1. Deviance and Crime Mrs. Buccieri

2. Deviance vs. Crime Deviance Any action, belief or human characteristic that members of a society or group consider a violation of a group of norms Being an alcoholic, texting in class, tattooing face Not a crime, but form of deviance Crime A form of deviance that is negatively sanctioned by the legal system (criminalization) Murder, theft, rape A crime and a form of deviance

3. Explanatory Theories Concerned with trying to explain why deviance does or doesn’t occur Scientific or positivistic View deviant behavior as objectively real and suggest that deviant behavior can be studied empirically Assumes that deviant behavior is determined by biological makeup and societal structure Structural Functional and Conflict Theories

4. Constructional Theories Concerned with understanding why people consider some things deviant and other not Focus on people in power and the actions they take to create and define deviance Research and theorizing directed toward people who create and enforce order See deviance as social constructive Symbolic Interactionism

5. Structural Functional Theories Suggest that because deviance and crime are common in all societies, they are “normal,” and serve positive functions for society and social structures. Deviance and crime are functional because responses to deviance and crime clarify collective beliefs, reaffirm norms and values, and create social solidarity. Without deviance norms and values would not exist Trace the source of deviance to larger structures and the strains they produce on society

6. Structural Functional Theories Strain Theory Strain is cause by a discrepancy between the larger structure of what is valued in society and the structural means to achieve what is valued. The high value placed on material success in American culture creates strain because the structure of society does not give everyone an equal chance of attaining that success, despite an ideology of a level playing field.

7. Structural Functional Theories Social Control Theory focuses on why people do not commit deviant acts and follow norms People are less likely to commit deviant acts if they have a variety of social bonds. People are more likely to commit deviant acts if their social bonds are weak.

8. Conflict Theories Conflict theorists seek to explain why inequality is a central factor in the ways societies deal with deviance and crime. Inequality cause people to engage in deviance because they have few ways of succeeding in society People in power create what is deviant and they do this to keep advantages over people who lack power in society Ex: people who are charged with possession of just 1 gram of crack are given the same sentence as those found in possession of 18 grams of cocaine.

9. Conflict Theories Deviance and the Poor Deviance is created by the capitalist economic system. Definitions of deviance serve the interest of the capitalists while adversely affecting the poor. Deviance and the Elite Great efforts are made by the capitalists to legitimize elite acts of deviance. The higher-ups in society have greater ability to commit deviant acts, to escape sanction for those acts, and to create scapegoats to blame for those acts.

10. Interactionist Theories A person chooses deviance because it is rational to achieve some goal Gang members Concerned with how people “do” deviance The everyday behaviors in which they engage in deviance Transgender men and women

11. Interactionist Theories Labeling Powerful negative symbols Alcoholic, drug addict, pedophile etc. Tiger Woods, Johnny Manziel Social control agents People who do the labeling Police, family, friends, media

12. Interactionist Theories Labeling Theory A deviant person is someone whom a deviant label is successfully applied How is the person affected by the label? Label can be accepted, denied or rejected Some people take pride in deviant labels Caitlyn Jenner Ex: Someone may label you based on your Facebook posts and this could affect you

13. Primary and Secondary Deviance Primary deviance involves early, random acts of deviance Occasional binge drinking, running a red light Secondary deviance involves continually deviant acts that cause people to organize their lives and identities around their deviance Sexual encounters leading to sex addicts Drug use leads to selling drugs

14. Crime A violation of criminal law Criminalization A form of deviance that needs to be negatively sanctioned by the legal system All crimes are deviant, but not all deviant acts are crimes

15. Differential Association Edwin Sutherland shifted perspective from individuals being “born criminal” to society and surroundings contributing to criminals People learn criminal behavior If people around you know how to commit crimes, you will learn how to commit crimes Today can be learned through TV, songs and internet

16. Types of Crimes Violent Crime Property Crime White Collar Crime Political Crime Hate Crime Cybercrime Consumer Crime

17. Violent Crime Involves the threat of injury or the threat or actual use of force Murder Homicide Aggravated Assault Robbery

18. Property Crime Do not involved injury or force Involve gaining or destroying property Burglary Larceny-theft Arson

19. White Collar Crime Committed by people of high social status Tax fraud Mortgage fraud Securities fraud (stocks and bonds)

20. Political Crime Can either be an offense against the state to affect its policies Assassinations of political leaders OR and offense by the state Spying on citizens State-sponsored terrorism

21. Hate Crime Stem from the fact that those being victimized are different in various ways Race Religion Sexual Orientation Gender Disability Status

22. Cybercrime Hacking into computers and using them to Commit bank fraud Transmit illegal images (child pornography, insider trading) Plans for terrorism

23. Demographics and Crime Age More likely to commit crimes in late adolescence Gender Men commit most crimes; however, women are increasingly committing more Race Black people arrested more than white people and more likely to be imprisoned While black people represent 13% of the population, they account for over a third of all violent crimes Social Class Upper class more likely to commit crime that police won’t notice, while lower class more likely to commit street crime Lower classes more driven to lead a life of crime due to economic need and more likely to go to prison due to inability to afford legal defense