Conflict Theory and Deviance Sociology: Chapter 7, Section 4

Deviance in Industrial Society According to the conflict theory, deviance in industrial societies is defined by those in control who see someone threatening their interests The rich and powerful decide what is deviant and how deviant acts should be punished Sociologist Steven Spitzer proposed five ways that the an industrial society protects itself against deviants (which we’ll examine in the next slide)

Steven Spitzer’s Theory about Deviance in Industrial Societies Critics of society are considered deviant because they challenge its economic, political, & social basis Since industrial society requires workers, those who don’t want to work are considered deviant Those who threaten private property, especially that which belongs to the rich, get severe punishment Respect for authority is important, so agitators or even nonviolent protesters are deviant Violent behavior in sports is encouraged because it fosters competition, teamwork, and winning

In an industrial society, non-violent protest is deviant, while sports violence is admired

Race, Ethnicity, and Crime Those with the conflict perspective believe minorities receive unequal treatment in the American criminal justice system They cite that when the criminal offense is the same, African Americans and Latinos are more likely than whites to be convicted and to serve more time Although African Americans comprise only 13% of the U.S. population, they comprise 42% of the population on death row The death penalty is less likely to be used when an African American person is murdered than when a white person is murdered

George Stinney became the youngest person to be executed in the United States. Despite the lack of evidence and rumors of being promised ice cream by the police if he confessed to the crime, Stinney was accused and convicted of killing two young white girls in South Carolina in 1944. Barely able to fill the seat of the electric chair with his 95-pound body, Stinney’s 14-year-old life ended before it could really begin.

Why Minorities are Treated Differently, according to Conflict Theorists Minorities do not have the economic resources to buy good legal services Society sees minority interests as less important than the interests of whites Victim discounting reduces the seriousness of crimes directed at members of lower social classes According to the logic behind victim discounting, if the victim is less valuable, then the crime is less serious, and so the penalty is less severe

In a classic case of victim discounting, violence against homeless people is often celebrated as entertainment for videos

White-Collar Crime Edwin Sutherland coined a term white-collar crime, which he defined as any crime committed by respectable and high-status people in the course of their occupations Now the term is more used for economic crimes like price-fixing, insider trading, fraud, embezzlement, bribery, toxic pollution and tax evasion Each year, there is $100 billion in health care fraud, $40 billion in fraud with the stock market, and $10 billion in check fraud Despite this huge amount of money stolen each year, these criminals are treated more leniently than those who commit “street crimes”

Figure 7.3

Assessment Complete #1-5 on page 221