...Grace A. January 30, 2016 11 – Benevolence T. Francis Deviance Deviance is a behavior or action that goes against the social norms of a society. I choose Deviance as my topic because there have been a lot of social norms that have been broken through the years like how same-sex marriage, abortion, divorce, and euthanasia are a few examples of act that were not permitted and so was considered an act of deviance. Knowing this, a study of deviance in sociology would be relevant because there would many factors to consider in identifying what is a deviance in society. Like in the table made by Robert K. Merton, deviance can be affected by conformity, innovation, ritualism, and retreatism. If all four are failed to be met then rebellion becomes the new means which leads to deviance. Another example would be the hippy movement of the mid-1960’s where in people around the world wanted peace so they banded together and made communities that propagated about ending the war and making peace, but that ended badly as these hippies were not only propagating peace, but also rebellion against the government for letting the war go on. There are several theories about deviance like social pathology, biological theory, psychological theory, social disorganization theory, labeling theory, anomie or structural stress theory, conflict theory, and cultural transmissions or differential association theory. Social Pathology is how deviant behavior is caused by physical and mental illness...
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...Throughout the study of sociology, a reoccurring theme is that deviance seems to exist in the eye of the beholder, much like beauty. No act committed is automatically deviant, but must be defined as such. From as far back as medieval times to the present, it has always been the upper class dominating the lower class, those on the higher end of the social ladder that shapes the society people live in and define what deviant behaviour is and what is not. Those who have the power over such decisions can be classified as Moral Entrepreneurs, They strongly believe that their set of norms is the “right” way to live, their foundation is built on the belief that deviance lies within the individual, and therefore if you want to understand the deviance you must first seek out the problem within the individual and then treat them to get rid of deviance. Those who lack power and social standing are classified as the Cultural Paradigm and they have the complete opposite view of the Moral Entrepreneurs, they believe that the problem lies within society rather than in the individual therefore in order to deter deviance the problem that lies within society must be fixed. A clash of two titans in a one sided battle, however who is correct in terms of which manner is the better one to deter deviance. Should people be looking at the individual or at the society in which they live in? Through the eyes of great minds such as Becker, Kaplan, Denton and Parnaby it will become clearer that it is indeed...
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...Examine and asses the usefulness of a theory of crime and deviance in terms of explaining crime and or social problems in modern society. This essay is going to examine and asses the usefulness of labelling theory in our understanding of crime and social problems in modern society. This essay is going to firstly look at what labelling theory is and also look at the key writes that have influenced and help to develop the term labelling theory. The essay will then go on to look at empirical research that has been carried out such as Jock Young’s study of marijuana users and their experience of labelling which in turn led to further deviance and also different examples that will help illustrate the key points being put forward in the essay. Finally it will look at some of the criticisms labelling theorists face. This essay will draw information from academic books, websites and articles to illustrate and support the points of few being put forward in the essay. Interactionist generally sees society from the point of view of individuals. They believe that individuals are creative free thinking people who are able to choose their own behaviour and the also believe that behaviour is self-directed based on the interactions we have with one another. The labelling views on deviance is generally grounded in what is now known as labelling theory which emerged in the 1960’s from the work of American sociologist Howard Becker. Labelling theorists are mainly concerned with how and why certain...
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...Deviance – violation of a social norm Conformity – adherence to social norm Range of tolerance – a scope of behaviors considered acceptable and defined as conformity Extreme deviance – beliefs, behaviors, or physical traits that are so unacceptable that they elicit extremely strong negative reactions Crime – any act that violates a criminal law Hate crime – criminal acts against people and their property that are motivated by racial and ethnic prejudices and other social biases Stigma – any characteristic that sets people apart and discredits or disqualifies them form full social acceptance and participation Medical model – views deviance as analogous to illness Pornography – sexually explicit materials intended solely for sexual arousal Social pathology – a problem that potentially threatens the survival of society Strain theories – the view that deviance is a result of the tensions or strain experienced by people because of their position in the social structure Anomie – a state of social strain, normative confusion, or rapid change in norms when people’s behavior is no longer restrained by conventional norms Conflict theories of deviance – view deviance as arising when groups with power attempt to impose their norms and values on less powerful groups Elite deviance – includes all aspects of white-collar crime as well as other deviant acts perpetrated by those in power Labeling theories – view deviance and conformity primarily as labels assigned to...
