Groups, Deviance, Criminal Justice system - Week 5 Flashcards
What is a social group ?
groups that consist of two or more people who interact with one another and share a common identity. Everyone belongs to social groups both voluntary groups and groups one does not choose such as one’s family.
What is the difference b/t primary and secondary groups? What are bonded relationships ?
Primary groups are small, intimate and long lasting. Ex one’s family and close friends
Secondary groups - are formal, superficial, and last for a short or fixed time ex civic groups
Bonded relationships- relationships that exist only under specific conditions. Bounded relationships exist in secondary groups often that are of relatively short duration
What is the difference b/t dyad and triad
Dyad- group of only 2 persons. very close relationship
Triad- group of three, According to George Simmel, this is the weakest group size
What is an in-group? out-group? reference groups
in-group- where one feels an affinity or closeness. In-group bias is the feeling that a person’s in-group is superior to others’
Out-group is a group from which we are disconnected. We often hold negative biases toward out-groups.
Reference groups- that you use to evaluate yourself. We use reference groups to compare ourselves to another person or group. Reference groups are key, especially as we shift into a conversation about conformity.
In-group and Out-group happen in daily life but are particularly powerful in conjunction with nationalism, especially during war or conflict.
In-groups and out-groups are defined by those in the respective group.
what is a Social Network? What are Émile Durkheim and Robert Putnam worried about in regards to it.
A social network is the web of direct and indirect ties connecting an individual to other people.
A social network is a structure made up of individuals and groups tied together by different types of relationships (friendship, family, work, etc.).
Since groups provide values, norms, and rules that guide people’s lives, is it possible that the modern world makes people disconnected from their groups and creates feelings of anomie, or normlessness?
Émile Durkheim and Robert Putnam have worried that the modern world creates a lack of connection, while others argue that these worries are overstated and that new technologies like the internet allow us to connect with others in new ways.
What is conformity and group cohesion?
Conformity is the degree to which we will alter our behavior, attitudes, and points of view to fit into our perceived expectation of what is appropriate. When people are in a group they often want to conform to the majority rather than opposing members of the group.
Group cohesion “social glue” is the sense of solidarity or loyalty that individuals feel toward a group to which they belong.
What are the types of conformity? Compliance? identification? internalization?
Compliance: the mildest form of conformity; actions to gain reward or avoid punishment
ex.You’re in the car with friends, and they turn on the radio. The band that’s playing is awful, but all of your friends sing along. They ask if you like the song and you reply, “Yeah, this is great.” Even though you don’t like it, you show compliance to fit in.
Identification- : conformity to establish or maintain a relationship with a person or group
ex-Later, you and your friends go to the mall and you buy a t-shirt from the band that you heard in car. While you didn’t really like the music, the fact that you have the shirt means that you’re exhibiting identification to fit in and be even closer to your group of friends.
internalization- the strongest type of conformity; an individual adopts the beliefs or actions of a group and makes them his or her own
ex.After several weeks, one day you turn on the radio and, much to your surprise, you find yourself singing along to that band that you didn’t like. You’ve used internalization to make the group norms your own.
what is groupthink? some examples? what are the shortcomings?
Groupthink is the term for group decisions that are made without objective thought. People conform to what they believe is the consensus of the rest of the group. Groupthink is more likely if the following conditions exist
Group cohesiveness
External threat
Strong leadership
ex. pearl harbor attack of 1942
bay of pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961
shortcomings -Illusion of invulnerability
Collective rationalization
Belief in inherent morality
Stereotyped views of out-groups
Direct pressure on dissenters
Self-censorship
Illusion of unanimity
Self-appointed mind guards
What is the connection between Conformity, Group Think, and Deviance??
Group think and reference groups are all key ‘players’ in encouraging conformity and discouraging deviance. Societies benefit from conformity as this helps avoid chaos and reinforces social cohesion.
What is deviance ? what is conformity in relation to it?
deviance -: any behavior or physical appearance that is socially challenged and/or condemned because it departs from the norms & expectations of a group.
Conformity: behavior and appearances that follow and maintain the standards of a group.
What is social control?
Social Control: the methods used to teach, persuade or force their members, and even non-members, to comply and not to deviate from norms and expectations.
ex. parents, peers, coaches, elected officials
What are sanctions? what are the combinations of them?
Sanctions -reactions of approval or disapproval used to convey and enforce norms & expectations.
Sanctions can be positive or negative, an approval or disapproval.
