Chapter 6 Flashcards
Approaches to Social Deviance
Statistical Approach
Legalistic Approach
Normative Approach
Relativist v. Absolutist Perspective
Relativist Perspective
deviance depends on culture, time, and context
Absolutest Perspective
there are some behaviors that are deviant across all cultures and times
Social Deviance
any transgression of socially established norms, differs across time and place and even within societies
Phrenology
linking bumps in the skull to certain behaviors
Lombroso
father of modern criminology, believed people were born criminal, influenced by Darwin’s natural selection, link criminality to atavism, positivist criminology
Atavism
“throwbacks” to an earlier stage of evolution, Lombroso
Functionalism
while deviance is an abnormality to eliminate, a certain amount is functional, Durkheim
Durkheim
deviance contributes to social cohesion by enhancing the sense of what is right and wrong, anomie, normative theory of suicide
Anomie
a state in which society’s norms fail to regular behavior
Normative Theory of Suicide
different levels of social regulation and integration affect suicide
Anomic
too little social regulation, the world doesn’t always behave the way you expect it to behave, people think they’re doing the right thing and it still goes wrong
Fatalistic
too much social regulation, nothing to look forward to, everything has been decided and is always the same, no surprises
Altruistic
too much social integration, group dominates life of individual to the point where individual feels no purpose beyond group, if something happens to the group they will have no purpose
Egoistic
too little social integration, feeling insignificant, no connections or meaning in life
Robert Merton
people share a common understanding of goals and legitimate means for achieving goals
Strain theory
when a gap exists between cultural goals for success and means available to achieve those goals, rates of deviance will be high
Conformists: Merton’s Strain Theory
accept the goals of the society and the means of achieving those goals
Innovators: Merton’s Strain Theory
accept the goals of the society, but they look for new, or innovative, ways of achieving those goals, Bill Gates didn’t go to college, criminals
Ritualists: Merton’s Strain Theory
not interested in the goals of the society, but they do accept the means of achieving those goals, go to college but still live with parents
Retreatists: Merton’s Strain Theory
don’t accept the goals of the society or the means of achieving this goals, Into the Wild
Rebels: Merton’s Strain Theory
don’t accept the goals of the society or the means of achieving this goals, so they create their own goals using new means
Opportunity Theory
people differ not only in motivation to engage in deviant acts, but also in opportunity to do so (Cloward and Ohlin), can’t sell drugs if you don’t have access to drugs
Control Theory
deviance arises from (lack of) social bonds, or connections to others, close bonds to people that would disapprove will stop you, people without close bonds have nothing to lose
Conflict Perspective: Class-dominant Theory
dominant class interests determine what is labeled deviant of criminal, benefits the elite, those who commit deviant acts are not bad just powerless, doesn’t account for laws that protect everyone like murder, doesn’t explain why laws that hurt the elite have been made (labor laws)
Feminist Perspective
majority of research done by and about males
differences in socialization of boys and girls plays partial role of different rates of deviance in sizes
stigmatization
women victimized by virtue of gender, female behavior more likely to be stigmatized and seen as negatively but same behavior positive for men, disproportionally victims of assault
Symbolic Interactionism
Primary Deviance
Labeled Deviant
Internalizes Deviant Label
Secondary Deviance
can skip primary deviance if falsely labeled
Primary Deviance
doesn’t have to be first act, can be later act if you haven’t received label
Secondary Deviance
additional deviant behavior that occurs after they’ve been labeled and internalize it
Differential Association Theory
part of symbolic interactionism, deviant and criminal behavior results from associating with people with attitudes favorable to deviant or criminal behavior, depends on frequency, intensity (how close we are), length (how long wee see them), and chronology (how long we have known them)
Informal Social Control
unofficial means of sanctioning deviance in everyday interactions
Formal Social Control
attempts to officially sanction certain behaviors and visibly punish others, justice system
Rising Prison Populations
mandatory minimum sentencing
“three strikes” laws
war on drugs
Race and Ethnicity
“war on drugs” policing focused on poor neighborhoods in the inner city, crowded, urban neighborhoods more likely to attract police attention
Discrimination
more whites arrested for crimes, but people of color more likely to actually serve time in prison or jail
Techniques of neutralization
denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of victim, condemning the
condemners, appeal to higher loyalties
Denial of responsibility
they are not to blame, they were a victim or it was an accident, reduce social stigma and feeling of failing oneself morally
Denial of injury
the act produced little or no harm or their intentions were not to cause harm, drug use is “victimless”
Denial of victim
acknowledge that the act is harmful but don’t acknowledge a legitimate victim, victim deserved it or victim is unknown, in identity theft they never interact with victim
Condemning the condemners
direct attention to those who judge them rather than their own behavior, those who judge have no right to because they are hypocrites or deviants in disguise
Appeal to higher loyalties
the act was necessary to meet the moral obligations of a group even though they violated a set of rules, broke the law to help their family
