Chapter 6

 The forces and processes that encourage

conformity, including self-control, informal
control, and formal control
 Informal (Internal) social control…self restraint
 Formal (External) social control…administrative
sanctions
 Fines, imprisonment
 Deviance is a behavior that departs from
societal or group norms.
 There are many forms of deviance and although
some acts are widely accepted as being deviant,
others may not be. This is due to the fact that
different groups have different norms.
 Deviance is defined by the members of a society.
 Extreme deviance results in a crime.
 A crime is an act that breaks a law.
 Criminology…the systematic study of the criminal
justice system
 Drinking too much
 Robbing a bank
 Laughing at a funeral
 Arriving late for school
 Negative deviance is deviance that fails to
meet accepted norms.
 One either chooses to ignore the norm or is not
aware of the norm.
 This is the most popular type of deviance.
 Positive deviance is behavior that over-
conforms to norms and social expectations.
A perfectionist
 One my go too far with positive deviance:
 Anorexia
Structural-Functional
 Is Deviance Functional for Society?
 Various sociologists feel that deviance can
provide positive social functions in terms of
its consequences:
1. Deviance clarifies rules…society is aware of
deviances that are punishable.
2. Deviance unites a group…people will untie
when deviance is threatening to their group.
3. Deviance promotes social change…deviance
may violate norms in order to get them
changed.
 Civil disobedience
As a Dysfunction
 Obviously, deviance can be dysfunctional as
well.
 Iftoo many people are deviant, everyday
existence may become chaotic.
 In extreme deviance, society may be threatened
 9/11
Strain Theory
 Strain theory states that people feel strain
when they are exposed to cultural goals or
expectations that they can not achieve
because they do not have access to the
means for achieving them.
 When denied legitimate access, they seek other
means and may become deviant.
 Robbery, cutting up in class, cheating on a test
etc…
Merton’s Modes of Adaptation to
Cultural Goals
1. Innovation…adopting disapproved means for
achieving goals (robbing for money etc…)
2. Ritualism…opposite of innovation. One gives up on
goals but still follows the means for achievement in
order to maintain respect (still works hard).
3. Retreatism…abandonment of both goals and means
of achieving them (drug addicts).
4. Rebellion…adopt a new set of goals and means of
achieving them (civil disobedience)
Opportunity Theory
 Sociologists suggest that for deviance to
occur, people need alternative
opportunities.
 Through Illegitimate Opportunities, people can
pursue deviance.
 Gang members may not be able to achieve goals
through normal means as strain theory suggests,
but achieve goals by illegitimate opportunities.
 Robbery, black markets
Collective Efficacy Theory
 The neighborhood will work together to
maintain social order
 Theattitudes of the community reflect the social
order
 Those with high efficacy maintain order
 Residents care about the neighborhood and report
deviance
Conflict Theory and Deviance
 According to conflict theory, deviance is an
inevitable product of competition for
available resources.
 Class differences lead to deviance
 The rich and the powerful use their positions
to determine what is deviant
 Thecriminal justice system defines, and
responds to crime differently based on the
competing groups
Race, Ethnicity, and Crime
 Conflict theorists believe that minorities
receive unequal treatment in the criminal
justice system.
 http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/race-deat
h-row-inmates-executed-1976#deathrowpop
Why the difference?
 Minorities generally do not have the
economic resources for a good defense.
 Victim discounting… the idea that crimes
towards minorities are considered less
severe.
 Many crimes by minorities are against whites.
White Collar Crimes
 Job related crimes committed by high status
people.
 Tax evasion
 Price fixing
 Insider trading
 Toxic pollution
 White collar crimes are 18 times more costly to
society than street crimes.
 40% or more receive probation only as a
sentence.
Symbolic Interactionist
 According to the symbolic interactionist
approach, deviance is transmitted through
socialization.
Differential Association Theory
 Theory that states that individuals learn
deviance in proportion to the amount of
deviant acts they are exposed to
 Ratioof exposure leads to deviance instead of
conformity
 Deviance practiced by significant others
 Age of exposure… younger children learn deviant
behaviors more quickly than older children
Deterrence Theory
 Deviance results when social sanctions
provide insufficient rewards for conformity
 More reward in being deviant
 View a low cost to the deviant behavior
 Explains why those who are not exposed to
deviance may become deviant
Labeling Theory
 States that some acts of deviance are
created by society through labeling of
individuals
 Cellphones in school
 Teenage mothers vs. teenage fathers
Degrees of Deviance
 Primary Deviance…deviance that is
occasional and not characteristic of an
individual or part of their everyday behavior.
 Secondary Deviance…deviance in which an
individuals life is based around.
 Medicalization of Deviance…forms of
deviance that now seek medical help or
definition
Stigma
 Stigma are labels that are given to deviants
and deny them full social acceptance.
 Ex-con
 Sexoffender
 Dead beat dad
 Unemployed
Crime and Punishment
Crime
 Crime involves a broad range of behavior. It
is behavior that is subject to legal penalties
 Thereare over 2800 acts classified as federal
crimes. Five major crimes:
 Murder…50% African American and 75% male (FBI,
2009)
 Rape… 6% of violent crime. 15% of women, 2% of men
(FBI)
 Robbery… fallen 50% since 1990 (FBI)
 Assault… most involve a weapon
 Property crimes (burglary, robbery, arson)… 90% of
crimes but have declined since the 1990’s (FBI)
 Pg. 225
Victimless Crime
 Illegal activities which are voluntary
exchanges between persons who desire
illegal goods or services
 Prostitution
 Gambling
 Pornography
 Drug use
Juvenile Crime
 Crimes committed by those under 18 years of
age.
 Juvenile delinquent involves crimes that can
only be committed by juveniles.
 Skipping school
 Fighting in school
 Underage drinking or smoking
Approaches to Crime Control
 Criminal Justice System…the institutions and
processes responsible for enforcing criminal
statutes
 Police, Courts, Prisons
 Four approaches to control and punish:
 Deterrence
 Retribution
 Incarceration / Prevention
 Rehabilitation / Reform
Deterrence
 Discouraging criminal acts by threatening
punishment.
 Works if the chances of being caught are high
and if the punishment is severe.
 In the US, punishment is not certain, swift, or
severe.
 Plea bargaining vs. mandatory sentencing
Retribution
 Punishment intended to make criminals pay
for their acts
 “eye for an eye”
 Many Americans are in favor…even if it doesn’t
deter crime
 66% of Americans support the death penalty for
murder.
Prevention / Incarceration
 Protecting society from criminals by keeping
them in prison.
 2.2 million incarcerated BJS (2013)
 3 strike laws adopted by some states… convicted
of three felonies (regardless of circumstances)
mandatory 25 years without probation
 U.S. imprisons more than other nations
 Also have higher crime rates
Rehabilitation / Reform
 An attempt to resocialize criminals.
 Do prisons resocialize?
 Althoughmany have programs, 30-60 percent of
released prisoners return within two to five
years.
 Recidivism…a repetition of criminal behavior
 Why recidivism?
 Nature of offenders
 Influence of hardened criminals
 Stigma of being an ex-con
Alternatives
 Shock probation…combination of prison and
probation.
 Diversion strategy…referrals to community-
based programs rather than prison or
probation.