Deviance and Social Control student notes.ppt
- 1. Deviance and Social Control
- 2. Deviance • Is the violation of social norms. – It is difficult to define because not everyone agrees on what should be considered deviant behavior • Ex: homosexuals, prostitutes, drug addicts, criminals, etc. • Some people think wearing too much make-up, divorcees, or even Americans are deviants.
- 3. Deviance • Range of Tolerance – A scope of behaviors considered acceptable and defined as conformity – Examples • Honesty and politeness – Bad haircut – Does this dress make me look fat? • What is “speeding” in 70mph? Deserve a ticket? – 71? Probably not – 75? Maybe – 80? Good chance – 100? FOR SURE!
- 4. Deviance depends on… – Time • Fashion and grooming change with time, like the Founding Fathers Fashion – Place • Where behavior occurs determines whether it is appropriate or deviant – Cheering/booing at Football game vs. in class – Situation • Takes precedence over place in determining appropriateness of actions – Laughing in class vs. laughing in class during a moment of silence – Culture • Most influential in defining deviance – Men greeting each other » US: Hand shake » Japan: Bow
- 5. Types of Deviance • Overconformity “positive deviance” – Involves behavior that overconforms to social expectations • Leads to imbalance and perfectionism • Can be AS harmful as negative deviance – Examples • Anorexia • Body Builder • “Perfect” Students – Knows answer to EVERY question – 100% A+ on all tests and papers – Perfect attendance • Underconformity “negative deviance” – Involves behavior that under- conforms to social expectations people either reject, misinterpret, or are unaware of the norms – Examples: • Obesity • Unmotivated Students – Lack of participation – Sleep in class – Unexcused absences – Fail tests and papers
- 6. Types of Deviance • Generally however Sociologists view deviance as a violation of one or more of societies most highly valued norms. • Reactions to deviants are usually negative and involve attempts to change or control the deviant behavior. • Choose a highly valued norm and give an example of both negative and positive deviance
- 7. Social Control • Ways to encourage conformity to society’s norms • All societies have ways to promote order, stability, and predictability in social life • Without social control, social life would be too unpredictable and chaotic. • What are some examples of social control in American society?
- 8. Types of Social Control • Internal Control: lies within the individual and is developed during the socialization process (right vs. wrong) Ex: feelings of guilt or fear for stealing • External Control: based on social sanctions (rewards and punishments) designed to encourage desired behavior • Ex: receiving jail sentence for stealing • This includes both positive and negative as well as formal and informal sanctions
- 9. Cheating on a Test • What are some internal means of control being relied upon to prevent cheating on an exam? • What external means of control are being relied upon to prevent cheating? • Can you come up with better suggestions for both internal and external controls to reduce cheating in schools today?
- 10. National Registration System • Social control is needed to decrease crime and reduce acts of violence and deviance • Criminal justice system has been designed to maintain order, stability, and predictability in social life. • When deviance continues to occur, crime escalates. • One such control factor is a registration system where a database would include information on every person residing in and visiting the United States • Computers would link all governmental systems, which could effectively reduce welfare fraud, eliminate crime, and monitor movement of criminals from coast to coast.
- 11. NRS (cont.) • It would include a retinal scan, digital voice recording, a DNA sample, and fingerprints joined together by a social security number. • This system would issue one card to be used for a driver’s license, voter registration, a concealed carry license, and for any governmental benefits. • The beauty of the system is crime can be thwarted early. • Would you be for or against the NRS system? Why? • Is it an invasion of privacy or is the cost worthwhile?
