...Jane Ha Dr. Wagner Sociology of Deviance April 11, 2013 A Visit to the Detention Center My visit to the Clark County Juvenile Center provided many helpful and interesting insights on my own study of deviance, specifically on how social power and social context play a significant role on the definition, legalization, and construct of deviance and the deviant being. Based on the information from the two informants I interviewed about their life and the events that led them to the juvenile center, I noticed several patterns and similarities in the family structure and the reference group, whom they interacted with every day. The first similarity was the absence of the father figure; both informants’ parents were divorced and they reported having more communication with their mothers than their dad. My first informant, who was Eddie, 15 years old, simply stated their parents were separated and the informant was living with his mom and sister, with little mentioning of his dad. Similarly, Tyeal, 16 years old, said she rarely saw her dad and even though she added that he tried to be there for her. “…My dad lives in Springfield, he tries to be there for me, but he is an alcoholic and I don’t see him often.” However, the relationships between Eddie and Tyeal’s moms were significantly different. While Eddie seemed to have a good relationship with his mom and his sister; he described his mom as “cool and has a great sense of humor”, the relationship between Tyeal and her...
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...Management Behavior Student’s Name: Institution: Management Behavior Question One In order to minimize the impact of deviant behavior at the work place, leaders should ensure that they lead by example. This means that they place themselves in the employees’ shoes. They ensure that employees are well treated that involves remunerating well, motivating and rewarding them. They instill a culture of honesty and virtues in them. Deviant behavior occurs when employees feel betrayed, or when they feel that they are being mistreated by the management. In order to reduce or eliminate instances of deviant employees, employers should encourage dialogue with them. This can be done through regular meeting, or even through the use of suggestion boxes. They encourage employees to be free to talk about issues within the organization that they feel should be changed. They may not like the way issues are addressed as good leaders and managers are good listeners as well. They understand the plight of the employee, treating them well as equal partners within the organization. Effective communication between leaders and their subordinates helps in building effective organizations. Proper communication skills will tackle problems of socialization and decision making. They should tackle laws and rules that employees feel are too stringent. Working hours should be flexible enough for the employees. Deviant behaviors are likely to reduce the output and...
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...Abnormality, according to Merriam Webster (2014), is defined as something that is not usual, expected, or normal. But how do we know what is normal and what it is not? There are many criteria professionals in mental health field use to identify abnormal behavior, but there is still no criterion that fully defines abnormality (Barlow & Durand, 2015). Some of those criteria are unusualness, maladaptive behavior, dangerousness, emotional distress and social deviance (McLeod, 2008). I will describe three criteria of abnormality I believe are the most salient and valid. One of the most important criteria of abnormality I believe is psychological dysfunction, specifically when person has a breakdown in cognitive, emotional or behavioral functioning (Barlow & Durand, 2015). I believe this a valid criteria of abnormality because a person who suffers from psychological dysfunction usually has no control over these actions. If an individual's reactions to a specific situation are over-exaggerated, it does not necessarily mean that it is a sign of abnormality, however this behavior needs to be taken into consideration when dealing with patients (Barlow & Durand, 2015). Most people are able to control some of the unpleasant feelings or emotions, so feeling sadness or fear for no reason might be a sign that something is wrong. An example would be if a “normal” girl who is unable to stomach the sight of blood sees it, she might feel a little dizzy or nauseous and request to leave...
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...I. Background Research Deviance or deviant behavior is behavior that departs from social norms. While all three theories are linked under the social process umbrella and believe that people that are delinquent and those that are not delinquent share the same feelings about society and the role it plays in their lives, they have different beliefs as to how someone does deviant and criminal activities. Social learning theory proposes that people are born good and learns to be bad (Siegel, L., 2013). Criminal behavior and values are learned when an individual associates themselves with another individual that engages in criminal misconduct. Thus the styles of crimes are learned through personal bonds amongst groups. Adolescent children...
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...accepted path. Many sociological definitions of deviance simply elaborate upon this idea. Thus deviance consists of those areas which do not follow the norms and expectations of a particular social group. Deviance may be positively sanctioned (rewarded), negatively sanctioned (punished), or simply accepted without reward or punishment. In terms of the above definition of deviance, the soldier on the battlefield who risks his life above and beyond the normal call of duty may be termed deviant, as the physicist who breaks the rules of his discipline and develops a new theory. Their deviance may be positively sanctioned; the soldier might be rewarded with a medal, the physicist with a Noble...
