Sociology Exam 2 Review 1 2 3 4 Deviance the violation of cultural norms Crime the violation of society s formally enacted criminal law Social control attempts by society to regulate thoughts and behavior Criminal Justice System organizations such as police courts and prison officials that respond to alleged violations of the law 5 Biological Context Concludes that environmental and genetic factors were predictors of violence and crime Learning more about human genetics helps researchers direct their attention to specific aspects of the social environment that encourage or discourage behavior Criticism Actions seen as deviant are done by biologically normal people It provides no insight of how some kinds of behavior come to be defined as deviant 6 Personality Factors Result of unsuccessful socialization Containment theory Criticism Actions seen as deviant are done by psychological normal people Both the biological and psychological theory view deviancy as a trait of individuals 7 Social Foundations of Deviance Deviance according to cultural norms People become deviance as others define them that way How societies set norms and how they define rule breaking both involve social power 8 Structural Functionalism Deviance is a necessary part of social organization Durkheim s Basic Insight Deviance is not abnormal It affirms cultural values and norms it is needed to support morality Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries people draw a boundary between right and wrong Responding to deviance brings people together people react to serious outrage with shared outrage Deviance encourages social change deviant people pushes a society s moral boundaries Merton s Strain Theory He states that society can be set up in a way that encourages too much deviance Means schooling and job opportunities Goals financial success Innovation using unconventional means to rather than conventional means to achieve a culturally approved goal Conformity lies in pursuing conventional goals through approved means Ritualism inability to reach a cultural goal Retreatism rejecting BOTH the cultural goals and conventional means so that the person in effect drops out Rebellions reject both cultural goal and conventional means but they gone one step further in achieving subcultures 9 Subcultures Crime does not only result from limited legitimate opportunity but also from readily accessible illegitimate opportunity Relative opportunity structure that frames a person s life Conflict subcultures engage in violence act and desire for respect Retreatist subculture deviants drop out and abuse alcohol or other drugs Characteristics of Subcultures Trouble Toughness Smartness A need for excitement A belief in fate A desire for freedom Criticism of Durkheim Sometimes people withdraw from public life Criticism of Merton s Theory It explains some crime stealing better than others crimes for passion or mental illness Not everyone seeks success through a conventional means Criticism of Deviant Subcultures Assumes everyone shares the same cultural standards for judging right and wrong If crimes such as white collar crimes are counted corporations will be called criminals too They all agree that everyone who breaks important rules will be labeled deviant 10 Symbolic Interaction Labeling theory Deviance results from the reactions of others i e how others respond to those actions It stresses the relativity of deviance meaning that people may define the same behavior in different ways Primary deviance provokes slight reaction from others and has little effect on a person s self concept Secondary deviance occurs when an individual begins to talk act and dress in a different way rejecting those who are critical and repeatedly breaking the rules It is also referred to as a deeper deviant identity Retrospective labeling interpreting someone s past in light of some present deviance Projective labeling using the person s deviant identity to predict future actions Medicalization of Deviance Transformation of moral and legal deviance into a medical condition sick or well Consequences of Deviance Who responds How people respond Personal competence of the deviant person Sutherland s Differentiation Association Theory Conformity or deviance depends on the amount of contact of people who encourage or reject conventional behavior Hirsch s Control Theory Social control depend on the people anticipating consequences of their behavior Attachment Opportunity Involvement Belief Criticism of labeling theory It takes a highly relative view of Deviance Crimes such as murder is condemned everywhere It is applied to less serious issues It does not clearly show if the consequences of deviance seek further deviance or discourages it Not everyone resist being called deviant some actively see it out 11 Social Conflict Approach Social inequality Depend of power in the society Alexander states that people we see as deviant are powerless Laws of the society only reflect the interests of rich and poor The powerful have the resources to resist the deviant label The widespread belief that laws are natural and good masks their political character Deviance and Capitalism Marx argues that deviant labels are applied to people who interfere with the operation of capitalism Because capitalism is based on private control people who threaten the property of others are seen as deviant Because it depends on productive labor people who don t work are seen as being deviant Also those who resist authority figures are seen as being deviant White Collar Crimes done by people in high social position in their occupations Corporate crimes illegal actions of a corporation or people acting on its behalf Organized Crime business supplying illegal goods or services Criticism It implies that the laws and other cultural norms are created directly by the rich and powerful Criminality springs up only to the extent that a society treats its members unequally 12 Hate Crime criminal act against a person or a person s property by an offender motivated by racial or other bias Act itself Criminal intent Types of Crime Crime against the person violent crimes direct violence against another murder man slaughter robbery Crime against property property crimes theft of property belonging to others Burglary larceny theft auto theft Victimless crime violation of law where there are no obvious victims Illegal drug use prostitution and gambling 13 US Court System Due process criminal justice system