Deviance and Social Control

Deviance Behavior that violates significant social norms Norms – shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations Not all norm violations are deviant different parts of the same society can have different rules Can also change based on the society and time period

Deviance Name some groups that were utterly deviant from society

Stigma mark of social disgrace that sets a deviant apart from the rest of society physical marks Burns, brands, scars clothing Visual Signs – act as a warning and public humiliation

Classifying Norms According to Durkheim, deviance serves a purpose High Level – disruptive to society. Low Level – some positive function. deviance helps to redefine and remind what society’s boundaries are Punishing violators warns others

Unifying the Group Draws the line between conforming and non-conforming members of society “Us against Them” – reinforces the sense of community and the belief in shared values. According to Durkheim, if deviance does not occur it must be invented Maintain group unity

Diffusing Tension When people are unhappy with their lives they may want to strike out at society minor deviant acts are a safety valve express discontent without destroying order Participating in unauthorized demonstrations

Promoting Social Change When large numbers of people violate a particular norm, it usually means that something must change Once alerted, authority can correct the situation.

Providing Jobs Deviance provides jobs Police Lawyers Judges Prison personnel Parole officers Criminologists Crime reporters

Crime 29 types of crimes according to FBI 5 categories of crime Most common offenses Larceny (theft) Assault Drug Abuse (possession, sale, use) DUI 5 categories of crime Violent, crime against property, victimless crime, white-collar and organized crime * Most crime is committed by people under 25*

Recidivism Repeated criminal behavior 62% of released prisoners will be charged with new crimes 41% will return to prison within 3 years US Dept. of Justice

Violent Crime Murder, rape, aggravated assault & robbery Very small percentage of crime One occurs every 22 seconds Increase in the early 90s, now declining

Crimes Against Property Burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft & arson Much more common One every 3 seconds

Victimless Crimes Prostitution, illegal gambling, drug use & vagrancy Harm no one but the person committing the act However the societal consequences may be large.

White-Collar Crime Offenses committed by individuals of high social status during their professional career Politicians, employees of corporations Misrepresentation, fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement, price fixing, toxic pollution, insider trading & political corruption May cost the US $300,000,000,000 every year, plus effects on the American public Corporations are considered “persons” and can also be charged with specific crimes

Organized Crime Crime syndicate - large scale organization of professional criminals that controls some sort of vice or business through violence or threats Can operate a legal business as a front - can reinvest illegal money Can make huge profits - loan sharking, drug trafficking, illegal gambling, unfair labor practices, hijacking merchandise & lending with high interest rates

Terrorism Threat or use of violence to achieve political goals 325 terrorist acts/suspected acts in the US in the past 20 years Terrorism prevention - FBI Monitors both domestic and international acts of terrorism

Police Have most control over who is arrested Can’t arrest everyone who is accused of a crime Must consider seriousness of a crime Wishes of victim Attitude of suspect Presence of bystanders Racial profiling

Courts Determines guilt or innocence and possible punishment 90% of cases are settled by a plea bargain Plea bargain - plead guilty to a lesser charge for a light sentence

Discussion Should the government be able to track criminals after their release? What effect does a false arrest have on a person? Why? How can you reduce recidivism? If you could change something about the US corrections system, what would it be? Why?

Corrections Imprisonment, parole, probation & community service Retribution - punishing a criminal is an act of revenge for victim and society Deterrence - discourage possible offenders Rehabilitation - reform criminals to return to normal life Social Protection - limiting freedom of offenders prevents them from committing additional crimes

Juvenile Justice Offenders under 18 individuals under 18 supposedly are not as reasonable as adults Different set of expectations Don’t always have equal protection, must be granted by court In some states, courts are setting a precedent that juveniles are tried as adults for charges like murder However, more rehabilitation is offered for juveniles