminal justice system?
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

29. Crime
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

30. Crime
The violation of criminal laws enacted by a locality ,state, or the federal government.
Two elements
The act itself
Criminal intent
Types of Crimes
Crimes against the person
Direct violence, or threat of it.
Crimes against property
Involves theft of property.
Victimless Crimes
Violations of law in which there are no obvious victims.
Ex. Prostitution & gambling

31. Sociology, Eleventh Edition
NATIONAL MAP 9-1 (P. 237) RISK OF VIOLENT CRIME ACROSS THE UNITED STATES THIS MAP SHOWS THE RISK OF BECOMING A VICTIM OF VIOLENT CRIME. IN GENERAL, THE RISK IS HIGHEST IN LOW-INCOME, RURAL COUNTIES THAT HAVE A LARGE POPULATION OF MEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF FIFTEEN AND TWENTY-FOUR. ALBERT COHEN & WALTER MILLER SUPPORT THIS ARGUMENT. AFTER READING THROUGH THIS SECTION OF THE TEXT, SEE WHETHER YOU CAN EXPLAIN THIS PATTERN. SOURCE: AMERICAN DEMOGRAPHICS MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2000 ISSUE. COPYRIGHT © 2004 BY CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS.

32. The Street Criminal: a Profile
Age-persons between the ages of 15 and 24
14% of population
39% of arrests for violent crime
46.8% of property crimes
Gender
70.1% of property crimes and 82.6% of all violent crimes are committed by males.
Social class
Violent crimes committed by a few in poor neighborhoods.
White collar and corporate crime committed by more affluent.
Race and ethnicity
69.7% of arrests involve white people.
People of color are over criminalized.

33. The U.S. Criminal Justice System
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

34. Justice System
Police: primary point of contact between population and criminal justice system
Lots of discretion
How serious is the crime?
What is the victim’s preference?
Is the suspect cooperative or not?
Have they arrested the suspect before?
Are bystanders present?
What is the suspect’s race?
Courts: plea bargaining often results in pressure to plead guilty
Reduced charge
Reduced sentence
Sociology, Eleventh Edition

35. Justifications for Punishment
Retribution
Moral vengeance inflicted.
Deterrence
Discourage future criminality.
Ex. Teacher threatens a tardy child with detention to prevent them from being late again.
Rehabilitation
Reform offenders while in prison.
Ex. Child gets caught with drugs several times, forced to go through rehab/counseling and placed in foster home.
Societal protection
Temporary removal of offender through incarceration.
Permanent removal by execution.

36. Discussion Question
Between 1977 and 2003, 7,061 people were sentenced to death; 885 were executed.
Does this make the death penalty an “arbitrary lottery,” as opponents claim or a filter reserving death for only the worst offenders, as supporters claim?
Sociology, Eleventh Edition