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Devianceany variation from

the social norm

Macionis, SociologyChapter Nine

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Deviance• The recognized violation of cultural norms

– Biased towards the positive– Biased towards the negative– “Different” or “unexpected” are words often

used to describe deviance from a sociological perspective

• Distinct areas– Crime or criminal deviance (laws)

• Violation of a society’s formally enacted criminal law

– Non-conformance or rule breaking

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Social ControlThe attempts a society makes at regulating thought and behavior

• Criminal justice system– A formal response by police, courts and prison officials

to alleged violations of the law

• Biological context– Biological factors may have a real but modest effect on

whether a person becomes a criminal

• Personality factors– Deviance is viewed as unsuccessful socialization”

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Social Foundations of Deviance

• Deviance varies by cultural norms

• People become deviant as others perceive, define, and label

• Deviance involves social power– Rule-makers, rule-breakers, and rule-

enforcers– Norms and applying them are linked to

social position

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Emile Durkheim:Functions of deviance:

structural-functional analysis

• Affirms cultural values and norms

• Clarifies moral boundaries

• Promotes social unity

• Encourages social change

• Flaw in theory – people do not always come

together to fight crime

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Merton’s Strain TheoryThe gap between what “ought to be” and

“what is” leaves a person “strained”

• Conformity – Pursuing and reaching goals via normal

means, i.e. American dream• Innovation

– Unconventional means to achieve approved goals, i.e. wealth via crime

• Ritualism – Accept means; cannot reach so reject goals

• Retreatism: – reject goals and means

• Rebellion– Define new goals and means to achieve goals

Figure 9-1 (p. 220)Merton’s Strain Theory of DevianceCombining a person’s view of cultural goals and the conventional means to obtain them allowed Robert Merton to identify various types of deviants.Source: Merton (1968).

Issue with this theory is not everyone seeks wealth as defined by Merton

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Labeling DevianceSymbolic-interaction analysis

The assertion that deviance and conformity result not so much from what people do as from how others respond to those actions.

• Primary deviance– Episodes of norm violation that most people take part in with

little harm done to self-concept (skipping class)

• Secondary deviance– When people “make something” of another’s deviant behavior

(substance abuser)

• Stigma– Powerful negative label that greatly changes a person’s self-

concept and social identity

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Labeling Deviance• Retrospective labeling

– Re-interpreting someone’s past in light of

present deviance (Monday Morning Quarterback)

• Prospective labeling

– Predicts future deviant behavior

• Medicalization of deviance– Transform moral and legal deviance into a

medical condition

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Labeling: Critical Evaluation

• Works best with less serious deviance

• Consequence of deviant labeling is inconclusive

• Some seek deviant labeling

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Deviance and InequalitySocial-conflict analysis

• Deviance and power– Norms or laws reflect interests of rich and

powerful

– Powerful have resources to resist deviant labels

– Belief that norms and laws are natural and good masks political character

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CrimeThe violation of criminal laws enacted by a

locality state, or the federal government

• Two elements– The act itself – Criminal intent

• Crimes against the person– Direct violence OR threat of it

• Criminal statistics– Victimization surveys state crime rate is two to

four times higher than official reports

National Map 9-1 (p. 230)Risk of Violent Crime across the United StatesThis map shows the risk of becoming a victim of violent crime. In general, the risk is highest in low-income, rural counties that have a large population of men between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four. After reading through this section of the text, see whether you can explain this pattern.Source: American Demographics magazine, December 2000 issue. Copyright © 2004 by Crain Communications.

Crime Clock Handout

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The Street Criminal: a Profile• Age-persons between the ages of 15 and 24

• 14% of population• 39% of arrests for violent crime• 46.8% of property crimes

• Gender– 70.1% of property crimes and 82.6% of all violent crimes are

committed by males

• Social class– Violent crimes committed by a few in poor neighborhoods– White collar and corporate crime committed by more affluent

• Race and ethnicity– 69.7% of arrests involve white people– People of color are over criminalized

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Deviance and Capitalism

• White-collar crime– Those committed by people of high social position

in the course of their occupations

• Corporate crime– Illegal actions of a corporation or people acting o

its behalf

• Organized crime– A business supplying illegal goods or services

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“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

-- Martin Luther King Jr.