Crime And Deviance- Definitions

Question 1

Define crime

Answer 1

Any act that breaks the law or that fails to act as required by the law

Question 2

Define deviance

Answer 2

Any act that is seen as wrong within society, that breaks away from the norm. Deviance is not always illegal but can be

Question 3

Define conformity

Answer 3

Sticking to society’s rules, norms and values. Going with the mainstream and behaving

Question 4

Define formal control

Answer 4

Control from authorities eg police

Question 5

Define social control

Answer 5

The control from society through norms and values and social rules

Question 6

Define social rules

Answer 6

The opposite to formal rules- they are a set of unwritten rules that we learn through socialisation

Question 7

Define societal deviance and situational deviance in relation to Ken Plummer(1979)

Answer 7

Societal deviance- occurs where there is a broad consensus that an act is wrong eg incest

Situational deviance- occurs when in the context the societal deviant behaviour is understood