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Deviance
What we want to know
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How is deviance defined and who defines
it
• Is it the person or the action?
How is deviance distributed in society
and how do we know?
What causes deviance?
How is deviance controlled?
The Nature of Deviance
Most people internalize societal norms
 Individuals do not internalize every norm
 Remember from chapter 3…
Sanctions- rewards and punishments use to
enforce conformity…
Social control- techniques and strategies for
preventing deviant human behavior in any
society
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Defining Deviance
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Deviance is the violation of norms,
especially widely held norms
Crime is an action declared illegal by
some government or agency
Is all deviance criminal ?
• Pushing children into fashion shows,
sports ?
• Subcultures (gangs) and deviance
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Deviance
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What is deviance?
What are the nature and social
function of deviance?
How do the theories that have been
proposed to explain deviance
compare?
Deviant?
-tattoos/branding
-speeding
-gambling
-white collar crime
-talking to yourself in public
-smoking in public places
-speeding
-bullying
-graffiti
-”hackers”
Defining Deviance
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Non Criminal Deviance
• Music preferences
• Body piercing
• Marrying someone
 Your parents disapprove of
 Your parents want you to
• Being a Geek or a Nerd
Defining Defiance
Not all norm violations are deviant:
a. within the same society (killing)
b. varies from society to society (divorce)
c. time period (business on Sundays)
How does one become labeled
deviant?
Repeating an offense
(unless serious single act)
2. Behavior must be known to othersdetected
3. Stigmatized by society…
Stigma…mark of disgrace used as a
form of social control
I.E. uniforms, signs, marks, etc
1.
Deviant label
Negative Social Reaction
Goffman’s “spoiled social identity”-no
longer normal or whole
Ex. Obesity, victims of AIDs , mentally
ill, homeless
Emile Durkheim
Social Functions of Deviance:
-clarify norms
-unify the group
-diffuse tension
-promote social change
-(provides law enforcement jobs)
Clarifying Norms
 Deviance defines boundaries of
acceptable behavior
 Punishment of norm violators reminds
others that certain behaviors will not
be tolerated
 Acts as preventative measure or
deterrent
Ex. Harsh prison sentences
Unifying Norms
 Conforming members vs
nonconforming members
 Reinforces the belief in shared values
 Important to maintain the group
Diffusing Tension
 Minor acts of deviance serve as a
safety valve
 Individuals can relieve tension
without disrupting the basic fabric of
society
Participating in demonstrations,
Promoting Social Change
 Large numbers of people violating a
particular norm, indicative of
something society needs to change
Providing Jobs
 Judges, lawyers, police officers,
prison personnel, parole officers=
crime
 Crime reporters and criminologists..
 Can you think of any other jobs
created???
How do we Explain Deviance?
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Functionalist Perspective: natural
part of society
Conflict Perspective: power and
inequality
Interactionist Perspective: interaction
among individuals influence deviance
The Functionalist Perspective
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Parts of a social system work
together to maintain a balance stable
social system-all parts of a society
serve a functional purpose
People agree on what is best for
society and work together
Examples: family, education, school
Functionalist Perspective
• Functions are actions that have
positive consequences
• Dysfunctions are actions that have
negative consequences i.e. crime
• Manifest functions are intended
• Latent functions are unintended
What are the latent and manifest
functions of internet, fast-food, super
stores i.e. Wal-Mart
Problems with Functionalist
Approach
• The influence has declined in
recent decades.
• It ignores inequalities of social
class, race, and gender
Functionalist
Merton’s “strain theory”
 Natural outgrowth of values, norms,
structure of society
 Anomie- when norms of society are
unclear or no longer applicable
 The 5 Modes of adaption
Modes of Adaption
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Conformity-accept cultural goals/accept
culture norms (legitimate)
Innovation-accept cultural goals/reject
cultural norms (drug dealers)
Ritualism-reject cultural goals/accept
cultural norms
Retreatism-reject cultural goals/reject
culture norms (drug addicts, beggars)
Rebellion-reject/replace cultural goals
(revolutionaries)
Conflict Theory
The social-conflict paradigm is a
framework for building theory that
sees society as an arena of inequality
that generates conflict and change.
Most sociologists who favor the
conflict paradigm attempt not only to
understand society but also to
reduce social inequality
Weakness of Conflict
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It ignores social unity based on
mutual interdependence and shared
values.
Conflict Perspective
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Quinney states that …”the ruling
classes label any behavior that
threatens their power base as
deviant.”
Competition and social inequality
lead to deviance
People w/out power commit deviant
acts to obtain economic rewards, low
self esteem, powerlessness
Symbolic InteractionismWeaknesses
Ignores the influence of
larger social structures.
By emphasizing what is
unique, it risks
overlooking the effects
of culture, class,
gender, and race.
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Interactionist
Control Theory:
 Deviance is a natural occurrence
 Social ties determine comformity
 individuals
Interactionist
Cultural Transmission
 Deviance is learned through
interaction with others engaging in
deviant acts
 All individuals conform
Interactionist
Labeling Theory
 All people commit deviant acts
 Not all are labeled as deviants
 Label becomes self fulfilling prophecy