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...The Dewey Bozella Story It can take some people many years to accomplish a dream; Dewey Bozella was one of those people. Mr. Bozella lived a very hard life, at the age of eight he saw his father beat his pregnant mother to death and at age sixteen his brother was stabbed to death in a fight. He then entered into the foster system and a life of petty crime. This was not a very good start at life in which he had so much going against him. At age seventeen he moved upstate New York to start a life which would involve boxing but instead he began an ordeal that would last twenty-six years. On June 14, 1977 a 92-year old woman was brutally attacked and murdered in her house. There was much pressure on the police and the district attorney to solve this crime. It wasn’t until 1983, a time in which he was turning his life around, that a tip from two of the suspects, who were convicts, would bring Dewey’s name into question. At age eighteen Dewey would be charged with murder. There was no physical evidence and that should have been the end of the case, but he was convicted based on testimony from two convicted felons. It wasn’t until 1990 that he was able to get a retrial due to the fact that his civil rights were violated. But again the jury found him guilty and he would return to prison. In prison he was able to get a bachelor’s degree as well as a master’s degree. He also had the opportunity to take up boxing, something he thought her would never get a chance to do. During...
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...To what extent can organizations minimize counterproductive or deviant behaviour? By definition, counterproductive work behaviors are voluntary acts that are determined to an organization. They have important implications for the well-being of an organization. and deviance behaviors are acts based on intentions to cause damage, discomfort, or punishment to the organization or other individuals within the organization. Deviant behaviors can include smaller offenses like intentionally working slower or could be as drastic as sabotage of work. These estimated losses do not include losses from other sources, nor do they consider the fact that many losses attribute to a extent go undetected these can be also said as a silent killer , and for a well developed organizations, in case of counterproductive or deviant behavior the initial consequences will be brutal. Why does counterproductive or deviant behaviour occur in a organization ? In an organization most important people are the co-workers, they are the base of the company or the organization. If they no longer have trust from each other Then its not going to run smoothly. deviance will often occur when employees feel a psychological contract has been violated. A psychological contract is a set of beliefs or unstated agreement between the employee and the organization (or individuals within the organization) of their obligations to one another. A common psychological contract many employees possess is: If they...
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...2006 Litzky, Eddleston and Kidder 91 The Good, the Bad, and the Misguided: How Managers Inadvertently Encourage Deviant Behaviors by Barrie E. Litzky, Kimberly A. Eddleston, and Deborah L. Kidder* Executive Overview Recent estimates of the costs associated with deviant behavior in the workplace are staggering. While part of the managerial function requires the establishment of rules and policies that promote good customer service and product consistency, managers who lead with a firm hand or place too much pressure on sales quotas, may be unknowingly contributing to their employees’ deviant behaviors. Managers must learn to identify the role that they play in triggering employee deviance. Once recognized, there is much that managers can do to ameliorate the triggers that encourage otherwise honest employees to engage in deviant behavior. M “I wouldn’t say what I did was unethical. Rather, it was more, say, questionable. But hey, my manager says, ‘The customer is always right.’ So basically, I was following her orders.” “Come on – everybody does it. It’s almost expected. I bet even my manager did it when he had my job.” “Considering how much money I bring into this place, I deserve it. They should be paying me more anyway.” anagers often face employees like these who try to justify their actions after being caught behaving inappropriately. Some managers may terminate these employees in an attempt to rid the organization of such unscrupulous individuals...
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...“The Cuckoo’s Nest” Many individuals may find themselves in a cuckoo’s nest. Not everyone merely is normal or abnormal, sane or insane, but live their everyday lives estranged by society. The society’s environment is constantly changing. Take a look at the economy; observe the wealthy and poor, evolving relationships, some who desire change, and those who don’t. These differences produce cultural abnormality and no-one knows where to fit in. The world is a cuckoo’s nest with revolving doors. The article Rosenhan exemplifies how no-one knows how to fit in. For instance, there were prestigious people selected to take part in an experiment to determine whether they were insane or abnormal. Unfortunately they were labeled schizophrenics in remission, unable to remove this title. These people were unsure of the rules; for instance, not knowing how long their visit was going to be, to act accordingly to their environment or remain absolutely different from their peers. Unlike the movie “One flew over the cuckoo’s nest,” people couldn’t leave on their own terms. However, in the movie, there were test individuals who would come and go as they please, and attend group therapy. These people had to adjust to a set schedule, try to fit in, prove their normality or insanity. What is insane or abnormal? Either act as a violation of societal norms or an irrational hatred, and contempt for someone. Many people will discount someone as “insane or abnormal,” if they...
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...Shawn Bellesine Andy Jones English 102 28 September 2014 Our mouths are closed:Locker room camaraderie in sports today In his article,”Locker Room Cultivates a Reluctance to Criticize” published in the September issue of the New York Times, author Ben Shpigel discusses the growing trend of deviant behavior amongst professional football players: the alarming increase of anomie among their teammates in the locker room. Shpigel agrees and argues with other columnists and authors, that the reason behind most of this deviant behavior stems from a fast and rapid change in wealth, the stress and burden that it brings with it, when dealing with fortune and fame. The two most recent cases of player misconduct have caused an outbreak of cries from players and fans, when running back Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens was caught on an elevator camera knocking his fiance out cold and running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings charged with child abuse for beating his son with a switch. The sports industry has been under extreme scrutiny for years now: with its rules of engagment towards the misconduct of players, but none more than ever with what we are seeing in the news and media today with the N.F.L. Ben Shpigel a sports journalist for the New York Times, has covered the New York Jets since 2011, the Yankees since 2010 and the Mets since 2005. Shpigel was born in Philadelphia on Sept. 23, 1980. Shpigel has since received a bachelors degree for English and Journalism...