- 12. Theoretical Perspectives of Deviance • Functionalist – Strain Theory • Innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion – Control Theory • Attachment, commitment, involvement, belief. • Symbolic Interactionism – Differential Theory – Labeling Theory • Primary & secondary deviance • Conflict – Conflict theory of deviance
- 13. Structural Functionalist Approach to Deviance • Strain Theories: Deviance is more likely to occur when a gap exists between cultural goals and the ability to achieve these goals by legitimate means • Innovation: Individual accepts goal of success but uses illegal means to achieve it – Ex: Drug Dealers or – Cheating on a test • Ritualism: Individual rejects goal of success but continues to “go through the motions” without believing in the process – Ex. Teacher who doesn’t care about engaging students, but still comes to work • Retreatism: Individual rejects both legitimate means and approved goals (Given up on life) – Ex. Bag lady • Rebellion: Individual rejects both success and the approved means for achieving it; substitutes their own goal and means to achieve it – Ex. Militia Member
- 15. Control Theory • Compliance with social norms requires strong bonds between individuals and society • Social Bond Theory – Some people do not commit deviance because they have developed a strong social bond, consisting of an attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief to parents, school, church, etc. – Attachment: stronger your attachment to the group or individual, more likely to conform – Commitment: greater your commitment to social goals, more likely to conform – Involvement: participation in approved social activities, more likely to conform – Belief: in the norms and values of society, • Stronger the social bond, less likely to be involved in deviant activities • Weaker the social bond, easier it is for an individual to break violate social norms
- 16. Social Learning Theories • How is deviance learned? All behavior (including deviance) is learned through social interaction – Differential Association: individuals learn deviance in proportion to the number of deviant acts they are exposed to • Primary relationships with parents, siblings, and close friends have the greatest impact on our behavior. – “birds of a feather flock together” – Differential Reinforcement: depending on whom an individual associates with, norm-violating behavior may be either positively rewarded or negatively sanctioned • Ex. How friends react when they find out you shoplifted will help determine whether you will repeat the action Symbolic Interactionist Approach to Deviance
- 17. Symbolic Interactionist Approach to Deviance • Labeling Theory: is that society creates deviance by identifying particular members as deviant – Strain theory, control theory, and differential association theory help us to understand why deviance occurs…. – Labeling theory explains why deviance is relative— that is, sometimes of two people breaking the norm only one may be labeled as deviant • Ex.: pregnant teenage girl • Ex: middle class youth steal a car vs. lower class youth steals a car • What happens when we label kids as “troublemaker”,
- 18. Symbolic Interactionist Approach to Deviance • Primary Deviance – Deviance involving occasional breaking of norms that are NOT a part of a person’s lifestyle or self-concept (do not consider themselves as criminals) • Example: Honor roll student comes home past curfew one night • Secondary Deviance – Deviance in which an individual’s life and identity are organized around breaking society’s norms • Example: The “robbers” in Ocean’s 11 had a criminal history because they had broken the law on multiple occasions.
- 19. Conflict Approach to Deviance • Conflict Theory of Deviance: view deviance as arising when groups with power attempt to impose their norms and values on less powerful groups – Prevent behavior that those in control see as threatening to their interests • Example – Lack of respect for authority – Destruction of property • Power and Deviance – Distributed on basis of age, race, sex, religion, and politics, and social class – Power plays a role in creating and enforcing rules of society • Who and what are deviant? – Example • Administrators>Teachers • Teachers>Students
- 20. Conflict Approach to Deviance • United States – Why are minorities and whites treated differently? • African-Americans do not have access to good attorneys (money) • Victim discounting: process of reducing the seriousness of the crimes that injure people of lower status. • White collar crime vs. street crime – According to US Department of Justice the cost of white collar crime is 18 time higher than street crime. – 5 times more Americans are killed each year from illegal job conditions than are murdered on the streets.
- 21. The Outsiders
- 23. All crime is deviance…but all deviance is NOT a crime. • Crime: any act that violates a criminal law – Violent offenses: crimes against people • Ex. Homicide, aggravated assault, forcible rape, robbery – Nonviolent offenses: crimes against property • Ex. Burglary, larcenry-theft, auto theft, and arson – White Collar Crime- crime committed by high- status people in their occupations. This crime costs the U.S. 18 times the cost of street crime. These criminals get treated more leniently than other criminals. • Ex. Embezzlement, fraud, insider trading, copyright violations, tax evasion, and antitrust law violations – Public Order “Victimless” Crimes • Ex. Prostitution, illegal gambling, illegal drug use
- 24. Correctional Systems • Deterrence: Discouraging criminal acts by threatening punishment – Capital Punishment • Rehabilitation: Process of changing or reforming a criminal through resocialization – Ex. Providing social and work skills to reform criminals • Retribution: Punishment intended to make criminals pay compensation for their acts – Ex. Incarceration: Method of protecting society from criminals by keeping them in prison • Recidivism: Repeated offenses by those who have already been convicted of crimes
- 25. Other Options for Reforming Individuals • Short Prison time + Probation- to shock violators into realizing prison realities and getting a “chance” • Community programs- take violators out of prison and into the community to readjust them to life outside • Referral to community centers- keeping violators out of prison so that they don’t learn prison norms
- 26. WHO SHOULD PAY FOR THE REHABILITATION OF THESE CRIMINALS • Holding criminals in prison, rehabilitation centers, and other forms of probation cost money – Food – Patrolmen – Electricity, cable – Facilities – Education materials – Medical Expenses – Therapists, educators, psychiatrists • Is it the criminals’ fault that they acted deviantly, or is there something wrong with society that these criminals cannot get by without committing crimes? • What else could be done with these criminals?
- 27. What new crimes exist with new technologies available? • Credit card fraud • Web cam violations of privacy • Identity Theft • What can be done to reduce these tech crimes?