Chapter 6 Deviance and Crime What Is Deviance? Functionalist Perspectives on Deviance Interactionist Perspectives on Deviance Conflict Perspectives on Deviance

Chapter 6 Deviance and Crime Postmodernist Perspective on Deviance Crime Classifications and Statistics The Criminal Justice System Deviance and Crime in the U.S. in the Future The Global Criminal Economy

Deviance Deviance is a formal property of social situations and social structure. Deviance is conferred by audiences. Deviance is relative and it varies in its degree of seriousness.

Functionalist Perspectives Deviance is universal because it serves three important functions: 1. Deviance clarifies rules. 2. Deviance unites a group. 3. Deviance promotes social change.

Strain Theory People feel strain when they are exposed to cultural goals they are unable to obtain. Merton identified ways people adapt to cultural goals and approved ways of achieving them.

Merton’s Five Modes of Adaptation 1. Conformity - people accept culturally approved goals and pursue them through approved means. 2. Innovation -people accept culturally approved goals but adopt disapproved means for achieving them.

Merton’s Five Modes of Adaptation 3. Ritualism - people give up on societal goals but not the approved ways of achieving them. 4. Retreatism - people abandon approved goals and the approved means of achieving them. 5. Rebellion - people challenge the approved goals and advocate an alternative set of goals or means.

Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives on Deviance Three approaches: 1. Differential association and Differential reinforcement theory 2. Control theory 3. Labeling theory

Differential Association and Differential Reinforcement Differential association theory - people are more likely to become deviant when they associate with people who are deviant. Differential reinforcement theory - deviant behavior and conventional behavior are learned through the same social processes.

Control Theory: Social Bonding Deviant behavior is related to the strength of social bonds: 1. Attachments to other people. 2. Commitment to conformity. 3. Involvement in conventional activities. 4. Belief in conventional values and norms.

Labeling Theory Stages in the labeling process: 1. Primary deviance - initial act of rule breaking. 2. Secondary deviance - acceptance of identity as a deviant. 3. Tertiary deviance - normalizing deviant behavior by relabeling it as nondeviant.

Conflict Perspectives on Deviance People in positions of power use the law to protect their own interests. Laws ensure that individuals at the bottom of the social class do not infringe on the property or threaten the safety of those at the top.

Feminist Perspectives Liberal feminism - women's deviance is a rational response to gender discrimination. Radical feminism - women's deviance and crime is related to patriarchy. Socialist feminism - women's deviance and crime is the result of women's exploitation by capitalism and patriarchy.

Sociologists Classifications of Crime Conventional or street crime Occupational or white-collar crime Corporate crime Organized crime Political crime

Crimes and Criminals Rates of arrest are higher for males than females at every age and for most offenses. Individuals from all social classes commit crimes; they simply commit different kinds of crime. Young males of color between the ages of 12 and 24 have the highest victimization rates.

Functions of Punishment Retribution Social protection Rehabilitation Deterrence

The Future of Deviance and Crime in the U.S. People agree that crime is an important issue but are divided over what to do about it. The best approach for reducing delinquency and crime is prevention. As long as racism, sexism, classism, and ageism exist, people will see deviant and criminal behavior through a selective lens.