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...collective sentiments would lose their force and strength * Crime and punishment are both inevitable and functional. Crime is Inevitable: * Durkheim argued that crime in an inevitable and normal aspect of social life. * Crime is present in all types of society; indeed the crime rate is higher in more advanced, industrialized countries. * It is inevitable because not every member of society can be equally committed to the collective sentiments (shared values and beliefs). Crime is Inevitable: * Durkheim argued that crime in an inevitable and normal aspect of social life. * Crime is present in all types of society; indeed the crime rate is higher in more advanced, industrialized countries. * It is inevitable because not every member of society can be equally committed to the collective sentiments (shared values and beliefs). Crime is Functional: * Durkheim argues that it only becomes dysfunctional when it is rate is unusually low or high. * He argues that all social change begins with some form of deviance. * If collective sentiments are too strong – there will be little deviance and little change or progress. * Conversely if there is little collective sentiment, there will be too much crime and deviance and individuality rises and the status quo breaks down. This is what Durkheim referred to an anomie – loss of shared...
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...Functionalists view on crime & deviance With the functionalist emphasis on the importance of shared norms and values as the basis of social order, it would appear that deviance is a threat to order and should therefore be seen as a threat to society. Yet a functionalist analysis of deviance begins with society as a whole. It looks for the source of deviance in the nature of society rather than in the individual. They argue that social control mechanisms such as the police and the courts are necessary to keep deviance in check and to protect social order, as well as deviance being a necessary part of all societies and that it performs positive functions for social systems that even contribute to the maintenance and well being of society. They believe crime and deviance should be limited in order it to benefit all. Functionalists believe crime and deviance have positive functions such as crime and deviance acting like a warning device, some acts warn of problems that exist in the system. As a result, action can be taken to address the problem for example a child may skip school due to problems at home. As a result of the truancy the larger problems of abuse or cultural and material deprivation may be addressed and greater problems avoided. Crime and deviance could help society progress: today’s deviants are tomorrow’s innovators as people who challenge existing norms and values help to create better ways of living. For example Emily Pankhurst and the suffragettes helped...
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...Notes Crime and Deviance 1. Basic Concepts Sociology Central www.sociology.org.uk Crime and Deviance Basic Concepts In this section of the course we will be exploring the nature of conformity to - and deviation from social rules in both our own and other societies. In order to do this, we will initially need to understand a number of basic concepts that we can develop. In more detail at a later point. Before we start to do this, however, it might be useful to briefly map-out the various general areas covered by the syllabus. In this respect, we will be looking at a major aspect of deviant behaviour in our society (crime) and the way such behaviour is associated with various social categories such as: Class Age Gender Ethnicity Locality / Region In simple terms, we need to look at the various explanations of crime and deviance that have been produced by sociologists over the past 100 or so years. The concept of power is a very significant one in relation to the way social rules are created and applied and, for this reason, we need to examine this concept as a means of understanding the nature of social conformity and deviance. A significant aspect of (deviant) behaviour is the reaction of others to that behaviour and, in this respect, we will be particularly concerned with an examination of the role of the mass media in the process of Deviancy Amplification. The concern here will be to outline the role of "official" agencies of social control in our society...
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...and elsewhere, assess the usefulness of labelling theory in explaining crime and deviance’ (21 marks) Labelling theory is a micro approach that looks at how individuals construct society based on their interactions with each other (item). In terms of crime and deviance, labelling theory argues that most people commit deviant and criminal acts but only some are caught and stigmatised for it. So therefore, it is not useful to search for differences between ‘deviants’ and ‘non-deviants’ in society. Labelling theorists believe focus on crime should be understanding the reaction to and definition of deviance rather than the causes of the initial act. One labelling theorist, Becker, suggests the idea of crime as a social construct. He argues that an act only becomes deviant when it is defined as such by others, and that a criminal will only be labelled depending on society’s reaction to the crime. Becker argues that those people that have the power to create and impose their definitions on the rest of society such as the police are called moral entrepreneurs, reinforcing that crime and deviance is a construction of society. In addition to this, Becker argues that there is selective decisions as to whether to or how to deal with illegal or deviant behaviour. He calls this ‘selective law enforcement’ and suggests that police act on their own stereotypes and pre-conceptions on how to respond to the deviance and crime they come across. Labelling theorists are interested in who gets labelled...
