Deviance and Crime Flashcards
deviance
the recognized violation of cultural norms
crime
the violation of society’s formally enacted criminal law
Relationship between deviance and crime
Not all deviance is criminal or negative
We often label difference as deviance
=>used to be deviant for women to show their ankles
social control
attempts by society to regulate people’s thoughts and behavior
=>can be voluntary (internalized norms) or involuntary (crime and punishment)
deviance as an individual trait
-biology : predisposition towards deviant behavior
-psychology: personality patterns have some connection to deviance
deviance as a socially determined behavior
-socially defined (often by those in power) varying from culture to culture
-can be learned
foundations of deviance
it’s a combination of biological, psychological, and sociological factors.
The Big 3 (perspectives on deviance)
-structural funcitonalism
-symbolic interaction
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Structural Functionalism
Durkheim
-Deviance is NECESSARY in society
-it affirms cultural values and norms and clarifies moral boundaries, brings ppl together, encourages social change
-without clear social norms and values, ANOMIE occurs
Anomie
state of social strain, normative confusion, or rapid change in norms, when ppl’s behavior is no longer restrained by conventional norms
=Leads to increased suicide and crime rates
Symbolic Interaction
-Labeling theory: the idea that deviance and conformity result not so much from what people do as from how others respond to those actions
-Something is deviant if it gets labeled that way and the person access (groups with power get to define and apply the label.
primary deviance (Edwin Lemert)
when an individual violates a norm but does not internalize the deviant label
-skipping school, underage drinking
secondary deviance (Edwin Lemert)
the internalization of a deviant label and the assumption of a of a deviant role
-juvenile delinquent
Stigma (Erving Goffman - dramaturgical approach dude)
a powerful negative label that greatly changes a person’s self-concept and social identity
-operates as a master status
based on behavior or visible cues
=>Red-head, ADHD
=>Stigma can remain after behavior has disappeared
Social Conflict
-ppl w/ power protect their own interests and define deviance to suit their needs
-capitalism:
=>anyone who challenges capitalist status quo is “deviant”
=>poor stealing from rich is punished, rich “stealing” from poor is more tolerated
=>not working in capitalist culture s deviant
=>crimes associated with higher status typically tried in civil rather than criminal court. Results in lower likelihood of jail time.
white collar crime
crime committed by ppl in a high status position in the course of their occupations
3 types of crime
crimes against the person: violent crimes like murder, rape, robbery
crimes against property: burglary, arson, larceny theft
Victimless crimes: illegal drug use, prostitution
criminal likely to be
-between 15-24
-male
-lower social class (3 types of crime) or affluent (if we include white collar crime)
-white, but AA crimes getting higher
US Compared to the World
-crime rate high by global standards (gun ownership, economic inequality, weak social fabric)
-US and. Japan only high industrialized countries to still have the death penalty (but China executes more ppl than the rest of the world combined. You can be executed for even minor crimes, like tax evasion)
Criminal Justice System
-Courts and police
=>about 20 police officers for every 10k ppl
=>97% of court cases are settled before they ever go to court via plea bargaining
-Punishment for crimes can range from fines to the death penalty
Justification for punishment
retribution, difference, rehabilitation, societal protection
retribution
society’s revenge for moral wrong, oldest justification for punishment, “an eye for an eye”
difference
pain of punishment greater than the pleasure of the crime, designed to reduce societal disruptions, early modern approach
rehabilitation
reform the offender instead of just punishing, crime is the result of social or personal problems, modern strategy
