Download Chapter 7: Deviance

Chapter 7: Deviance
Deviance
 Deviance is behavior that departs from society's
norms.
 Deviance can vary depending on the group of
society's ideas of what is acceptable and
unacceptable.

EX: murder is deviant in our country, but music with
explicit lyrics is only deviant to some people. Stealing
is deviant to you and I, but to gangs it may be
acceptable and even expected.
 One person may believe George Bush is deviant
where another person may believe he is a great
humanitarian.
Negative and Positive deviance
 Negative deviance involves behavior that
fails to meet accepted norms where
positive deviance is when someone will
over-conform to norms.

For example, someone who is obese would be
considered a negative deviant where a person
with anorexia would be considered a positive
deviant.
Deviant
 According to sociologists a deviant is
someone who violates a major social
norm of a society or group.
Control
 Social control involves a society finding ways
to promote conformity to norms.
 - One type of social control is called internal
social control. This is shaped by socialization
and involves someone not doing a deviant act
because they know its wrong. Or someone
does something responsible because they
know its the right thing to do.
 External social control is based on social
sanctions.
Sanctions
 Social sanctions are rewards or
punishments that encourage conformity.
 Positive Sanctions include promotions at
work, raises, smile of approval, etc.
 Negative sanctions include criticism,
fines, imprisonment, etc.
Deviance can be good
 Deviance can be both positive and negative
for a society.

Martin Luther King's deviance has proved to
be an example when deviance can lead to
good things
Anomie
 According to Emile Durkheim when a society
has missing, weak, or unclear norms anomie
has occurred.
 Individuals are uncertain how to act
Strain Theory
 Robert Merton came up with the strain theory
which says that deviance is more likely to
occur when a gap exists between cultural
goals and the ability to achieve those goals
by legitimate means like hard work and
education.
 There are four types of deviation involved
with the strain theory.
Strain Theory-Innovation
 Innovation- When a person accepts the goals
of success but uses illegal means to achieve
it. Ex. drug dealing, robbery, etc.
Strain Theory-Ritualism
 Ritualism- When the person rejects the goal
but continues to use the legitimate means.
 This person will go through daily routines
without any concern for the quality of their
work.
Strain Theory-Retreatism
 Retreatism- This is when both the legitimate
means and illegitimate means are
rejected. This person is not successful by
either means and they don't seek success.

ex. homeless person who chooses not to
work
Strain Theory-Rebellion
 Rebellion- This is when people reject both
success and the approved means for doing
so. At the same time they substitute a new
set of goals and means.
 ex. KKK
Control Theory
 According to the control theory created by
Travis Hirschi conformity to social norms
depends on the bond between the individual
and society.
 We conform because we don't want to
disappoint family members, friends, etc.
Differential Association theory
 The differential association theory says the
more we are exposed to people who break
the law, the more apt we are to breaking the
law ourselves.
Labeling Theory
 The labeling theory says that two people who
break the same norm may be labeled
differently.
 For example, a male having multiple sex
partners compared to a female having
multiple sex partners.
Primary and Secondary Deviance
 When a person breaks a law, but their
lifestyle isn't full of these acts this is
considered primary deviance.
 Secondary deviance, on the other hand, is
when someone's lifestyle is full of deviance
and law breaking.
Stigma
 Some deviants are given a stigma which may
affect the quality of their lives.
 A stigma is an undesirable characteristic, or
label given to someone.
Minorities in prison
 Minorities make up a bigger percentage of
the population in prison than they do in
mainstream society.
 Why?
 Victim discounting is also a problem
White collar crimes
 White-collar crimes are crimes that are
usually job-related crimes and committed by
high-status individuals.

Ex. embezzlement, tax evasion, etc.
Crime and Punishment
 Deterrence is the threat of punishment to discourage

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criminal behavior.
Retribution is when criminals repay their debts to
society.
- The idea of incarceration is keeping criminals in
prison.
- Rehabilitation is an attempt to control crime by resocializing criminals.
Unfortunately 30-60 percent of criminals released
from prison return to prison within 3 to 5 years.
The return to criminal behavior is called recidivism.