deviance Flashcards
Deviance:
Any behavior that does not conform to societal norms. There are many different types of deviant behavior, including impoliteness, violence, substance abuse, etc. These behaviors may ore may not be criminal
Imagining how others perceive us: We imagine how we appear to others in social situations. For example, we may think about how others see us when we enter a room or how we are viewed in a group setting.
Imagining how others evaluate us: We consider how others judge or evaluate our appearance, actions, and behavior. For example, we might wonder if others think we’re smart, funny, or attractive.
deviant is a category that changes with time,
place, and culture
deviance is relative: no act is deviant in and of itself
ex. teenagers skipping school as a form of protest or rebellion against authority, which is considered deviant behavior because it violates the societal norm of attending school regularly.
Crime
An offence which goes beyond the personal and into the public sphere, breaking prohibitory rules or laws, to which legitimate punishments, and which requires the intervention of a public authority. (Remember. Law, crime, deviance, and how we respond to these instance are socially constructed, informed by culture, personal morals, material conditions, etc.
Stigmatization
A social proves that involves labeling and devaluing individuals or groups based on socially desirable attributes usually done by a more dominant group
ex. when individuals with HIV/AIDS are treated with social rejection or discrimination, often being labeled as “unclean” or “irresponsible,” regardless of the circumstances surrounding their condition. This stigmatization can lead to social isolation, mental health issues, and a reluctance to seek treatment due to fear of being judged.
Regulation
The process of controlling people by creating and enforcing rules
ex. the enforcement of speed limits on highways, where laws are created and enforced to control the speed at which drivers can travel to ensure public safety and prevent accidents. This regulation helps maintain order and safety within society.
Governmentality
Coined by Foucault; the state exercising control or governing it citizenry by getting them to internalize social norms and rules, the way people (state, school, police, religious) in power use norms, values, and beliefs (in combination with formal rules and sanctions) influence individuals to personally take responsibility for conforming to the norms, rather than disciplined directly by authoritative figures or institutions.
(TLDR; How we come to police ourselves. How does government control us through the promotion of values, morals, norms, etc. We police ourselves to avoid being ostracized: Ex. Consumerism in capitalism, we must think of the economy first, then ourselves) Connect with the Panopitcon, perceived constant surveillance
ex. use of public health campaigns to encourage behaviors like smoking cessation or healthy eating. These campaigns, often led by the government, aim to shape individual choices and behaviors through various techniques, such as education, regulation, and incentives, in order to manage populations and promote well-being. This reflects how power is exercised over individuals through systems of governance that influence personal decision-making.
Moral Panic
Mass expression of fear and concern over something or someone perceived to threaten the values and norms of a society. Moral panics often arise after a loss of confidence in public institutions. Increases in social inequality also tend to reduce people’s confidence in the government, which also leads to increased sense of moral panic. EX: Anti-Soju Panic, “Mom’s for Liberty”, Canadian Pro-Trump trucker protests, Anti-immigrant mentality and immigration caps
ex. the widespread fear and media coverage in the 1980s and 1990s about satanic ritual abuse, where sensationalized stories of ritualistic child abuse led to public hysteria. Despite little to no evidence, the media fueled fears about a secretive, dangerous satanic cult, causing panic and leading to wrongful accusations and legal consequences for many individuals.
Moral Entrepreneurs
People who promote certain views and anxieties about deviant or criminal behavior. However, they are very selective of the moral panic they spread. For instance, they may focus on crimes by immigrants, people of color, or disruption of public order by homeless people.
ex. anti-smoking activists like Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. These individuals or groups work to create social awareness about the harmful effects of smoking and push for stricter regulations, such as smoking bans or cigarette warning labels. By framing smoking as a moral issue, they influence public opinion and advocate for changes in laws and social norms regarding tobacco use
Colorblindness
The Racial ideology that posits the best way to end discrimination is by treating individuals as equally as possible without regard to race, culture, or ethnicity. However, just because you stop looking at the mirror, does not mean the reflection goes away. Often ignored continued racial disparities, inequalities, racist history and its systemic impacts.
ex. when someone claims to treat everyone equally by saying, “I don’t see race,” in an effort to downplay racial differences and avoid addressing racial inequalities. While the intention may be to promote equality, this approach can ignore the real-world impact of racism and systemic disparities, as it dismisses the importance of acknowledging and understanding racial identities and their effects on people’s experiences.
Neutrality of law (Critique):
According to Critical Race Theory (A variant of conflict theory), racism is normalized and is part of how institutions and society work. CRT argues that oppression and exploitation stem from legal, social, and economic differences put in place by the dominant group to maintain their status and privileges in every aspect of life. EX. Higher mortality rate for black mothers, higher incarceration of Black and indigenous people. Effects of Red-lining, and higher rate of denial for loans and mortgages, etc. All are forms of systemic racism that are often ignored due to colorblind ideology.
ex. when a judge applies the same legal principles and procedures regardless of a defendant’s background, race, or social status, ensuring that all individuals are treated equally under the law. For instance, a law that prohibits theft should apply equally to everyone, whether they are wealthy or poor, without bias or favoritism. However, critics argue that in practice, laws may not always be neutral due to factors like systemic inequalities.
Settler Colonialism:
a system of oppression that aims to displace/eliminate a population and replace it with a new settler population. It is more than just a single event. It is an ongoing structure that perpetuates the destruction, elimination and repression of distinct people, as well as their cultures and governance. Settler colonialism establishes “new” countries out of occupied space based on the logic of dispossessions, displacements and accumulations of territories. That space is then transformed into a state that mirrors the colonial state. For instance, the Canadian state and law reproduce, reinforce and protect the settler coloniality at the expense of Indigenous peoples’ lands, cultures and rights.
