Deviance, Crime, and Social Control Flashcards
anomie
Durkheim’s term for the loss of direction felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective
anomie theory of deviance
Robert Merton’s theory of deviance as an adaptation of socially prescribed goals or of the means governing their attainment, or both
conformity
going along with peers–individuals of our own status who have no special right to direct our behavior
control theory
a view of conformity and deviance that suggests that our connection to members of society leads us to systematically conform to society’s norms
crime
a violation of criminal law for which some governmental authority applies formal penalties
cultural transmission
a school of criminology that argues that criminal behavior is learned through social interactions
cybercrime
illegal activity primarily conducted through the use of computer hardware or software
deviance
behavior that violates the standards of conduct of expectations of a group or society
differential justice
differences in the way social control is exercised over different groups
formal social control
social control that is carried out by authorized agents, such as police officers, judges, school administrators, and employers
hate crime
a criminal offense committed because of the offender’s bias against a race, religion, ethnic group, national origin, or sexual orientation. also referred to as bias crime
index crimes
the eight types of crime tabulated each year by the FBI in the Uniform Crime Reports: murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson
informal social control
social control that is carried out casually by ordinary people through such means as laughter, smiles, and ridicule
labeling theory
an approach to deviance that attempts to explain why certain people are viewed as deviants while others engaged in the same behavior are not
law
governmental social control
obedience
compliance with higher authorities in a hierarchical structure
organized crime
the work of a group that regulates relations among criminal enterprises involved in illegal activities, including prostitution, gambling, and the smuggling and sale of illegal drugs
professional criminal
a person who pursues crime as a day-to-day occupation, developing skilled techniques and enjoying a certain degree of status among other criminals
sanction
a penalty or reward for conduct concerning a social norm
social constructionist perspective
an approach to deviance that emphasizes the role of culture in the creation of the deviant identity
social control
the techniques and strategies for preventing deviant human behavior in any society
social disorganization theory
the theory that crime and deviance are caused by the absence or breakdown of communal relationships and social institutions
societal-reaction approach
another name for labeling theory
stigma
a label used to devalue members of certain social groups
transnational crime
crime that occurs across multiple national borders
victimization survey
a questionnaire or interview given to a sample of the population to determine whether people have been victims of crime
victimless crime
a term used by sociologists to describe the willing exchange among adults of widely desired but illegal goods and services
white-collar crime
illegal acts committed by affluent, “respectable” individuals in the course of business activities
