Lec 3 Flashcards
Theorizing deviance
Early 20th century
Biological theories of crime
Theorizing deviance
Mid-20th century
Social theories of deviance
Those with more objective interests
Study the deviant person, behaviour or characteristic
Positivist approaches- using empirical evidence
Those with more subjective interests
Study perceptions of and reactions to the act
Interpretive and critical approaches
Why do people become deviant?
Positivist approaches
Functionalist theories-
Control theories- What actions we have in our routine that we control
Learning theories-
Functionalist theories
Social structures fulfill functions (manifest functions (expected results) and latent functions (unexpected results))
Society is based on consensus
Concern with maintaining the social order
Durkheim’s Anomie Theory
Increases social solidarity
Determines moral boundaries
Tests society’s boundaries
Reduces societal tension
A certain level of deviance is functional society
Deviance and social solidarity example
The candlelight vigils that follow tragic events reflect social solidarity
Durkheim’s Anomie Theory: The Problem of Too Much Social Change
Beyond a certain level deviance becomes dysfunctional
Mechanical solidarity leads to organic solidarity
Rapid social change creates anomie
Mechanical solidarity
Commonalities between people
Organic solidarity
Interdependence on those around you
Anomie 3 aspects
Traditional norms deteriorate
Processes of social control decline
Insitituations become dysfunctional
Merton’s Anomie and Strain Theories: The American Dream Gone Awry
Institutionalized goals + legitimate means
Anomie= goals more important than the means
Strain= Normative social order creates unequal access to legitimate means
Merton’s Anomie and Strain Theories: Modes of adaptation
Conformity- Cultural goals + Means
Innovation- Cultural Goals
Ritualism- Means
Retreatism
Rebellion- can be cultural goals or means
Differential opportunity theory: Access to the illegitimate world by Cloward and Ohlin
Legitimate opportunities and illegitimate opportunities lead to deviance vs conformity
General strain theory By Robert Agnew
Multiple Causes of strain
Strain + negative affect+ certain coping strategies= deviance
The social structure creates strain and influences coping strategies
General strain theory
Coping strategies
Cognitive strategies- Think about the strain differently
Emotional strategies- Reduce the negative emotions
Behavioural strategies- Change the source of the strain
Limitations of functionalist theories
Critiques of functionalist logic (teleological and tautological reasoning)
Critiques of functionalist ideology ( Inherently supportive of the status quo)
Critiques of functionalist bias (Deviance as a lower-class phenomenon and Androcentric bias)
Androcentric bias
Male experience is treated as the norm
Teleological reasoning
Explanation by reference to something
Tautological reasoning
A statement that is always true because it includes all logical reasoning
Learning theories
People learn to be deviant
Learning theories core assumptions
Processes of learning cause deviance
Different learning processes are highlighted by various learning theories
Differential Association Theory By Edwin Sutherland
Learning from friends and family
Same learning process for both deviance and conformity
deviance is learned through small intimate groups
Techniques and motives are part of the learning process