(Examples of settler colonialism that are still ongoing are the occupation of Palestine, attempts to occupy Lebanon, and the repression of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China)”.
Panopticon
A prison Structure where prisoners can be always observed. In Sociology, panopticon means the internalization of rules and norms – police themselves and others. How we police ourselves, and others, to follow norms, share morals, etc.
Conflict Theory:
The perspective that society remains in conflict for resources. You have a group that that often has control over the resources, how it is distributed, who gets access, etc., and another group who does not own it but wants access to it. Conflict comes from this tension as those who want access try to change society. Diametrically opposed to Functionalism; Conflict theory is not Marxism, all Marxist theories are examples of conflict theory
ex. the analysis of income inequality in capitalist societies. According to conflict theory, the wealthy and powerful elite control the resources, laws, and institutions that perpetuate their dominance, while the working class struggles to access the same resources. This creates a power imbalance, where the interests of the elite are prioritized over those of the working class, leading to social inequality and class conflict. For example, tax policies that favor the rich or corporate interests can exacerbate wealth gaps, which conflict theorists argue is a reflection of underlying societal power struggles.
Structural Functionalism
The perspective that all of society operates with various roles serving vital functions. Much like a body operates with various organs and body parts. Functionalism assumes society is stable, and any form of social change is detrimental to society. Functionalism has a history of justifying inequalities, slavery, racism, homophobia, etc., as being necessary functions to keep society stable. Becoming very unpopular in Sociology but often used by those in power to justify current systems of inequality and exploitation. Diametrically opposed to Conflict theory
ex. education systems function in society. According to structural functionalism, education serves several important roles, such as socializing children, preparing them for the workforce, and promoting social stability by reinforcing shared values and norms. It helps integrate individuals into society by teaching them the skills and knowledge needed to contribute to economic and social systems. This approach sees education as a key institution that contributes to the smooth functioning and cohesion of society as a whole.
Symbolic Interactionism
The Micro-perspective on development and use of symbols and interactions in society. Symbols need not be physical or an object, but can be concepts such as Masculinity and Femininity, and even deviance. Focuses on how symbols, meanings, are created and imbued on others.
ex. the way people use body language to communicate in social interactions. For instance, when two people greet each other with a handshake or a hug, these physical gestures carry specific meanings and are shaped by social norms and personal experiences. Symbolic interactionism focuses on the everyday interactions and the shared symbols (like gestures, language, or facial expressions) that people use to create and maintain social reality. These small, meaningful exchanges help individuals understand their roles and relationships in society.
Feminist Theory:
Focuses along gender (and sexuality) and the hierarchy perpetuated by the patriarchy. Feminism does not antagonize men, but the systems established that provide inequal benefits to men. Feminists also look at the harms created by the patriarchy that harms not just women, but men, people outside of the gender binary, and people of various sexualities. Looks at masculinity as a systemic problem.
ex. the analysis of gender inequality in the workplace. Feminist theory argues that women have historically been disadvantaged in terms of pay, opportunities for advancement, and representation in leadership roles. It examines how societal structures, cultural norms, and institutional practices perpetuate these gender-based disparities. For example, the “glass ceiling” effect, where women struggle to reach top executive positions despite qualifications, is a key concept in feminist theory, highlighting the barriers women face due to gendered power dynamics in professional settings.
Indigenous Theories (Decolonization Theory)
Focuses on our current systems that operate in society as descendant of colonial structures that overwrite and oppress other systems. Indigenous theory often focuses on the ways in which colonial structures impact Indigenous people’s and nations, and how their alternative systems of government, understanding social concepts, organization, etc. are suppressed and even antagonized to some capacity. Someone using Indigenous theory would look at how certain structures, concepts, or policies particularly supports and justifies colonial structures
ex. the concept of holistic knowledge and the interconnectedness of all living things, which is central to many Indigenous worldviews. Indigenous theory emphasizes the importance of understanding relationships between people, land, animals, and the environment. For instance, in many Indigenous cultures, land is not viewed merely as a resource to be exploited, but as a living entity that has spiritual, cultural, and historical significance. This perspective challenges Western views of land as property and promotes sustainable practices that honor the land’s importance to future generations.
Postmodernist Theory:
A sort of Meta theory that analyzes factors of society as being socially constructed. Socially constructed does not mean that it is not real, but rather that the ways we come to understand functions, objects, concepts, organization, and power are all socially constructed. Questions things such as objectivity, truth, and universal knowledge; Society as in constant change, thus no way to reach true objectivity
ex. rejection of grand narratives or overarching explanations of history, culture, or society. For instance, in postmodernism, traditional historical accounts, such as those that glorify a single national or cultural identity, are deconstructed to show that these narratives often marginalize or exclude other voices and perspectives. Postmodernists argue that reality is subjective and fragmented, and truth is not fixed but shaped by social, cultural, and individual contexts. An example of this would be the critique of media portrayals of history, where postmodernists might examine how media representations can shape our understanding of events in ways that reflect power structures, rather than presenting “objective” truths.
disciplinary society
a social system in which institutions, norms, and practices aim to regulate and control individual behavior, often through surveillance, rules, and punishment.
bodily discipline
strategies
of control that use power to
reduce people as social agents
to merely, docile bodies
military
how to stand, walk,
talk
school
how to hold a pen,
eat, sit, speak, and even think
functionalism
§ social norms and norms needed for
social order
EMILE DURKHEIM
certain amount of crime is
inevitable and necessary for
social regulation, integration
and change in a society
n but too much crime is
dysfunctional
n anomie: normlessness and
confusion causing doubt and
insecurity
n law: an expression of the
collective conscience of
society
social fragmentation:
extreme socio-economic
marginalization, urban
exclusion, invisibility
n the youth, collective
anxiety and
precariousness