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...Introduction The concept of what is measured to be deviant and criminal is reliant on the essential morals, values, norms, as well as legal and political circumstances in today’s society. What has been codified as being illegal in one society could be legal somewhere else. For instance, prostitution has always been legal in Canada, the facts surrounding it are currently illegal, whereas prostitution is completely illegal in most parts of Europe. Deviance is another subjective matter which is subject but not limited to criminal behavior. As a matter of fact, it is also relative to time and place; certain actions or conducts can be seen as being deviant depending where and when it occurs. For example, being nude is perfectly tolerable by society...
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...Deviance is a term coined by William Graham Sumner meaning a violation of established contextual,cultural or social norms whether folkways,mores,or codified law (Lesson 7, Textbook). Deviant behavior can be divided into two broad categories mild and severe also known as primary and secondary. What is deviant behavior cannot be answered straightforward it is dependent on location, audience, and individual committing the act (Lesson 7, Textbook). Primary deviance also known as "mild" is a violation of a norm that does not result in any long-term effects on the individuals self-image or interactions with others (Lesson 7,Textbook). One example of this is a high schooler going to a party and decides to try alcohol, this does not make the teen...
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...made it obvious that he would not comply with the rules and made an enemy named Nurse Ratched. His deviance inevitably led to the sealing of his own fate when his actions became more pronounced and more severe. Throughout his stay, he was denied many of his rights as a mental patient and was subjected to wrongful treatment from the staff of the institution. According to the text, abnormality can be defined by comparing the behavior of the person in question to a set of criteria. This set of criteria consists of: Unusualness, Social Deviance, Faulty Perceptions or Interpretations of Reality, Significant Personal Distress, Maladaptive or Self-Defeating Behavior, and Dangerousness (Nevid et al. 5-7). These criteria are only useful in deciding whether or not someone is exhibiting abnormal behavior if the behavior is appropriate for that specific situation. For example, if someone is depressed after the loss of a loved one, then that would be appropriate for the situation and would not be considered abnormal. Similarly, if someone is depressed for no apparent reason, then it would be within the realm of possibility that the person is exhibiting abnormal behavior (Nevid et al. 5). Unusualness is a relatively simplistic term used to describe whether or not someone is acting in a strange way. However, unusualness is not to be mistaken with a behavior that is a statistical deviance or a rare occurrence (Nevid et al. 6). In the movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Randle McMurphy...
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...For my deviance experiment, I chose to visit Gulf View Square Mall and strike up uninhibited talks with various mannequins, and have a friend observe the shoppers’ reactions from a distance. The first store I entered was one that sells only teenage and adult female clothing, called Body Shop. I waited until there was a significant amount of people close enough to hear me (about 10-15), then began to talk to the mannequin: a tall, shiny black one wearing a short, leopard dress. I talked for about 10 minutes, making sure to appear to hear her talk back, and tried to ignore the looks and rude comments I could hear various patrons making at me. I completed my one-way conversation, bought a pair of earrings, and left- my friend trailed behind me after a few minutes so no one would associate the two of us and get the idea that it was an experiment. The second store we tried was Claire’s, a jewelry store for pre-teen and teenage girls. Due to a lack of mannequins, I chose instead to get into an intense argument with a set of orange, floral earrings. We followed the same pattern, with a friend observing reactions so I could focus on my social project. The final store experiment was at Macy’s, which was buzzing with various sorts of people. I felt that this would be the perfect place to really test my results, as a department store in Gulf View is an adequate example of a microcosm of New Port Richey. I walked in, then began my standard conversation with another mannequin...
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...suffering. She does not get to see her own child, she cries easily, and gets little to no sleep at night because of the wallpaper in the room. “…and I did not make a very good case for myself, for I was crying before I had finished.” (Gilman) This fulfills one of the seven criteria for determining abnormality. The second criteria is Maladaptiveness which is fulfilled throughout the story as she starts to withdraw from her husband and his sister, keeping secrets from them as well as, toward the end of the story, being suspicious of them. “…but it exhausts me a good deal – having to be sly about it,” (Gilman) In the end the woman in the story believes that she ‘escaped’ from the wallpaper this fulfills the third criteria Statistical Deviance. “’I’ve got out at last,’ said I, ‘in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!’”(Gilman) The fourth criteria, Violations of the Standards of Society, is fulfilled when she tears down the wallpaper although this in and of itself isn’t all that abnormal her reasoning was. “’I’ve got out at last,’ said I, ‘in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!’”(Gilman) Another way she fulfills this is when she crawls around on the floor at the end of the story which causes her husband to faint. “I kept on creeping just the same,” (Gilman) When her husband fainted he fulfilled the Social Discomfort criteria because the husband is so uncomfortable that he...
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