Deviance and Crime Flashcards
What is a deviant?
- anything that deviates from the norm
- - stigmatized behavior that DEVIATES from the norm
Why is deviance considered socially constructed?
– because values and norms are constructed
T or F, what counts as deviance changes over time
True
T or F, not all forms of deviance are criminal
True
How do we obtain crime rates?
- uniform crime report
- - survey data: allows estimate for rate at which different crimes occur
Who are the people that are most likely to commit crimes and most likely to be victims?
- men
- young
- lower socioeconomic status
– these people are more likely to be perpetrators and victims
T or F, when women commit crimes, it’s more local
True
What is anomie and what theorist is this related to?
– State of normlessness
– not being anchored
– lack of interdependence
– crime can be disrupted
– crime has function
– Durkheim
What are the four major functions for crime
- Reaffirms our norms –> builds social cohesion
- —-> reminds us that that’s one of rules
- —-> symbolic interactions
- —-> if no one breals a law, we’ll forget those rules and rules define which group we belong to
- give us a stronger sense of group identity “weness”
- —–> cohesion
- —–> differentiate criminal from group
- social change
- —–> as a reaction to crime or seeing it in a diff way
– committing crimes in small fractions it allows ppl to blow off steam
What is the connection between anomie and deviance?
– less connected to a group/community –> makes one more likely to go to deviance
————-> you need resources too! If you can’t get that from your community –> gonna go to deviance
What is structural strain?
- if you can’t reach the package (goals + means) there is a strain between the structure and you
- ——> there is a disconnect
- ——-> some form of anomie bc you can’t connect tot the norm
– anomie adjacent
What is a response to structural strain?
- crime
- - deviance
What causes structural strain?
– when one can’t connect a goal to a legitimate mean there is strain
True or False, there needs to be a response such as crime and deviance in order to have strain
True
T or F, structural strain points towards some systematic unevenness
True
T or F, goals align w/ dominant culture’s or society’s goals
True
What are the 4 different responses to structural strain?
- Yes to both goals and means = conformist
- Yes to goal, no to means = Deviant
- No goal, Yeas to means = Ritualist
- No goal, No mean = Retreatist or Rebel
What is a conformist?
– saying yes to goals and to means
– by far the most common pattern
What is the deviant response to structural strain?
– yes to goal, no to means
– Merton sees deviance/crime as innovators
What is a ritualist?
- Kind of like Eyore
- - just going through the motions
What is a rebel?
- no goals, no means
- different response from retreatist
- counterculture aspect
T or F, structural strain occurs when you cannot access legitimate goals and means
True; when you can access legitimate goal + means, you are not experiencing strain
T or F, functionalism tends to defend status quoe
True
What do conflict theorists argue about structural strain?
– argues that nuances are lost w/ structural strain
– wants us to pay attention to how rules are being created –> power differentials
Ex: Who can make the rules? What rules are even created? (are there specific ones ommitted); How are certain laws written? –> laws towards specific drugs that are associated w/ specific demographic groups
– C.Wright Mills
