1. Chapter 7
Crime and Deviance

2. What is Deviance? Behavior that violates a norm
Behavior that is successfully labeled deviant

3. Is Deviance “wrong,” “immoral,” “sinister”?
Not really the point
E.g., is Homosexuality wrong? – Again, not the point – Is it deviant behavior?
At this point in history, in this country….
Yes – violates a norm AND successfully labeled

4. Criminal Acts – some deviance becomes law
The majority of criminal acts:
Lack planning
Are performed incompetently
Tell Stark story of escaped convict in carpool lane
Result in trivial gains
average robbery of a service station = $546.

5. Book examples… Robbery – taking from another by force
Burglary – unlawful entry and theft
both a young person’s game, a male game - 91% of those arrested of robbery males under the age of 25.
Burglary 5 times more common than robbery

6. Homicide Rate today “high” or “low”?
50s and 60s about 5 per 100,000
1980 peak 10.2 per…
Today about 5.5 per…
US Rate “high” or “low” compared to other countries?
High, but less so than 20 years ago
Killers often quite similar to victims (in race, age, sex)
Today more than 50% killed by stranger (up from 1990s)
For women victims well over 50% killed by non-stranger
In fact, over 50% female victims killed by “intimate”

7. Drugs Legalize? Use “up” or “down”? (“tracks in arm” story)
In general, peak in 1979, down in 80s, up through mid-90s, down recently
True of alcohol, smoking, marijuana and many more serious
E.g., marijuana
In 2003, 21% HS seniors last 30 days, 48 % lifetime
1979, 37% HS seniors last 30, 60% lifetime

8. Theory can focus on two things
Etiology…. Study of causes…. “why do they do it?”
How does something come to be seen as deviance in the first place – How are deviance categories “constructed”

9. Etiology - Why do they do it?
Biological theories
E.g., gender
Psychological theories
E.g., Mental illness, Personality Theories
Sociological theories
E.g., learning, structural strains

10. Bio factors do matter IQ related to crime
Gender and age powerful social structural predictors of crime. Why?
Gender, some say only socialization
But why gender stronger predictor of violent crimes than property?
Probably also has to do with strength
A man more likely to be physically capable of violent crime
Strength and energy decline with age

11. Behavioral Genetics A study in Denmark examined 3,586 twin pairs.
Identical twins - if one twin had a serious criminal record, odds were 50-50, the other twin did, too.
Fraternal twins - if one twin was a criminal, the odds were only 1 in 5 that the other twin also was a criminal.

12. Gottfredson and Hirschi: Elements Of Self-control (A personality theory)
People with low self-control =
unwillingness or inability to defer gratification.
prefer actions that are simple and easy.
thrill seekers
indifferent, or insensitive to the suffering and needs of others.

13. Sociological theories
Learning/subcultural/deviant attachment
Structural strain
Control
Integration
Labeling

14. Learning/attachment theories
Subcultures reinforce deviance – “norms” for one group may be deviance for another
Socialization “always” successful
Differential Association (Edwin Sutherland) most famous
Explains White-collar crime?
Policy implications?

15. Merton: Structural Strain
Cultural goals uniform (American Dream)
Means to achieving goals not (social structure = variation in life chances)
disadvantaged will not be able to achieve their goals at all, or as easily as people better placed in the system.
Policy implications?
Problems?
Most crime not utilitarian
Rich also commit crimes
Status Aspirations negatively to crime

16. Control Theories
Replaces the question: Why do they do it? with Why don’t they do it?
Durheim says “moral” and “social”
Travis Hirschi more micro – “stakes in conformity” – “social bonds”
attachments
Investments
Involvements
beliefs

17. Labeling Theory
Looking glass self, W.I. Thomas Theorem, Self-fulfilling prophecy
Primary deviance is the behavior a person engages in that causes others to label him or her as deviant.
Secondary deviance is behavior that is a reaction to having been labeled a deviant.

18. Liska: Three Ways Labels Cause People to Deviate
A deviant label, such as burglar, alcoholic, or prostitute, limits legitimate economic and occupational opportunities.
A deviant label will impact attachments
Being labeled a deviant can affect self concept. (If others see us as deviants, we may come to accept their judgments.)