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On the Sociology of On the Sociology of DevianceDeviance

Ch. 8, Kai T. EriksonCh. 8, Kai T. Erikson

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Deviant behavior in “communities”Deviant behavior in “communities”

communitiescommunities: collectivities of people who share a : collectivities of people who share a common sphere of experience, which gives common sphere of experience, which gives members a sense of belonging to a special members a sense of belonging to a special “kind” and living in a special “place”“kind” and living in a special “place”

communities are “boundary-maintaining”: each communities are “boundary-maintaining”: each community has a specific territory in the world, community has a specific territory in the world, occupying a defined region of occupying a defined region of geographical geographical and and cultural cultural spacespace both dimensions of group space – geographical & both dimensions of group space – geographical &

cultural – set the community apart and provide a point cultural – set the community apart and provide a point of reference for membersof reference for members

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Boundary drawingBoundary drawing

Q: How do people know about boundaries and how do they convey Q: How do people know about boundaries and how do they convey it to future generations?it to future generations?

A: By participating in the confrontations which occur when persons A: By participating in the confrontations which occur when persons venture out to the edges of the group are met by policing agents venture out to the edges of the group are met by policing agents whose job it is to guard the cultural integrity of the communitywhose job it is to guard the cultural integrity of the community

Confrontations - e.g., criminal trials, excommunication hearings, Confrontations - e.g., criminal trials, excommunication hearings, courts-martial, psychiatric case conferences – act as boundary-courts-martial, psychiatric case conferences – act as boundary-maintaining devices in that they demonstrate where the line is maintaining devices in that they demonstrate where the line is drawn between behavior that is acceptable in the community and drawn between behavior that is acceptable in the community and behavior that is not.behavior that is not.

are never a fixed property of any communityare never a fixed property of any community

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Confrontations between deviant Confrontations between deviant offenders & social control agentsoffenders & social control agents

Confrontations - criminal trials, excommunication Confrontations - criminal trials, excommunication hearings, courts-martial, psychiatric case conferences - hearings, courts-martial, psychiatric case conferences - act as boundary-maintaining devices in that they act as boundary-maintaining devices in that they demonstrate where the line is drawn b/w behavior that is demonstrate where the line is drawn b/w behavior that is acceptable in the community and behavior that is notacceptable in the community and behavior that is not

Each time the community moves to censure some act of Each time the community moves to censure some act of deviation and convenes a formal ceremony to deal with deviation and convenes a formal ceremony to deal with the responsible offender, it sharpens the authority of the the responsible offender, it sharpens the authority of the violated norm and restates group boundariesviolated norm and restates group boundaries Still, community boundaries are never fixed but are subject to Still, community boundaries are never fixed but are subject to

change - as the nature & location of confrontations changechange - as the nature & location of confrontations change

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Deviance, in controlled quantities, Deviance, in controlled quantities, may help preserve social stability may help preserve social stability

Deviant behavior, by marking the outer Deviant behavior, by marking the outer edges of group life, provides a framework edges of group life, provides a framework within which members develop a sense of within which members develop a sense of their own cultural identitytheir own cultural identity

“…“…the agencies built by society for the agencies built by society for preventing deviance are often so poorly preventing deviance are often so poorly equipped for the task that we might well equipped for the task that we might well ask why this is regarded as their ‘real’ ask why this is regarded as their ‘real’ function in the first place” (98)function in the first place” (98)

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Commitment ceremonies: Commitment ceremonies: self-fulfilling prophecies?self-fulfilling prophecies?

The community’s decision to bring deviant The community’s decision to bring deviant sanctions against a member is a “rite of sanctions against a member is a “rite of transition,” moving the person out of an ordinary transition,” moving the person out of an ordinary place in society into a special deviant positionplace in society into a special deviant position

commitment ceremonies:commitment ceremonies: highly public & highly public & dramatic events set up to judge whether or not dramatic events set up to judge whether or not someone is deviant, mark this change of status someone is deviant, mark this change of status the criminal trial is the most obvious examplethe criminal trial is the most obvious example importantly, in our culture, they are almost importantly, in our culture, they are almost

irreversible, and might be called “self-fulfilling irreversible, and might be called “self-fulfilling prophecies”prophecies”