Positive (formal) -A systematic and definite expression of approval
Positive (informal)-A spontaneous expression of approval
Negative (formal)- A systematic and definite punishment or expression of disapproval
Negative (informal)-A spontaneous punishment or expression of disapproval
What is the difference between deviance and crime?
All crime is deviant but not all deviance is crime.
Deviance -is the violation of norms that a society agrees upon
Crime is the violation of norms that have been written into law
What is street crime?
Street crime refers to criminal acts such as burglary, rape, and assault.
What is criminology?
Criminology is the scientific study of crime, deviance and social policies that the criminal justice system applies
What are the crime trends?
Crime rates change over time. The vast majority of crime in the U.S. is property crime. Some groups are over represented in crime, for example gender, race, socioeconomic class, and age.
international comparisons- U.S has the highest murder rates
However, one must use caution in interpreting crime rates:
Crime rates may or not be accurate
Legal definitions differ among different countries
There are different means of collecting data
Cultures vary, as do programs to prevent, punish and curb crime
What is a consensus model? What is a conflict model?
consensus model of law suggests that laws arise because people see a behavior they do not like, and they agree to make it illegal
conflict model of law proposes that powerful people write laws to protect their own interests while punishing the actions of those they wish to control.
What are some varieties of punishments? shaming? stigmatized shame? reintegrative shaming? deterrence?
Shaming is a deliberate effort to attach a negative meaning to a behavior
Stigmatized shame is a permanent label given to an offender, which could increase the chances of reoffending because the guilty person is forever labeled
Reintegrative shaming is an effort to bring an offender back into the community after punishment
Deterrence is a measure that prevents a person from doing something because of fear of the consequences – this is the punishment used in the U.S.
What are the 3 parts of the U.S crime control system ?
Police – have discretion or the ability to make decisions in law enforcement
Courts – are able to plea bargain or make out of court agreements between the prosecutor and defense attorney, judicial decision is influence by mandatory minimums (fixed sentences for specific crime
Death Penalty – reserved for individuals who commit the most serious crimes
Structural-Functionalist Theory & the Defining of Deviance
Functionalists argue that deviance serves a positive social function by clarifying moral boundaries and promoting social cohesion. Durkheim defines as those acts that offend collective norms & expectations. Durkheim argued that, although deviance doesn’t take the same form everywhere, it is present in all societies. Durkheim noted that crime and deviance are functional for society because
Crime marks the boundaries of what is permissible in society
Crime promotes social solidarity
Deviance can bring about needed social change
Durkheim argued that deviance is normal as long as it is not excessive. And noted that no society can be completely free of deviance.
What is structural strain theory or anomie?
Robert K Merton’s argues that the tension or strain between socially approved goals and an individual’s ability to meet those goals through socially approved means will lead to deviance as individuals reject either the goals (achieving success), the means (hard work, education), or both.
valued goals (unclear limits)
People are unsure whether the legitimate means that society provides will lead to the valued goals
Legitimate opportunities for meeting goals are closed to a significant portion of the population
What are the 5 ways Merton believed those with blocked access to goals would adapt into?
Conformists accept society’s goals and use socially acceptable means to try and achieve them
Innovators accept common goals but not the means of getting them
Ritualists accept the traditional means of achieving the goals but are not interested in material goals
Retreatists reject both the means and the goals of society and often live in isolation
Rebels use their own means to create new goals often seeking major societal changes
What is symbolic interactionist ? What are social interactionists?
Symbolic Interactionist theories of deviance focus on how interpersonal relations and everyday interactions shape definitions of deviance and influence those who engage in deviant behavior.
Social Interactionists believe that individuals are influenced by the actions of others
Social process theories review how criminal behaviors develop
Social reaction theories examine how societal reactions affect criminal behavior
What is Differential Association Theory? Who proposed the theory?
controversial theory that states ,we learn to be deviant through our associations with deviant peers. It is a theory of socialization that explains how delinquent behavior is learned. Refers to the idea that people become criminal because of contact with criminal
Edwin Sutherland & Donald Cressey proposed the differential association theory which emphasizes that criminal and deviant behavior is learned. According to their theory
Criminal behavior is learned, not inherited
Criminal behavior is learned through communication
Learning occurs through intimate personal groups
Learning includes criminal behavior
The specific direction of motives and drives is learned as favorable or unfavorable
person become delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to the violation of the law
Differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority and intensity
The process of learning criminal behavior by association is the same as any other learning
Although criminal behavior is an expression of general needs and values, it is not explained by those general needs and values.
