Transcript Chapter 7, Deviance and Social Control

Chapter 7
Deviance and Social Control
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What is Deviance?
Dimensions of Deviance
Theoretical Perspectives on Social Deviance
Crime and Social Control
What Is Deviance?
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Behavior that violates the norms of a society.
Every society creates its own forms of
deviance.
Punishment of deviant acts reaffirms the
commitment of a society’s members to its
norms and values and reinforces social
solidarity.
Deviant Subcultures
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Includes a system of values, attitudes,
behaviors and lifestyles that are opposed to the
dominant culture of the society.
Members are also members of the larger
society.
Within the subculture, members pursue values
that are opposed to those of the larger culture.
Biological Explanations of
Deviance
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Relate criminality to physical features or body
type.
Early sociological theories of deviance viewed
crime and other forms of social deviance as
attributed to the evils of city life.
Functionalist Theories of Deviance
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Merton’s typology of deviance is based on how
people adapt to the demands of their society.
Through socialization, people learn what goals
are approved of in their society and the
approved means of achieving those goals.
Individuals who do not accept the approved
goals are likely to engage in deviant behaviors.
Cultural Conflict Theories of
Deviance
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Cultural conflict: concentrates on the ways in
which conflicting sets of norms result in
situations that encourage criminal activity.
Marxian: emphasizes class conflict, explaining
various types of crime in terms of the socialclass position of those who commit them.
Interactionist Theory of Deviance
Society’s reactions to certain behaviors is to
brand or label the offender as deviant.
Focus on:
 Why some people become deviant whereas
others do not.
 The creation of new categories of deviance in a
society.
Functions of Prisons
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Deterrence
Rehabilitation
Punishment
Prisons
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Do not seem to deter crime.
Numerous studies show that prisons are not
successful at rehabilitation and often serve as
“schools for crime”.
Rehabilitation programs that are effective give
inmates job training and work experience.