Deviance

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Chapter 7

• Deviance

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Chapter Outline

• Defining Deviance
• Sociological Theories of Deviance
• Forms of Deviance
• Deviance in Global Perspective

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Defining Deviance

• Behavior that is recognized as violating expected
  rules and norms.
• Behavior that departs significantly from social
  expectations.

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Sociological Definition of Deviance

• Stresses social context, not individual behavior.
• Recognizes that not all behaviors are judged
  similarly by all groups.
• Recognizes that established rules and norms are
  socially created.

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Sociological Theories of Deviance
Functionalism Deviance creates social cohesion.
Symbolic Interaction Deviance is learned behavior.
Conflict Theory Dominant classes control the definition of deviance.
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Sociological Theories of Deviance
Functionalism Deviance results from structural strains in society.
Symbolic Interaction Deviance results from social labeling.
Conflict Theory Deviance results from inequality in society.
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Sociological Theories of Deviance
Functionalism Occurs when attachment to social bonds is diminished
Symbolic Interaction Those with the power to assign deviant labels create deviance.
Conflict Theory Elite deviance goes largely unpunished.
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Durkheim Three Types of Suicide

1. Anomic - disintegrating forces in society make an
   individual feel lost and alone.
2. Altruistic - for the sake of a higher cause.
3. Egoistic - occurs when people feel totally
   detached from society.

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Suicide Rates
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Suicide Rates by State
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Mertons Structural Strain Theory

• Traces the origins of deviance to the tensions
  caused by the gap between cultural goals and the
  means people have to achieve these goals.
• Culture establishes goals for people social
  structures provide, or fail to provide, the means
  for people to achieve those goals.
• Imbalance between cultural goals and structurally
  available means can compel individuals into
  deviant behavior.

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Mertons Structural Strain Theory
Cultural goals accepted? Institutionalized means toward goal available?
Conformity Yes Yes
Innovative deviance Yes No
Ritualistic deviance No Yes
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Mertons Structural Strain Theory
Cultural goals accepted? Institutionalized means toward goal available?
Retreatism deviance No No
Rebellion No (old goals) Yes (new goals) No (old means) Yes (new means)
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Social Control Theory Hirschi

• Travis Hirschi developed social control theory to
  explain the occurrence of deviance.
• According to social control theory, deviance
  occurs when a persons (or groups) attachment to
  social bonds is weakened.
• Most of the time people internalize social norms
  because of their attachments to others.
• When that bond is broken, deviance occurs.

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Symbolic InteractionTheories of Deviance

• Differential Association
• Deviant behavior is learned through interaction
  with others.
• People pass on deviant expectations through their
  social groups and networks.

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Symbolic InteractionTheories of Deviance

• Labeling Theory
• Responses of others is most significant in
  deviance.
• A person may become deviant because of a label,
  even if he/she did not engage in deviant behavior.

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Theories of Deviance Mental Illness
Functionalists By recognizing mental illness, society upholds values about conforming behavior.
Symbolic Interactionist Mentally ill are victims of societal reactions to their behavior.
Labeling and Conflict theory People with few resources are most likely to be labeled mentally ill.
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Social Stigmas

• A stigma is an attribute that is socially
  devalued and discredited.
• People with stigmas are defined in terms of
  their presumed deviance.
• In hiding their stigma, they isolate themselves
  from communities where they can find support.

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Substance Abuse

• Patterns of use vary by many factors such as age,
  gender, and race
• People under age 25 are more likely to use
  marijuana and cocaine and binge drink.
• Men are more likely than women to be problem
  drinkers and drug abusers.
• African Americans and Hispanics are less likely
  to drink than Whites and are far less likely to
  be binge drinkers.

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Cigarette Smoking by Adults
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Use of Selected Substances by High School Seniors
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Polling Question

• Did you ever use marijuana during your senior
  year in high school?
• Yes
• No

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Drug and Alcohol Use (18-25 Years)
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Polling Question

• I believe that underage drinking is an important
  social problem in our society.
• Strongly agree
• Agree somewhat
• Unsure
• Disagree somewhat
• Strongly disagree

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Deviance in Global Perspective Terrorism

• Motivated by political conflicts, often involving
  ethnic and religious conflict, terrorism has
  caused some of the worlds most violent
  incidents.
• These expressions of extremist political beliefs
  stem from the many international conflicts of our
  current world events.
• Sociologists look to the social structural
  conflicts from which terrorism emerges as the
  cause of such criminal and deviant behavior.

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Deviance in Global Perspective Technology

• Technological developments that ease
  communication for legitimate business activities
  also enable illegitimate activities to thrive.
• Money acquired through illegal activity in one
  country can easily be transferred to another
  country.
• Transportation systems critical to the
  international exchange of illegal goodsdrugs,
  weapons, or sexual services link places that
  were once distant and inaccessible.

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Deviance in Global Perspective Drugs

• Some nations, including the United States,
  Australia, and parts of western Europe, are vast
  markets for the consumption of illegal drugs.
• Other nations, such as Colombia, are known as
  major drug producers.
• Still others, such as China, Brazil, and Mexico,
  play a role as conduits for drug traffic and
  production.

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The Global Fix
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Quick Quiz
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• 1. The sociological definition of deviance
  stresses
• a. the individual who is deviant
• b. the behavior defined as deviant
• c. the social context in which deviance occurs
• d. the personality types related to deviance

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Answer c

• The sociological definition of deviance stresses
  the social context in which deviance occurs.

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• 2. Emile Durkheim argued that
• a. deviance is learned through social
  interaction
• b. deviance is functional to society because it
  produces solidarity
• c. those with the most power in society define
  who is deviant
• d. individual factors cause deviant behavior

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Answer b

• Emile Durkheim argued that deviance is functional
  to society because itproduces solidarity.

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• 3. Functionalist theorists argue that deviance
• a. results from inequality in society
• b. is a learned behavior
• c. is reinforced through group membership
• d. creates social cohesion

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Answer d

• Functionalist theorists argue that deviance
  creates social cohesion.

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• 4. Which of the following statements about social
  control theory is true?
• a. society often fails to provide legitimate
  means to accomplish cultural goals
• b. people become criminals when they are more
  strongly socialized to break the law
• c. the economic organization of capitalist
  societies produces deviance
• d. most of the time people internalize social
  norms because of their attachments to others

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Answer d

• The statement that most of the time people
  internalize social norms because of their
  attachments to others is true.

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• 5. Labeling theory interprets the responses of
  others as the most significant factor in
  understanding how deviant behavior is both
  created and sustained
• a. True
• b. False

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Answer True

• Labeling theory interprets the responses of
  others as the most significant factor in
  understanding how deviant behavior is both
  created and sustained.