The (Sociological) Social Psychology of Deviance

Edwin Sutherland◦ Two main assumptions

Deviance happens when a persondefines a situation as the right time

Definitions reflect social background

In association with others, one:◦ Learns to define situation as right time◦ Masters necessary skills & techniques◦ Acquires necessary motives, rationalizations

Robert Burgess & Ronald Akers◦ Differential Reinforcement

Operant conditioning Behavioral Psychology

R-S-R Reinforcements

Positive (get what you want) Negative (don’t get what you don’t want)

Punishments Positive (something happens to you) Negative (something you value is taken away)

Gresham Sykes & David Matza◦ Techniques of neutralization

Denial of responsibility Denial of injury Denial of victim Condemning the condemners Appeal to higher loyalties

Preventative Learning◦ Socialization

Correction (“Un-learning”)◦ Youth programs◦ Group correction

Self-help groups AA

Synanon◦ Token economies

◦ Aversive therapies Disulfiram Succinylcholine

Still influential◦ Recent themes:

Deviant careers “Becoming”

Shortcomings◦ Abuse potential◦ Ignores choice◦ Ignores larger context