Chapter 7, Deviance, Conformity and Social Control Key Terms

deviance Any behavior or physical appearance that is socially challenged and and/or condemned because it departs from the norms and expectations of a group. conformity Behaviors and appearances that follow and maintain the standards of the group.

social control Methods used to teach, persuade or force a group’s members, and even nonmembers to comply with and not deviate from norms and expectations. folkways Customary ways of doing things that apply to the details of life or routine matters.

mores Norms that people define as essential to the well-being of their group or nation. sanctions Reactions of approval or disapproval to others’ behavior and appearances.

positive sanction An expression of approval and a reward for compliance. negative sanction An expression of disapproval for noncompliance.

informal sanctions Spontaneous, unofficial expressions of approval or disapproval that are not backed by the force of law. formal sanctions Definite and systematic laws, rules, regulations, and policies that specify the conditions under which people should be rewarded or punished and that define the procedures for allocating rewards and imposing punishments.

crime Deviance that breaks the laws of society and is punished by formal sanctions. conformists People who have not violated the rules of a group and are treated accordingly.

pure deviants People who have broken the rules and are caught, punished, and labeled as outsiders. master status of deviant An Identification marking a rule breaker first as a deviant and then as having any other identification.

racial profiling The practice of using race as a basis for making decisions such as stopping drivers for traffic violations or searching cars for drugs. secret deviants People who have broken the rules but whose violation goes unnoticed or if it is noticed, prompts no one to enforce the law.

falsely accused People who have not broken the rules but who are treated as if they have done so. witch hunt A campaign to identify, investigate and correct behavior that undermines a group or a country.

white-collar crime Crimes committed by respected people of high social status in the course of their occupation. corporate crime Crime committed by a corporation as it competes with other companies for market share and profits.

confederate Someone who works in cooperation with a person conducting a research study. constructionist approach A sociological approach that focuses on the process by which groups, activities, conditions, or artifacts become defined as problems.

claims makers People who articulate and promote claims and tend to gain in some way if the targeted audience accepts their claims as true. conformity Behaviors and appearances that follow and maintain the standards of a group.

structural strain Any situation in which (1)the valued goals have unclear limits, (2) people are unsure whether the legitimate means that society provides will allow them to achieve the valued goals, and (3) legitimate opportunities for meeting the goals remain closed to a significant portion of the population.

innovation The acceptance of the cultural goals but the rejection of legitimate means to obtain these goals. ritualism The rejection of cultural goals but a rigid adherance to the legitimate means of attaining those goals.

retreatism The rejection of both cultural goals and the means of achieving those goals. rebellion The full or partial rejection of both the cultural goals and the means of attaining those goals and the introduction of a new set of goals and means.

deviant subculture Groups that are part of the larger society but whose members adhere to norms and values that favor violation of the larger society’s laws.