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Patches O’Houlihan
Ms. Boni
English 12
4 April 2008
Theories of Deviance and Social Control in the United States
Sociologists throughout time have created theories on deviance and social control that
allow us to better understand and control crime in our country today. Theories of deviance help
us expose common assumptions about what is normal and acceptable and what is not. Social
control enables us to regulate group and individual behavior, causing conformance to society
(Appelbaum, 229). Deviance is defined as a violation of social rules (Gelles, 112). Deviance
takes place when a person violates a group’s norms and values. Behavior is perceived as deviant
when someone is shocked, annoyed, enraged, or threatened by violations of their norms. Many
acts of deviance are widely seen as wrong. For example, child molesters in prisons are separated
from others for their own safety. On the other hand , some violations of social codes are so
common that no one really notices them. For instance , telling a white lie to get out of doing
something by saying, “I’m sorry, I forgot I made previous arrangements”. But some behavior is
seen as extreme. From an absolutist perspective, deviance is in the act alone, which can be seen
as going against a natural law or transgression against God’s commandments (Appelbaum, 228).
An absolutist would argue that abortion is wrong under any circumstance. For example, people
against abortion may rationalize bombing an abortion clinic to save the lives of the unborn
babies. They may feel that breaking the law is acceptable or necessary to enforce the laws they
believe in. Social norms waiver throughout cultures (Appelbaum, 235). The absolutist view is
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not limited to groups regarded as extremist (Appelbaum, 236). Many Americans are
ethnocentric and see totalitarian governments as absolutely wrong. What a person sees as
deviant can be very different from another. For example , “Americans see drinking as a part of
our culture” (Lender and Martin, 1987). Whereas the Islamic religion prohibits the drinking of
any alcoholic substance. Each and every society creates rules and punishes those who violate
them.
Social control is any and all attempts to prevent or correct behavior. Socialization is the
most influential means of social control which leads people to do what they are asked. Since
socialization is not faultless , people rely on sanctions. Sanctions are rewards for conforming
behavior and punishments for deviant behavior. A smile of approval is an example of a positive
sanction. An informal social control is a pressure for people to conform to the norms and values
of their culture. Gossip is a widely used and effective form of informal social control. When
people gossip, they test, agree on, and share their norms and values. Formal controls are public
ways to prevent deviance. Prohibition is an example of a formal social control. Many
organizations use formal social controls. When a business rewards an employee that goes above
and beyond by giving them a raise or a promotion and punishes those who do not by demoting or
firing them they are using formal social controls. An individual is subject to social controls in
many places at once – home, school, work, church, or on the street where police practice formal
social control and spectators are using informal social controls. “One of the more powerful
forms of social control is branding behavior and people who engage in such behavior “deviant.”
A key question for sociologists is why some behavior and some individuals are labeled as “nuts,”
“crooks,” and “perverts” and shunned by people who consider themselves respectable” (Liazos,
1972).
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The labeling perspective focuses on how law enforcers and criminals interact to help us
understand and explain deviance (Appelbaum, 236). Deviance and social control cannot exist
without the other but social controls can make deviance (Appelbaum, 237). A rule has to be set
before people who break it are seen as deviant. To make a rule , a person needs to bring
attention to a problem and show people it must be fixed. Making laws requires a form of social
action, so does enforcing rules (Appelbaum, 237). Rules would not be followed if it wasn’t
expected. Groups that make people recognize offenses and make sure offenders are seen as
deviant are known as moral entrepreneurs (Appelbaum, 238). An example of a moral
entrepreneur is Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Deviance is not the act a person commits but a
consequence of rules and sanctions to an offender (Weitzer, 29).
There are two main types of deviance. Primary Deviance is the initial violation of a social
rule and Secondary deviance results from other people’s reactions to initial violations
(Appelbaum, 237). An example would be a drug user which is secondary deviance that breaks
the law to support their habit, which is secondary deviance. The labeling perspective allows a
society to determine who is an outsider and who is not. Erich Goode recognized ways society
labels and stereotypes in a negative ways (Appelbaum, 237). The first is called exaggeration:
people center on deviant behavior that is really bad and feel that anyone who falls into the
category is just as bad (Appelbaum, 238). For example , if they hear the word robber they would
think of someone who holds people at gunpoint to steal from a bank. The second way is called
centrality: people think that deviance is all a person thinks and does (Appelbaum, 238). Thus a
drug user is supposed to have no life except for their addiction. The third way is persistence: if a
person does something wrong once they will always be that way (Appelbaum, 238). Even if the
addict gets help people still do not trust them and stay skeptical. The fourth way is
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dichotomizing: people see others as being deviant or not being deviant (Appelbaum, 238). For
instance, someone either has a drug addiction or they are drug free.