Ch 7. Deviance Flashcards
Deviance
Recognized violation of cultural norms. (Can be informal AND formal norms)
Crime
Violation of society’s formal enacted criminal law (formal norms)
Criminal Justice System
Police, courts, prison officials - responds to alleged violations of the law
Lombrso and Sheldon’s theories on criminality
Lombroso believed you can identify criminals by physical characteristics.
Sheldon believed that body structure may predict criminality
Durkheim theory on deviance
There’s nothing abnormal about deviance.
1. Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries
2. Deviance affirms cultural values/norms
3. Responding to deviance brings people together
4. Deviance encourages social change
Merton Strain’s Theory: Conformity
Accept cultural goals
Accept institutionalized means
Merton Strain’s Theory: Innovation
Accept cultural goals
Reject institutionalized means
Merton Strain’s Theory: Ritualism
Reject cultural goals
Accept institutionalized means
Retreatism
Reject both cultural goals and institutionalized means
Merton Strain’s Theory: Rebellion
Seeks new goals through new means
Labelling theory
Deviance comes from how people respond to their actions not so much from what people do
Primary and Secondary Deviance
- Norm violations that provoke slight reaction from others and have little effect on a person’s self concept
- Employing deviant behaviour as defence, attack, or adjustment. (Becomes a master status)
Stigma
A powerfully negative label that greatly changes a person’s self-concept and social identity
Medicalization of deviance
The transformation of moral and legal deviance into a medical condition
Travis Hirschi
Four different reasons for conformity
- Attachment (strong social attachments)
- Opportunity (confidence in future success)
- Involvement (holding a job, going to school)
- Belief (strong belief/respect to authority figures)
