deviance and crime

Question 1

Augie Fleras and Jean L. Elliott say there are six types of indicators of institutional racism

Answer 1

1. a racist society is supported by cultural values
2. expressed through widely accepted norms
3. tacitly approved by state or government
4. intrusive in many interpersonal relations
5. is codified into laws that openly discriminate against minorities
6. excludes minorities from equal participation as part of the normal functioning of society

Question 2

what is deviance

Answer 2

any action, human condition, or belief that violates the norms of the society

Question 3

what is a crime

Answer 3

any action that violates criminal laws

Question 4

deviance serves to:

Answer 4

• heighten collective sentiments
• sharpen perceptions of moral imperatives
• more tightly integrates the community against the transgressor

Question 5

what were Durkheims reasons behind “deviance is functional”

Answer 5

• how can we all function together to maintain balance
• crime and deviance are seen as un-functional that violate social norms, Durkheim argued that crime and deviance is a normal and necessary part of society
• deviance helps members of groups what their values and beliefs are
• societal standards must be violated, other wise the standards will become less strongly held

Question 6

what is anomie

Answer 6

existing somewhere without social norms, lots of wars

Question 7

Robert Merton’s theory of Anomie and Strain

Answer 7

deviance occurs when some members of society are denied legitimate means of achieving cultural goals

Question 8

what is strain

Answer 8

the discrepancies between culturally defined goals and the institutionalized means available to achieve these goals

Question 9

what is a conformist

Answer 9

accepting both goals and means - working at legal jobs, and saving money

Question 10

what is an innovator

Answer 10

accepting the goals but rejecting the means - illegal means for obtaining the cultural goal

Question 11

what is a ritualist

Answer 11

rejecting the goal but continuing adherence to the means - obsessive attachment to institutional means

Question 12

what is a retreatist

Answer 12

rejecting both goals and means

Question 13

what is a rebel

Answer 13

rejecting both goals and means and substituting new versions of both - attempt to resolve the tension that the means cant get us to the goal

Question 14

what is marxs contribution

Answer 14

society is not as the product of consensus about shared values, but is the outcome of a continuing struggle between social classes - the state acts as a neutral party to balance the inevitable conflict between the two groups, but mainly as a shield to protect the ruling class against threats from the ruled masses

Question 15

Coleman has suggested that white collar crime can be attributed to the coming together of three factors:

Answer 15

1. Motivation, which if often conditioned by a sense of competition in business, professions, and politics
2. Culturally learned neutralizations
3. the opportunity to commit crimes

Question 16

what is the labelling theory

Answer 16

the idea that deviance and conformity result not so much from what people do as from how others respond to those actions

Question 17

what is primary deviance

Answer 17

little effect on a persons self concept - skipping a class, underage drinking

Question 18

what is secondary deviance

Answer 18

• a deeper deviant identity - when a person begins to develop deviant behaviour as a defence to a societal reaction deviance become secondary

Question 19

what is stigma

Answer 19

A powerfully negative label that greatly changes a persons self concept and social identity

Question 20

what does Erving Goffman think about stigma

Answer 20

a stigma operates as a master status (ex. alcoholic), informal thing

Question 21

what does harold garfinkel think about stigma

Answer 21

degradation ceremony, a criminal trail operates like a graduation but in reverse (labelled in a negative rather than a positive term)

Question 22

what retrospective labelling

Answer 22

interpreting someones past in light of some present deviance - deepens the deviant identity

Question 23

what is projective labelling

Answer 23

using a persons deviant identity to predict future actions - can result in a self fulfilling prophecy

Question 24

what does Thomas szaz say about labelling

Answer 24

we too quickly apply the label of ‘mental illness’ to conditions that simply amount to things we don’t like

Question 25

Edwin Sutherland deferential association theory

Answer 25

a persons tendency toward conformity or deviance depends on the amount of contact with others who encourage or reject conventional behaviour

Question 26

Travis Hirschis control theory

Answer 26

social control depends on people anticipating the consequences of their behaviour

Question 27

Hirschi links conformity to four different types of social control

Answer 27

1. attachment (very strong social attachments encourage conformity)
2. opportunity (lots of opportunities for education and success you will likely conform)
3. involvement (holding a job or going to school it inhibits deviance)
4. belief (respect for authority figures)