Social Control and Deviance 04 06 2010 Any transgression of socially established norms Social deviance Informal deviance Minor violations Picking your nose something wrong There may not be formal punishment but you still sense you ve done Social cues to tell you you re doing something wrong Formal deviance Violation of formal rules and laws Results in formal state sanctioned punishments like fines or imprisonment Both formal and informal deviance are socially constructed Definitions of what is deviant and what is an appropriate response to deviance are fluid changes over time Varies across time and culture Ex Pre marital sex in puritan New England colonies compared to Or pre marital sex in contemporary U S or Western Europe compared to contemporary U S contemporary Dubai Informal Deviance What are some examples of social norms that change based on context either over time or in different places o Kilts o Look someone in the eye shake their hand o Sweatpants to class How do you know when you ve broken a norm o Awkward silence o Face expressions o Confrontation Have you ever broken a norm on purpose Why Social control Set of mechanisms that create normative compliance o Act of abiding by rules of group life Formal social sanctions Official rules and laws Informal social sanctions Usually unexpressed but widely known rules of group membership o We are all simultaneously objects and subjects of social order Stigma A negative social label that changes both others behavior toward a person and also alters that person s self concept and social identity Devah Pager 2001 study of impact of race and criminal record on job opportunities Job applications for low skill entry level job White men whose applications showed a felony record more likely to get a call back than black men without a criminal record Perception of high incarceration rates of Black men leads to assumption that those applying for low level job must have criminal record Skin color can carry stigma of deviance whether individual was in prison or not Functionalist Perspective Durkheim Division of Labor in Society o Social cohesion The way people form social bonds relate to each other and get along on a day to day basis o Mechanical solidarity Cohesion based on sameness of individual parts Characteristic of pre modern society Individuals basically interchangeable Little division of labor day to day experiences generally the same o Organic solidarity Cohesion based on interdependence Characteristic of modern society Individuals highly specialized Much division of labor increased productivity But individuals have less in common with those around them less able to understand each other o Collective conscience Common set of social assumptions norms by which a society and its members abide Sense of moral unity Violations threaten moral unity and require punishment Form of punishment varies by type of solidarity o Mechanical Punitive justice make offender suffer o Organic society Rehabilitative transform offender to productive member of Restitutive restore status quo that existed before offense o Mechanic and Organic solidarity are not mutually exclusive Both hold society together by reinforcing boundaries of socially acceptable behavior Expect to find both forms in society but one more dominant than the other Durkheim s hypothesis as society progresses and more division of labor develops ratio of punitive sanctions to rehabilitative restitutive sanctions will shift Would expect to see death penalty fizzle out over time Conflict Feminist Laws and norms do not exist for our own good but serve to privilege those already in power Powerful can engage in deviant behavior but resist deviant labels Those of subordinate status poor youth minorities are more severely sanctioned for deviant behavior Interactionist Focus on the meaning individuals give to actions their own and others Labeling Theory individuals unconsciously notice how others see them and their reactions to these labels form the basis of their self identity o Offenders are not born they are made Primary deviance first act of rule breaking o Breaking a window stealing a piece of candy o Others label you as a vandal or thief or maybe just a foolish kid who made a mistake Secondary deviance deviant acts that occur as a result of new deviant label o Develop a perception of others expectations based on this label o This perception affects action people will do what they perceive others expect them to do Chambliss The Saints and the Roughnecks Example of labeling theory Two groups of students engaged in similar deviant behavior but were labeled very differently by the community Labels greatly impacted their self perceptions and future opportunities What factors led to the boys being labeled Henslin Eating your Friends is the Hardest Norms are established jointly it is the group that decides what is normal When a group decides to violate an important social norm new norms and deviant need to be established New norms establish boundaries of the appropriate way to do deviance how to justify deviant behavior as part of a greater good o Allows individual to maintain sense of a good self War and Terrorism 04 06 2010 Terrorism The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government the civilian population or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives Domestic Terrorism Foreign or international terrorism Supported or coordinated by groups or individuals based in the U S Supported or coordinated by foreign groups threatening the security of U S nationals or the national security of the U S Five elements of terrorism Premeditation requires intent and prior decision Purpose political in its motive to change or challenge the status Targets noncombatants those who cannot defend themselves quo against the violence Usually carried out by subnational groups or clandestine agents Threat of future violence involves acts that may have occurred and the potential for future attacks Domestic Terrorism Much focus on threat of international terrorism since 9 11 but domestic terrorist groups continue to pose a threat 3 types operating in U S o right wing extremist groups advocate ideas of racial supremacy and tend to embrace antigovernment or antiregulatory beliefs o left wing extremist groups wish to bring about revolutionary change see themselves as protectors of the people o special interest groups wish to resolve specific issues