1. Crime and Deviance

2. Deviance Deviance: Behavior that violates social norms Murder Rape
Arson
Graffiti
Fighting
Picking your nose
Cross-dressing
Drunk Driving
Cheating on a test

3. Deviance Across Cultures
Deviance is culturally relativistic; it varies from society to society
It also varies within societies
Murder is deviant
Police officer killing an armed suspect is not deviant
Rebel flag in Ohio is deviant
Rebel flag in Alabama is not deviant
HIV / AIDS is deviant if you got it through drug use or sexual contact
Not deviant if you acquired it through blood transfusion

4. Why Does Deviance Happen?
I. Cultural-Transmission or Differential Association Theory (Sutherland)
Deviance is learned through interaction with others
Differential association: if you interact more with deviant people, you will be deviant
A deviant person is socialized into deviant norms
Interactionist perspective

5. II. Structural-Strain Theory (Durkheim and Merton)
Deviance is a natural outgrowth of values, norms, and structure of society
Certain people can’t meet goals of society: Anomie
Functionalist perspective

6. III. Control Theory (Hirschi)
Similar to Structural-Strain theory
Deviance occurs in people who do not have close ties to the community
People with close ties are controlled by other community members
People without close ties have less to lose
Consequences of deviance determine behavior

7. IV. Conflict Theory Competition and social inequality lead to deviance
Power struggle
Deviance is defined by the group in power—anything threatening their power is “deviant”
Group in power establishes ideologies that explain deviance as a lower-class phenomenon

8. V. Labeling Theory (Lemert and Becker)
Focuses on how people become labeled “deviant”
All people commit deviant acts, but not everyone is deviant
Primary Deviance: nonconformity that goes undetected
Secondary Deviance: deviance that results in a person being labeled

9. How Would Each Theory Explain the Columbine Shootings?

10. The Columbine Massacre April 20, 1999
Littleton, CO
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
Both had a criminal record
Both were bullied at school
“Trenchcoat Mafia”
Both listened to “violent” music
Both were classified as “Goths”
12 students and 1 teacher killed
21 students injured

11. Why is Deviance Good for Society?
1. Unifies the Group “Us vs. Them”
-Gives a Sense of community
2. Clarifying Norms
-Defines boundaries of behavior
3. Diffusing Tension
-Minor acts of deviance are a “safety valve”
4. Identifying Problems
-Tells which parts of society need change
5. Provides Jobs
-Judges, lawyers, police, prison guards, etc.

12. Crime
Crime: An act prohibited by law and punishable by a governing body
Who is committing crimes?
1. Mostly Male: Generally more aggressive than females
2. Mostly White in numbers, mostly Black by percentage
3. Mostly under 25: More laws for those under 18-21

14. Types of Crime 1. Violent Crime: Murder, rape, robbery
-physical violence or threat of violence
2. Crime against property: Burglary, arson
-No person is physically harmed
3. Victimless Crime: Prostitution, gambling, drug use
-No harm to anyone except the perpetrator
4. White Collar Crime: Fraud, tax evasion, toxic pollution
-By people of high social standing
5. Organized Crime: Drug trafficking, gambling, black market
-large scale and professional

15. Stigma A mark or sign to label a criminal

16. The Criminal Justice System
1. Police: Make arrests
-few crimes prevented by police
2. Courts: Determine guilt or innocence—issue sentences
3. Corrections
-Recidivism: repeated criminal behavior
65% in US—the highest in the world
76% juvenile recidivism—also highest in the world
-Approaches to correcting deviance
Retribution
Deterrence
Rehabilitation
Societal Protection
-Are we too nice?
-Do we not rehabilitate?
4. Juvenile Justice System: Different punishments for similar crimes
-focus in on rehabilitation

18. The US Prison System
The US has 5% of the world’s population and 25% of the world’s inmates
1 in 5 inmates is sexually assaulted
25% of all inmates are gang members
35% of inmates are drug addicts
80% are drug users
25% of all prison beds are occupied by people who are mentally insane
Only 12 of 5000 prisons have higher education programs
700,000 inmates are released each year
2/3 are back within three years

19. History and Statistics
The Death Penalty
History and Statistics
The Death Penalty has existed since before Christ
Punishable offenses have ranged from blasphemy to murder
The Death Penalty was strongly questioned by Enlightenment philosophers of the 1800s
In the US, the rate of capital punishment has changed
In 2002, 71 people in 13 states were executed
Texas had the most with 33
70 were by lethal injection, 1 by electrocution
38 states use the death penalty
In 2002, there were 3,557 inmates on death row (all for murder)
There was a moratorium in the US from

22. Arguments Arguments For Deterrent Punishment fits the crime
Criminals forfeit their rights
Recidivism rate is so high
Economical
Arguments Against
People still commit crimes
Chance of innocence
“Cruel and Unusual”
Immoral / Human Rights
Economical