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...criminal acts (Broom and Selzsnck, 1963 p540, 541). Deviance can be defined as behaviour which does not conform to certain norms of a specific society. (Haralambos & Holborn, 2008). Defining crime or deviance is diverse amongst the many different cultures, history and from one social context to another (new texts p138) which causes big problems whilst defining and measuring crime or deviance as what is believed to be criminal or deviant behaviour in one society may be seen as legal or normal behaviour be another society. There are many theories relating to deviance and crime with each theory illustrating a different aspect of the procedure by which people break rules and are classed as deviants or criminals. (New texts p 138) This highlights the problems in defining crime or deviance. Many believe crime and deviance developed on separate tracks over the years as criminologist serve only for legality, crime and crime-related phenomena. The study of deviance however serves for a wide range of behaviours that are not necessarily illegal for example suicide, alcoholism, homosexuality, mentally disordered behaviours. (Bader et al) the man difference between crime and deviance is deviant behaviour is when a social norm has been broken. Meaning crime can also be classed as deviant behaviour but deviance cannot be construed as crime (Jones p32). Deviance is relative means that there is no absolute way of defining a deviant act. Deviance can be defined in relation to a particular standard...
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...Deviance is any behaviour that violates social norms, there can be many different reasons why people display deviant behaviour. People who engage in deviant behaviour are referred to as deviants. Deviant behaviour is any behaviour that is contrary to the dominant norms of society. In practice however most deviance is ignored or mildly punished is sometimes regarded as amusing or even supported. Mugging a person is classed as deviant, smoking in a public place is now regarded as deviant (smoking ban in public places was introduced in Ireland March 2004). Most of us at one point or time in our lives have been labeled deviant or at least sightly deviant. As I mentioned Deviance is the recognised violation of cultural norms. Norms are rules and expectations which guide the behaviour of a society, therefore norms guide human activities, so the concept of deviance is broad. As we develop from childhood to teenager to adult we gain experience and exposure to many situations either alone or with others. We are taught what we should and should not do, what is good and what is bad what is right and what is wrong within our society, learning habits that conform to the customs, traditions of the group into which we are born. We start to develop a system of values, these values are why we refrain from behaviour that is frowned on or disapproved off. Most of us have at some time or other have misgivings or second thoughts about something we may have done in the past. Maybe, told a lie...
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...Deviance The study of deviance is the basis for criminology in sociology—the study of crime and its effects on society. nDeviance refers to the socially disapproved violations of important norms and expectations of a society. nWho is deviant differs from one culture to another. nStigma is the mark of deviance (the Scarlet Letter). n 5/17/2002 1 Social control n n Social controls are sanctions which try to keep people from deviance. Internal social controls are behaviors and attitudes socialized into the individual to protect them from deviance. External controls are society’s mechanisms like the law and the police. Since everyone breaks social rules and norms, the sociology of deviance usually refers to those who do it big-time. 2 5/17/2002 Theories of deviance Who becomes deviant? Why do they do it? 5/17/2002 3 Labeling theory n Labeling theory: a person becomes deviant when they get labeled as such. Getting a deviant identity means distinguishing between primary and secondary deviance. Primary deviance is where most people do something deviant but it is not discovered; secondary deviance is where a person takes on the identity of a deviant and may be thrust into a “deviant career.” Labeling theory fails to explain when being labeled deviant can jolt someone out of becoming a career deviant. Deviants are seen here as helpless victims rather than bad guys 4 5/17/2002 Transmission theory n 5/17/2002 Cultural transmission theory...
