Chapter 7 Deviance and Social Control

1
Chapter 7Deviance and Social Control

• What is Deviance?
• Dimensions of Deviance
• Theoretical Perspectives on Social Deviance
• Crime and Social Control

2
What Is Deviance?

• 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 societys members to its norms
  and values and reinforces social solidarity.

3
Deviant Subcultures

• 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.

4
Biological Explanations of Deviance

• 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.

5
Functionalist Theories of Deviance

• Mertons 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.

6
Cultural Conflict Theories of Deviance

• 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
  social-class position of those who commit them.

7
Interactionist Theory of Deviance

• Societys 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.

8
Functions of Prisons

• Deterrence
• Rehabilitation
• Punishment

9
Prisons

• 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.