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ConclusionConclusion Two separate yet often competing currents are Two separate yet often competing currents are

found in any society: found in any society: forces which promote a high degree of conformity forces which promote a high degree of conformity

among people of community so they know what to among people of community so they know what to expect from one anotherexpect from one another

forces which encourage a certain degree of diversity forces which encourage a certain degree of diversity so that people can be deployed across the range of so that people can be deployed across the range of group space to survey its potential, measure its group space to survey its potential, measure its capacity, and capacity, and patrol its boundaries forpatrol its boundaries for deviantsdeviants

Deviance is a natural product of group Deviance is a natural product of group differentiationdifferentiation and contributes to the survival of and contributes to the survival of the culture as a wholethe culture as a whole

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The Production of Deviance The Production of Deviance in Capitalist Societyin Capitalist Society

Ch. 5, Steven SpitzerCh. 5, Steven Spitzer

99

Deviance within capitalist societyDeviance within capitalist society

the capitalist mode of production has two key the capitalist mode of production has two key features:features: it forms the foundation or it forms the foundation or infrastructure infrastructure of societyof society it contains internal contradictions it contains internal contradictions

Marxist theory illustrates the relationship Marxist theory illustrates the relationship between specific contradictions, the problems of between specific contradictions, the problems of capitalist development, and the production of a capitalist development, and the production of a “deviant class” “deviant class”

1010

Infrastructure & SuperstructureInfrastructure & Superstructure

superstructuresuperstructure: : the ideologies that dominate a the ideologies that dominate a particular era, all that "men say, imagine, particular era, all that "men say, imagine, conceive," including such things as "politics, conceive," including such things as "politics, laws, morality, religion, metaphysics, etc." laws, morality, religion, metaphysics, etc." emerges from and reflects the ongoing development emerges from and reflects the ongoing development

of economic forces (infrastructure)of economic forces (infrastructure) in class societies, the superstructure preserves the in class societies, the superstructure preserves the

hegemony of the ruling class through a system of hegemony of the ruling class through a system of class controls, which are institutionalized in:class controls, which are institutionalized in: family, church, private associations, media, schools & the family, church, private associations, media, schools & the

statestate key function of the superstructure is the regulation key function of the superstructure is the regulation

and management of “problem populations”and management of “problem populations”

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Problem populations become eligible for Problem populations become eligible for management as deviant when they management as deviant when they disturb, hinder, or call into questiondisturb, hinder, or call into question::

capitalist modes of appropriationcapitalist modes of appropriation social conditions of productionsocial conditions of production patterns of distribution & consumptionpatterns of distribution & consumption capitalist socialization processes capitalist socialization processes ideology which supports capitalismideology which supports capitalism

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problem populationsproblem populations

tend to share social characteristicstend to share social characteristics most important is the fact that their behavior, most important is the fact that their behavior,

personal qualities, and/or position personal qualities, and/or position threaten threaten thethe social relations of production social relations of production in capitalist in capitalist societiessocieties

are not synonymous w/deviant populations are not synonymous w/deviant populations some members of problem populations are some members of problem populations are

successfully transformed into supporters it successfully transformed into supporters it capitalist order; the rest are “candidates for capitalist order; the rest are “candidates for deviance processing” (68)deviance processing” (68)

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Problem populations are created in Problem populations are created in 2 ways2 ways

directly, as a product of the contradictions directly, as a product of the contradictions of capitalismof capitalism by creating a “relative surplus population,” i.e., by creating a “relative surplus population,” i.e.,

people who are unemployed and disposable, people who are unemployed and disposable, whose labor is not required for the systemwhose labor is not required for the system

indirectly, through disturbances in the indirectly, through disturbances in the system of class rulesystem of class rule when institutions, e.g., mass education, fails when institutions, e.g., mass education, fails

to promote the values of bourgeois/capitalist to promote the values of bourgeois/capitalist societysociety

1414

Official social control creates two Official social control creates two kinds of problem populationskinds of problem populations

social junksocial junk social dynamitesocial dynamite

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social junksocial junk

a group that fails to participate in the roles a group that fails to participate in the roles supportive of capitalist societysupportive of capitalist society

they are viewed as costly yet relatively harmless they are viewed as costly yet relatively harmless by the dominant classby the dominant class

e.g., the officially administered aged, the e.g., the officially administered aged, the handicapped, the mentally ill and mentally handicapped, the mentally ill and mentally disableddisabled

social control is managed by the therapeutic & social control is managed by the therapeutic & welfare state, i.e., programs like Social Security, welfare state, i.e., programs like Social Security, Medicare, and MedicaidMedicare, and Medicaid