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...usefulness in understanding youth crime and anti-social behaviour in Britain today. Labelling theory claims that deviance and conformity results not so much from what people do but from how others respond to those actions, it highlights social responses to crime and deviance Macionis and Plummer, (2005).Deviant behaviour is therefore socially constructed. This essay will describe in full the labelling theory and comment on the importance of the theory to the deviant behaviour of the youth and the anti-social behaviour of the youth in Britain today. The labelling theory becomes dominant in the early 1960s and the late 1970s when it was used as a sociological theory of crime influential in challenging orthodox positivity criminology. The key people to this theory were Becker and Lement.The foundations of this view of deviance are said to have been first established by Lement, (1951) and were subsequently developed by Becker, (1963).As a matter of fact the labelling theory has subsequently become a dominant paradigm in the explanation of devience.The symbolic interaction perspective was extremely active in the early foundations of the labelling theory. The labelling theory is constituted by the assumption that deviant behaviour is to be seen not simply as the violation of a norm but as any behaviour which is successfully defined or labelled as deviant. Deviance is not the act itself but the response others give to that act which means deviance is in the eyes of the beholder. Actually the...
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...Deviance and Social Control Deviance and Social Control Unit: New Left Realism New Left Realism Deviance and Social Control New Left Realism Introduction In the early 1980's, two "new" approaches to the study of crime and deviance began to emerge in Britain and America, both of which focused upon the "realities" of crime (specifically) - but from different ends of the political spectrum. In Britain, the "New Left Realism" started to develop through the work of writers such as Lea and Young ("What Is To Be Done About Law And Order?", 1984), while the "New Right Realism" (confusing isn't it?) developed around the work of Wilson ("Thinking About Crime", 1977) in America and writers such as Clarke and Mayhew ("Designing out Crime", 1980) in Britain. While, as you might expect, the two basic approaches address the "problem" of crime from quite different political starting points, they have a couple of ideas in common: 1. Both view crime as a form of "social problem" - not only for control agencies but also for the victims / potential victims of crime. 2. Both produce ideas that attempt to locate crime within a wider political (albeit different) context - the "New Realism". In this set of Notes, therefore, what I propose to do is: a. Outline the basic elements of each perspective. b. Evaluate their overall strengths, weaknesses and general contributions to our understanding of the phenomenon of crime / deviance. This set of Notes focuses on New Left Realism and a subsequent...
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...HOW MIGHT THE LABELLING OF ACTIVITIES AS ‘DEVIANT’ SERVE AS A FORM OF SOCIAL CONTROL? Deviancy is considered any behaviour to violate cultural norms and it is essentially split between two formations; formal deviancy (crime) and informal deviancy (social). Social control is a product of social learning via labeling strategies, it is composed of both informal and formal mechanisms and maintains that the exploitation of socialization and social learning contributes to the individual building of self-control, and in the reduction divergent behaviour. Both controls enforce labeling as a sanction to shame the supposedly deviant character; it infers that the individual has earned disapproval from society due to failed expectations of behaviour. Labeling theorists propose that criminality comes from the response to behaviour as an alternative to actual violation of the law (Wellford, 1975), this is evident in society’s acceptance of illegal downloading despite the sanctions and group in powers values. Durkheim views this defiance as a necessity to an ever changing society where deviance is of use to maintaining functionality, social constancy and collective consciousness, when this is absent anomie is said to arise. Labelling theory holds much of the same stance as conflict theory in emphasising the power of social groups and social control in expectations and stigmatisation. Where the delegation of labels creates sub-groups within society each group is anticipated to fulfil certain...
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...Introduction * Functionalism is a consensus structuralist theory, which sees the source of crime and deviance located in the structure of society * Social order and cohesion are based on value consensus, and the agencies of social control seek to protect this by controlling the threat posed by crime and deviance * Functionalists do argue that crime and deviance are useful in society because they have a ‘function’ * They reinforce the consensus of values, norms and behaviour of the majority non-deviant population * Durkheim and other functionalist sociologists who came after him argue that all societies need some change to remain healthy and stable * If society reacts positively to deviant behaviour it starts the process for that behaviour to be seen as non-deviant in the future 1P – Study of crime 1E – Emile Durkheim 1E – Felt that an understanding of crime and deviance was essential in order to understand how society functioned. He argued that crime had 4 characteristics: Inevitable, Universal, Relative and Functional. Overall Durkheim saw high levels of crime and deviance as very negative for society causing uncertainty and disruption but despite the potential threats to social order, he saw some deviance as necessary and beneficial as it could perform positive functions in contributing to the well being by; strengthening collective values, enabling social change, acting as a safety valve and acting as a warning device. 1E – He cannot explain why some...
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