-Deviance and Crime-

Deviance – Behavior that violates social norms Crime – Deviant behavior that breaks a law

Deviance Deviance is decided by two things: 1. Extent of disapproval   1. Extent of disapproval 2. Degree of Societal Outrage

Deviance Social Controls – Techniques and strategies for punishing wrongdoing and rewarding appropriate behavior There are two main types of social controls: 1. Internal social controls – exist within the individual 2. External social controls – go into effect when internal social controls don’t work

Deviance Positive social functions of deviance: It can promote unity – facing a common threat   It can relieve tension – an expression of discontent It can clarify norms – defining deviance encourages norms It can identify problems – changing outdated norms can be positive

Deviance Negative social functions of deviance: It disrupts norms – people can feel threatened and respond in anger   It makes life unpredictable – norms help assure citizens that life is predictable

Ways of Explaining Deviance Biological Explanations – scientists have had a difficult time finding substantial proof of a biological link to deviance

Ways of Explaining Deviance Psychological Explanations – some types of personality are more often associated with deviant behavior   Freud’s Explanation – criminal behavior may indicate an under-developed superego Frustration-Aggression Theory – deviance is a form of aggression toward others and society

Ways of Explaining Deviance Sociological Explanations – explain why rates of deviance vary from country to country, or group to group   Functionalist Perspective – deals with people’s ability to reach the goals set by their society Conflict Perspective – deviance is the result of competition and social inequality

Ways of Explaining Deviance Interactionist Perspective – Emphasized in two theories: 1. Cultural Transmission Theory – deviance is learned through interaction with others   2. Labeling Theory – deviance is what we call it. Labeling someone a deviant increases the rate of deviance (social control)

Crime Crime – deviant behavior that is prohibited by law and is punishable by the Government

Crime The F.B.I. tabulates data for seven index crimes:   1. Murder 5. Burglary 2. Rape 6. Larceny theft 3. Robbery 7. Motor vehicle theft 4. Assault The first four are violent crimes. The last three are property crimes

Crime Violent Crimes – make up a small percentage of all crimes, but are considered a great threat to society Crimes against Property – ten times more common than crimes of violence

Crime Organized Crime – made up of networks of large-scale, professional, criminal syndicates White-Collar Crime – crime committed by a person of high social status in the course of their professional life Victimless Crime – the only victims are the participants themselves Ie. Gambling, prostitution, drug possession and sale

The Criminal Justice System The U.S. criminal justice system has the responsibility of protecting society from dangerous crime. This function is performed in four steps: 1. Apprehending suspected offenders   2. Determining their innocence or guilt 3. Deciding their punishment 4. Keeping the guilty separated from other citizens

The Criminal Justice System There are three major elements of the criminal justice system: 1. Police – make decisions about whom to arrest, who is merely warned, and who will not be pursued 2. Courts – determine a person’s guilt or innocence and assign some form of punishment 3. The Correctional System – carryout punishment of a guilty person

The Criminal Justice System Corrections serve four major functions in society: 1. Retribution – a way for society to “get even” with a criminal   2. Deterrence – discourage offenders from committing crimes again and provide a warning to others 3. Rehabilitation – reforming criminals so that they may return to society 4. Social Protection – criminals cannot commit additional crimes while in prison