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social dynamitesocial dynamite

a group with the potential to call into a group with the potential to call into question established relationships, esp. question established relationships, esp. relations of production and dominationrelations of production and domination

poses a more acute problem that requires poses a more acute problem that requires rapid and focused expendituresrapid and focused expenditures

tends to be more youthful, alienated, and tends to be more youthful, alienated, and politically more volatile than social junkpolitically more volatile than social junk

Social control is handled by the Social control is handled by the legal/criminal justice systemlegal/criminal justice system

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Ch. 4: Blowing Smoke: Status Ch. 4: Blowing Smoke: Status Politics and the Shasta County Politics and the Shasta County

Smoking BanSmoking Ban

Ch. 4, Justin L. Tuggle and Ch. 4, Justin L. Tuggle and Malcom D. Holmes, pp. 53-66.Malcom D. Holmes, pp. 53-66.

1818

Is the association of tobacco with lower-Is the association of tobacco with lower-status persons a factor in the crusade status persons a factor in the crusade

against smoking in public places?against smoking in public places? Historically, attempts to control psychoactive Historically, attempts to control psychoactive

substances have linked their use to categories of substances have linked their use to categories of relatively powerless people:relatively powerless people: marijuana & Mexican Americansmarijuana & Mexican Americans opiates & Asiansopiates & Asians alcohol & immigrant Catholicsalcohol & immigrant Catholics

Recent evidence has shown that occupational Recent evidence has shown that occupational status, education, and family income are related status, education, and family income are related negatively to current smokingnegatively to current smoking Relationship of occupation & education to smoking have Relationship of occupation & education to smoking have

become strongerbecome stronger

1919

Moral entrepreneurs vs Moral entrepreneurs vs status quo defendersstatus quo defenders

Moral entrepreneurs crusading for ban Moral entrepreneurs crusading for ban argued that secondhand smoke damages argued that secondhand smoke damages public health and that people have a right public health and that people have a right to a smoke-free environmentto a smoke-free environment

Status quo defenders countered that Status quo defenders countered that smokers have a constitutional right to smokers have a constitutional right to indulge wherever and whenever they see indulge wherever and whenever they see fit fit

2020

Differential Punishing of African Differential Punishing of African Americans and Whites Who Americans and Whites Who

Possess Drugs: A Just Policy or a Possess Drugs: A Just Policy or a Continuation of the Past?Continuation of the Past?

Ch. 10, Rudolph Alexander, Jr. Ch. 10, Rudolph Alexander, Jr. and Jacquelyn Gyamerahand Jacquelyn Gyamerah

2121

The origins & course of differential The origins & course of differential punishing of African Americanspunishing of African Americans

Under slavery in the US, controlling slaves Under slavery in the US, controlling slaves required slave owners to subject slaves to required slave owners to subject slaves to sanctions for behaviors that were not offenses if sanctions for behaviors that were not offenses if committed by Whites, e.g., committed by Whites, e.g.,

leaving the plantation without a passleaving the plantation without a pass being out of one’s quarters after curfewbeing out of one’s quarters after curfew being in a group of more than 5 slaves without a being in a group of more than 5 slaves without a

White man presentWhite man present owning firearms or animals, buying alcohol, owning firearms or animals, buying alcohol,

giving medicine to Whites, working in a giving medicine to Whites, working in a drugstore, working in a print shopdrugstore, working in a print shop

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Differential punishment, post-SlaveryDifferential punishment, post-Slavery

Wanting to increase the #s of Africans in prisons Wanting to increase the #s of Africans in prisons in order to control them more effectively, in order to control them more effectively, Southern states enacted a series of laws, e.g., Southern states enacted a series of laws, e.g., several states increased penalties for stealing several states increased penalties for stealing

livestock, making it grand larcenylivestock, making it grand larceny

To counter this, Congress passed the 14To counter this, Congress passed the 14 thth Amendment – the “equal protection clause”Amendment – the “equal protection clause” But differential punishment continuedBut differential punishment continued