Chapter 7 Deviance and Crime Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc

Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Chapter 7

Deviance and Crime


Deviance

• Any action, belief, or human characteristic that members of a society or a social group consider a violation of group norms for which the violator is likely to be censured or punished

• Sociologically, no act, belief, or characteristic is inherently deviant because deviance is socially defined.


Shifting Definitions of Deviance

• What is thought to be deviant will vary from one time period to another.• Some behaviors were once not seen as

deviant but now are (for example, obesity) while other behaviors were once seen as deviant but now are not (for example, premarital sex).

• What is thought to be deviant will also vary geographically.


Global Flows of Deviance

• Deviance may flow from one society to another.

• There are global trends toward normalizing that which was defined at one time and place as deviant.


Deviance and Consumption

• The use of goods and services that are illegal or considered deviant

• This form of consumption involves committing deviant or illegal acts in order to be able to afford to consume.• Examples include a drug addict stealing to be

able to buy drugs and the “mall girls” of Poland.


Definitions of Dangerous Consumption

• As with all sorts of deviance, definitions of what is deviant consumer behavior are sometimes in dispute.

• Napster users did not consider the downloading of music from the Internet to be illegal or deviant.

• Those who consume the “wrong” drugs (e.g., marijuana) are more likely to be seen as deviant than those who consume the “right” drugs (e.g., alcohol).


Dangerous Consumers• Before the recession of 2008, those who

did not consume enough were considered deviant.

• Consumerism was considered to be patriotic.

• Those who consume illegal goods are considered to be dangerous.


Overconsumption

• Recent changes in the economy demonstrate the relative nature of deviance.

• After the recession of 2008, those who consumed too much were considered deviant.

• While savings is considered deviant during economic booms, not saving is considered deviant during economic downturns.


Theories of Deviance

• Explanatory Theories• Concerned with trying to explain why deviance

occurs• Assume that deviance is determined by a wide

variety of factors

• Constructionist Theories• Concerned with the process by which people are

classified as deviant• Focus on who is in power and how they create

and apply deviant labels


Structural/Functional Theories

• Strain is cause by a discrepancy between the approved goals of society and the approved means to achieve them.

• Adaptations to Strain:• Conformity• Innovation• Ritualism• Retreating• Rebellion

• Social Control Theory focuses on why people conform to norms (i.e., do not commit deviant acts).


Conflict/Critical Theories

• Deviance and the Poor• Deviance is something created by the capitalist

system.• The definition of deviance serves the interest of the

capitalists while adversely affecting the poor.

• Deviance and the Elite• Great efforts are made by the capitalists to

legitimize elite acts of deviance.• The higher-ups in society have greater ability to

commit deviant acts.


Inter/actionist Theories

• In the realm of deviance a number of symbols (labels) exist.

• Interaction occurs between a person or a group doing the labeling and a person or group to whom the label is applied.

• Those who do the labeling are social control agents.


Inter/actionist Theories

• Labeling Theory• Defines a deviant as someone to whom a

deviant label has been successfully applied

• Stigma• Erving Goffman (1963) defined a stigma as a

characteristic others define and label as deviant.

• Moral Entrepreneurs• Lead a campaign to have an act defined as

deviant and made illegal


Crime

• A violation of the criminal law.

• Criminology is the study of all aspects of crime.

• Many criminologists are sociologists.


Types of Crime

• Violent Crimes• Involve the threat or actual use of force

• Property Crimes• Offenses that involve the taking or destroying of

property

• Felonies• Punishable by more than one year in prison

• Misdemeanors• Punishable by a fine or imprisonment of less than a

year


Types of Crime• White collar crimes are committed by a person in

the course of their occupation.• Corporate crime involves legal organizations

that break the law (e.g., antitrust violations and insider trading).

• Organized crime is associated with crime syndicates.

• Political crime is an offense against the state or by the state, domestically or internationally.


Types of Crimes• Hate crimes are those whose victims are chosen

because of their race, religion, age, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability status.

• Cybercrime targets computers or uses computers to commit traditional crimes (e.g., theft from a bank).

• Consumer crimes are crimes related to consumption (e.g., shoplifting).


Crime Statistics

• Crime statistics are difficult to collect and often quite inaccurate.

• Sources of crime data:• The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report (UCR)• The Department of Justice’s National Crime

Victimization Survey (NCVS)


Demographics and Crime• Age

• In general, most people are likely to commit crime in their late adolescence.

• Gender• The vast majority of crimes are committed by men.

• Race• African Americans account for 13% of the U.S. population

but account for over one third of all violent crimes.• Social Class

• Those in the upper classes are more likely to commit crime and avoid detection.


Globalization and Crime

• Criminalization of Global Activities• In the era of globalization, the nation-states of

Western Europe and the United States have played a central role in criminalizing certain activities.

• Global Crime Control• Has been led by the growth in international

policing and the role of police in international relations

Documents

Chapter 7 Deviance and Crime Copyright 2012, SAGE Publications, Inc