1. Deviant Behavior and Social Control
Chapter 6:
Dining Hall at Alcatraz
Deviant Behavior and Social Control

2. What to Expect in This Chapter...
What is Deviance?
Functions and Dysfunctions of Deviance
Mechanisms of Social Control
Theories of Crime and Deviance
Biological Theories
Psychological Theories
Sociological Theories
Crime in the United States
Measuring Crime
Types of Crime
The Criminal Justice System

3. American Society of Criminology Home Page
What is Deviance?
Deviance is any behavior that fails to conform to the rules or norms of a group or society
In defining norms and rules, society invokes a moral code and makes moral judgments about what is appropriate and what is inappropriate behavior
American Society of Criminology Home Page

4. Functions and Dysfunctions of Deviance
French sociologist Emile Durkheim identified several functions of deviance
Deviance intensifies the loyalty of group members in response to the deviant act
Deviance clarifies the norms of the group
Deviance may serve as a safety valve to release pressure, thereby avoiding more harmful acts
There are also dysfunctions of deviance
Deviance can be a threat to the social order
Deviance can cause confusion about norms
Deviance may undermine trust
Deviance diverts valuable resources from other social needs

5. Mechanisms of Social Control
Social control mechanisms are means by which society can influence people’s behavior to conform to expectations
Two types of social control mechanisms
Internal Mechanisms—as part of the socialization process, individuals internalize society’s expectations
External Mechanisms—externally imposed by others, in the form of rewards and punishments
The rewards and punishments used in external control are called sanctions

6. A Typology of Sanctions
Positive
Negative
Informal
Smiles
Pats on the back
Thumbs up
Encouraging word
Frowns
Avoidance
Obscene gesture
Gossip
Formal
Awards
Promotion in job
Recognition ceremony
“Teacher of the year”
Fines
Fired from job
Imprisonment
Demotion

7. Theories of Crime and Deviance
Biological Theories
Psychological Theories
Sociological Theories

8. Biological Theories of Deviance
Cesare Lombroso believed that criminals are evolutionary throwbacks to a more ape-like being
E.A. Hooten, also suggested that criminals were “born” inferior
William Sheldon identified body types—ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. Delinquents are more likely to be mesomorphs—a muscular body type
XYY Chromosome Theory attributes criminality to an extra “Y” chromosome in some males
More recent biological theories identify genetic, hormonal and neurological sources of deviance
XYY

9. Psychological Theories of Deviance
Psychoanalytic theory is based on the work of Sigmund Freud
Freud suggested that much deviance results from the inability of the ego and superego to control the urges of the id
Behavioral theory suggests that people respond to stimuli, and seek to maximize rewards and punishments
Rational choice theory also emphasizes rewards and punishments, but suggests that people act rationally on the basis of perceived consequences

10. Sociological Theories of Deviance
Anomie and Strain Theory
Control Theory
Cultural Transmission Theory
Labeling Theory

11. Anomie and Strain Theory
Anomie theory is based on the work of Emile Durkheim
He suggested that when there was insufficient definition of social norms a state of anomie results
Under such conditions, a culture does not provide sufficient guidelines for behavior
Strain theory, developed by Robert Merton, builds on Durkheim’s ideas
Merton suggested that society holds out universal goals of material success; however, society does not hold out the legitimate means to attain this success equally across the population.
This results in certain “strain” which can be resolved in one of several ways

12. Merton’s Typology of Adaptation to Strain
Mode of Adaptation
Culture’s Goals
Institutionalized Means
Conformity
Accept
Innovation
Reject
Ritualism
Retreatism
Rebellion
Replace with Alternative

13. Control Theory
Control theory maintains that we all have the capacity to commit deviant acts
Most people don’t commit deviant acts, however, because of a “bonding” to conventional society.
Travis Hirschi identifies 4 elements to this social bond:
Attachment to others—emotional attachments to parents, teachers, etc.
Commitment to conformity—investment of time in conforming behavior such as school, sports, etc.
Involvement in conventional activities—leaving little time for deviant activities
Belief in validity of social rules—acknowledging the moral authority of law and rules

14. Cultural Transmission Theory
Insists that deviant behavior is learned in the process of interaction with others
Edwin Sutherland developed a general cultural transmission theory called differential association
Suggested that deviant and criminal behavior is learned in interaction with others who define deviance in positive terms
Another cultural transmission theory developed by Sykes and Matza uses the notion of “techniques of neutralization

15. Techniques of Neutralization
Sykes and Matza suggest that juvenile delinquents learn to neutralize conventional norms with the following techniques:
Denial of Responsibility
Denial of Injury
Denial of Victim
Condemnation of Condemners
Appeal to Higher Loyalties

16. Labeling Theory
Labeling theory shifts the focus from why people engage in deviant acts to:
how and why certain acts are defined as deviant in the first place
how and why certain individuals are labeled deviant
the impact of the label on future behavior

17. Crime in the United States
Deviance which violates the legal code of a society is called crime.
Crimes are classified according to their seriousness:
Felonies—serious crimes which carry a sentence of a year or more in a state penitentiary
Misdemeanors—less serious crimes that carry a sentence of less than a year in a county jail

18. Types of Crime Violent Crime Property Crime White Collar Crime
Victimless Crime

19. The Criminal Justice System
The criminal justice system is comprised of:
Police
Courts
Prisons

20. Prisons Prisons serve four primary functions or goals:
Separation of criminals from society
Punishment of criminal behavior
Deterrence of criminal behavior
Rehabilitation of criminals
Two issues facing prisons today are a growing shortage of prisons, and an increasing female prison population with special needs