DEVIANCE

WHAT IS DEVIANCE
Deviance refers to norms violation raging from minor infractions such as
bad manners to major infractions such as serious violation.
THE BIOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF
DEVIANCE
Biologists and scientists think that deviants & criminals have certain physical structure and genetics
Physical structure: low foreheads, prominent jaws and cheek bones, hairiness, and unusually long
arms
Genetics: defective genes that make too much enzymes along with abuse in early life
PERSONALITY FACTORS
• It is a psychological perspective
• Deviance is the result of unsuccessful socialization
•Deviant individuals have weaker conscience and little tolerance of frustration
• In short, they lack superego
 TYPES OF DEVIANCE
Formal deviance:
Formal deviance includes criminal violation of formally enacted laws
EXAMPLE:
Robbery, theft, rape, murder
TYPES OF DEVIANCE

Informal deviance:
Informal deviance refers to violation of informal
social norms which are norms that have not been cordified in to laws.
EXAMPLE:
Belching loudly, standing unnecessary close to another person
THEORIES OF DEVIANCE
Durkheim theory:
Emile Durkheim made the surprising claim that there is nothing abnormal about deviance. In fact, it performs four essential
functions:
• Deviance affirms cultural values and norms
• Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries
• Responding to deviance brings people together
• Deviance encourages social changes
 THEORIES OF DEVIANCE

Merton’s Strain Theory:

Some deviance maybe necessary for a society to function but Robert Merton argue that society can be set up in a way that
encourages too much deviance specifically the extent and type of deviance people engage in dependent on whether society provides the means to
achieve cultural goals.
• Conformity: Accept approved goals persues them through approved means
• Innovations: Accepts approved goals uses disapproved means.
THEORIES OF DEVIANCE
• Ritualism: Abandons society’s goals confirms to approved means.
• Retreatism: Abandons approved goals and approved means.
• Rebellion: Challenges approved goals and approved means.
 THEORIES OF DEVIANCE

Social Conflict Theory

Deviance and Power: Capitalist justice is by the capitalist class and against the working class the powerful have the resources to resist
deviant labels.
Deviance and Capitalism: The poor who steels from the rich are prime candidates for being labeled deviant. The rich who takes
advantage of the poor are less likely to be labelled deviant.
White Collar Crime: Crime committed by people of high social position in the course of their occupations. It rarely attracts police.
THEORIES OF DEVIANCE
Corporate Crime: Illegal actions of a corporation or people acting on its behalf. For example,
selling dangerous product and polluting environment.
Organize Crime: A business supplying illegal goods or services.
Hate Crimes: Criminal act against person or person’s property by an offender motivated by racial.
Feminist Perspective: Women’s opportunity in a work place politic sand military are more limited
than men’s.
THEORIES OF DEVIANCE

Labelling Theory:
The main contribution of symbolic interaction analysis is labelling theory. The idea that deviance and conformity result not so
much from what people do as from how other respond to these actions. Labelling theory stresses the relatively of deviance meaning that people
may define the same behavior in any numbers of ways.
THEORIES OF DEVIANCE
Primary deviance and Secondary deviance:
Edwin Lemert observe that some norms violations, say skipped
school or under age drinking provoked slight reaction from others and have little effect on persons self concept.
But what happens if people take notice of someone deviance and really make something of it?
After an audience have defined some actions as primary deviance, the individual may begin to change taking on
a deviant identity by talking, acting or dressing in a different way. Rejecting the people who are critical and
responding breaking the rules, Lemert cause this change of self concept secondary deviance.
DEVIANT SUBCULTURES
When people find legal or illegal opportunity:
Deviance or conformity arises from the relative opportunity structure that frames a person’s life
Criminal subcultures such as today’s inner-city street gangs
DEVIANT SUBCULTURES CONT.
Delinquent subcultures are characterized by:
Trouble
Toughness
Smartness
A need for excitement
A belief in fate
A desire for freedom
 LABELLING THEORY CONT.
• Retrospective labelling: Interpreting someone’s past in light of some present deviance.
• Projective labelling: Using the person’s deviance identity to predict future actions.
• Labelling difference as deviance: Person’s having mental or physical illness should not be called deviant and people should avoid.
• Stigma: Powerfully negative label that greatly changes a person’s self concept and social identity.
 CRIME

Crime is the violation of criminal laws enacted by local state, or faderal governmets.
Types:
• Crime against the person including murder, forcible rape and murder.
• Crime against property including auto theft.
• Victimless crimes, violation of laws in which there are no obvious victims .
THANK YOU