Deviance and Social Control

What is Deviance? Deviance: Behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society Involves violation of group norms, which may or may not be formalized into law Subject to social definition within a particular society and at a particular time

Aren’t we all deviant? Defined as any behavior that departs from societal or group norms Negative deviance (underconforming) Positive deviance (overconforming) If never too thin is the norm, Anorexia =? Obesity = ?

What is Deviance? Deviance and Social Stigma Deviance and Technology Stigma: Labels society uses to devalue members of certain social groups Deviance and Technology Technological innovations can redefine social interactions and standards of behavior related to them

Biological and Psychological Theories Physical traits, body type leads to crime Personality, intelligence, and anatomy Psychological Criminal personality

Why Sociologists Critique Psychologists Often ignore social, economic, and cultural factors Miss other crimes like white-collar crime View deviance as physical or psychiatric not social Cannot explain variation (why some people and not others) Nature focused not nurture

Three Circumstances Social status and power of individual Saints and Roughnecks Social context of behavior gambling Historical period of behavior Sex, drugs, rock and roll

Social Control Social control: Techniques and strategies employed for preventing deviant human behavior in any society Parents Peer groups Companies Government

Social Control Sanctions: penalties and rewards for conduct concerning a social norm Death penalty ultimate formal sanction Subject of controversy centered on effectiveness of this sanction as social control

Conformity and Obedience Conformity: Going along with peers who have no special right to direct behavior Obedience: Compliance with higher authorities in an hierarchical structure

Criminal Justice System Police, Courts, Correctional System Deterrence (drinking and driving?) Retribution (making them pay) Incarceration (them away from us) Rehabilitation?

Bowling for Columbine? US versus the world? Better economy means less crime?

Informal and Formal Social Control Informal social control: Used casually to enforce norms Smiles, laughter, raised eyebrows, ridicule Formal social control: Carried out by authorized agents Informal social control can undermine formal social control, encouraging people to violate social norms

Law and Society Some norms are so important to a society that they are formalized into laws Law: Governmental social control The legal order reflects values of those in a position to exercise authority Control Theory: Connection to members of society leads people to systematically conform to society’s norms

Functionalist Perspective Durkheim’s Legacy Punishments established within a culture help define acceptable behavior and contribute to stability Erikson illustrated boundary- maintenance function of deviance Anomie: Loss of direction felt in society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective

Functionalist Perspective Merton’s Theory of Deviance Anomie Theory of Deviance: 5 basic forms of adaptation Conformist Innovator Ritualist Retreatist Rebel

Interactionist Perspective Cultural Transmission Theory Cultural transmission: Humans learn how to behave in social situations, whether properly or improperly Differential association: Process through which exposure to attitudes favorable to criminal acts leads to the violation of rules (Sutherland)

Interactionist Perspective Social Disorganization Theory: Increases in crime and deviance attributed to absence or breakdown of communal relationships and social institutions Some claim social disorganization theory seems to “blame the victim”

Interactionist Perspective Labeling Theory: Attempts to explain why some people are viewed as deviants while others are not; also known as societal-reaction approach Societal-reaction approach: response to an act, not the behavior, determines deviance

Interactionist Perspective Labeling and Agents of Social Control Focuses on police, probation officers, psychiatrists, judges, teachers, employers, school officials, and other regulators of social control Social constructionist perspective: deviance product of the culture we live in

Conflict Perspective People with power protect their own interests and define deviance to suit their needs Contend that the entire criminal justice system in the United States treats suspects differently based on their racial, ethnic, or social-class Differential justice: Differences in way social control is exercised over different groups

Crime: A Sociological Approach Crime: Violation of criminal law for which governmental authority applies formal penalties 6 types of crime differentiated by sociologists: Victimless Professional Organized White-collar and technology-based Hate crimes Transnational crime

Types of Crime White Collar and Technology-Based Crime White Collar crime: Illegal acts committed in the course of business activities Computer crime: Use of high technology to carry out embezzlement or electronic fraud Corporate crime: Any act by a corporation that is punishable by the government

Crime Statistics Crime index is disproportionately devoted to property crimes Only track crimes reported to law enforcement agencies Victimization Surveys: Surveys of ordinary people, not police officers, to determine whether they have been victims of crime

The Death Penalty in the U.S. and Worldwide Looking at the Issue Execution significant form of punishment for deviance from social norms and criminal behavior In North America, death penalty used for centuries to punish murder, alleged witchcraft, and other crimes Death penalty is still on the books in most states As of late 2010, 95 nations renounced capital punishment, and many more use it sparingly

The Death Penalty in the U.S. and Worldwide Applying Sociology Debate over the death penalty focused on its appropriateness as a form of punishment and its value in deterring crime Sanctions against deviant acts help to reinforce society’s standards of proper behavior Death penalty also creates some dysfunctions Conflict theorists: social inequality in society puts poor people at a disadvantage

The Death Penalty in the U.S. and Worldwide Initiating Policy Several states considering broadening range of offenses for which convicted criminals may be sentenced to execution A movement away from the death penalty based on doubts about whether executions can be carried out humanely About 40 to 50 death sentences handed out for the more than 15,000 reported murders International focus on China and Iran

Discussion Questions Are the homeless deviant? (use theories) Where does self control come from? Use differential association theory to solve recidivism How is labeling good? Bad? Labeling and mental illness? Why so much crime in US?

Discussion Questions What is the purpose of prisons? Does capital punishment work? What about terrorism? Solutions?