Start: Lecture 8/26Deviance: a deviation or aberration of a normIn this class we will:Define devianceLook at various theories of devianceLook at how we study devianceExamine how deviance is socially constructedExamine deviant identitiesAnd look at how deviance is socially organized3 basic perspectives:AbsolutistUnchangingContext doesn’t matterInherentGod-granted“just how it is” – you shouldn’t kill because that’s just how it isintrinsic property of the deviance itselfRelativist (books view)Fluid (alterable)Depends on context – murder in war vs. regular murder – same action, different contextSocially constructedSocial PowerFramed by those who have power – they get to define whats deviantBased on differential social power; inequality in societyChapter 1: The Four Functions of Deviance:1) Boundary definitionwhat is acceptable and what is notapplying a penalty or social sanctionit affects everyone and not just the person conducting the deviant actestablishes and re-establishes the normative order2) Cohesion and Integrationex. 9/11 – after the attack the country came together and became a collective, unified group of peopleinsiders and outsiders – “us and them”gives us solidarity and cultural identity3) Social changedeviance a route to social change?Can be positive and negativeE.g change in airport security (+)4) Full employmentwe need deviance because it keeps us occupied; it gives us jobsStart: Notes from the reading: (1-58)Absolutist: this perspective has its roots in both religious and naturalistic assumptions; these people argue that certain acts are contraty to the stricture of God or to the laws of nature. Deviance is thus immoral (possibly evil), sinful, and unnatural.If something is judged to have been intrinsically morally wrong in the past, it should be recognized as wrong now and always in the futureRelativist: groups in society make up rules to fit the practical needs of their situationsThe more the relativists examined norms in different places and times, the more they became convinced that definitions of deviance were not universal, but varied to suit the people who hold themNot from unchanging universals such as God or nature, but from humansBeckerConcluded that a certain amount of deviance is good for society, but because too much or too little is not as beneficial as just the right amount, these definitions must be continually socially constructed and adjusted to ensure smooth functioning of societySocial Power: focuses on the influence that powerful groups and classes have in creating and applying lawsQuinney – believe that laws reflect the interests and concerns of the dominant classes in societyAccording to this viewpoint, society is characterized by conflict and struggle between groups whose interests conflict with each otherWhat is good for one class restricts the opportunities of others – those with the greatest social power dominate both the ability to create definitions, rules, and laws and the way these are negligently or aggressively enforcedDeviance is thus a representation of unequal power in societyConstructing deviance – articulation and application are both crucialSociety first labels various attitudes and behaviors as deviant, then it labels specific individuals associated with these as deviantPart I – Defining DevianceNorms: behavioral codes or prescriptions that guide people into actions and self-presentations conforming to social acceptabilityClear majority must agree, not everyone3 Typesfolkways – simple norms based on custom, tradition or etiquettedoesn’t generate serious outrages but causes people to think of people as oddeating behavior, dress, demeanor, pick their nose, doesn’t wash hands after restroommores – broad societal morals whose infraction would generate more serious social condemnationinterracial marriage, drug addictionlaws – strongest norms; violation of laws are subject to punishment ranging from fines to imprisonment, possibly even deathnecessary to maintain social orderNon criminal acts of deviance:Stuttering, obesity, handicaps, unwed pregnancyABC’s of DevianceAttitudesBehaviorsConditionsAchieved deviant status: earned the deviant label through something they have doneAscribed deviant status: a condition they acquire from birth3 categories of S’ssinsickselectedSociology of DevianceKai Erickson – suggests valuable functions that deviance performs in a society: fosters boundary maintenance so people know what’s acceptable and unacceptable; bolsters cohesion, integration, and solidarity, thus preserving the stability of social life; promotes full employmentCommunity – both geographic and cultural** in a figurative sense, morality and immorality meet at the public scaffold, and it is during this meeting that the line between them is drawnwith so much attention on deviance allotted in news, it is drawing the line between morality and immorality and keeping society stableDeviant forms of behavior, by marking the outer edges of group life, give the inner structure its special character and thus supply the framework within which the people of the group develop an orderly sense of their own cultural identityHow is it that people learn to think in similar ways, to accept the same group moralities, to move by the same rhythms of behavior, to see life with the same eyes?The symmetry which human groups manage to achieve must be explained by referring to the molding influence of the social structureAn Integrated Typology of Deviance Applied to Ten Middle-Class NormsHeckert and Heckert – assertions about positive devianceNegative deviance – underconformity or nonconformity that is negatively evaluatedProstitution,Rate busting – negative reaction not to overconformityNRA & hate group members, cult members, amishDeviance admiration – underconformity that is positively evaluatedRebellion, dennis rodman, famous strippersIndependence represents deviance admirationPositive deviance – overconformity to the norms that are positively evaluatedDoctors, those who hold security clearances, assassinated political leadersThe behaviors and conditions of more powerful actors are less likely to be deviantized than those of the less powerfulRelativism: Labeling TheoryDeviance is not a quality that lies in behavior itself, but in the interaction between the person who commits an act and those who respond to it…Possession of one deviant trait may have a generalized symbolic value, so that people