Lecture 1- Intro to Deviance & Diversity Flashcards
Conceptions of Deviance
Normative or Positivist:
* Objectively Given - General sect of norms and behaviours that we generally all agree upon
Relativist or Social Constructionist:
* Subjectively Problematic - What we find acceptable or not is highly subjective
- constructed based on the interactions of those in society
- Critical Conception - Behaviours we consider to be acceptable and unacceptable are a product of power dynamics
Deviance vs. Crime
Deviance: Behaviours, actions, or beliefs that violate social norms or expectations
* outside what is socially acceptable in a given culture or society
- Act may be crime, not deviant
Ex. Driving over speed limit - Act may be deviant, not a crime
Ex. Cheating in a relationship - An act can be crime and deviance
Ex. Murder
R. v. Butler - Defining Deviance at the Supreme Court of Canada
Facts of case:
* Butler was a video game store owner who had a backroom filled with porn. He was reported, porn was seized, and he was charged with possession of obscene materials
* Butler argued under section 2b (freedom of expression), the videos were exempt from “obscenity” and should be his protected right
Lower Courts Ruling:
* They agreed that the videos were protected under section 2b (freedom of expression)
* Gov’t can only criminalize videos with lack of consent, or violence and cruelty (8 of his videos fell into this group)
Manitoba Court of Appeal:
* Disagreed with Lower Courts and found that the videos could not be protected “due to undue exploitation of sex and individuality”
* He was charged with all counts for every video
Supreme Court of Canada
* found videos not protected under 2b of the charter following the definition of obscenity, but are justified under section 1 (Justifiable Limit)
Case significance today:
* Would the judges today make the same decision? Do our societal judgements feel the same way?
* How are definitions made, and who makes them? (obscenity)
* Decisions vary in the specific time and place
Sociological Imagination
(C. Wright Mills)
Says that the only way to understand the experiences of the individual is to first understand the societal, institutional, and historical conditions that individual is living under.
Pathologizing: putting all the responsibilities for one’s actions onto them without asking what impact the social forces and social structures around them might have
How did image of Julie Roberts get defined as deviant?
Background context:
Image was taken in 1999, she was lead actor in movie at film premiere. Image shows her unshaved armpits.
The image was considered deviant as unshaven armpits for women hallenged mainstream beauty standards and societal expectations for women.
Would the image still be seen as deviant today?
* NO. Modern feminist and body positivity movements have since challenged these norms, making body hair acceptance more common.
Physical Deviance (Tattoos & stigma around them)
2 types of physical deviance:
- Violations of aesthetic norms (i.e. height, weight, tattoos)
- Self-Injury (cutting, burning) used to be seen as phsycial deviance, but has shifted towards personal expression
- Physical incapacity (i.e. physical disability)
Who defines aesthetic norms?
For tattoos, the content of tattoos and location on the body matter
- Ex. In prison, all tattoos of prisoners are documented. This is because some tattoos show gang affiliation.
How can an act (tattooing) be so widely practiced and accepted, and also defined as deviant?
- Different thoughts across generations (affected by nations and cultures)
What has shifted public attitudes towards tattooing?
- Commonality of tattoos, which has helped remove the stigma around them
Deviance and Criminality on the Web
Deviance and Crime have moved from the “streets” (visible), to the web (invisible)
* Ex. Cyberbullying
Technology is the target (used to commit crime) Ex. Vehicle (car, plane, boat)
Subculture
Subculture: a smaller cultural group within a larger society that shares distinct values, norms, beliefs, and behaviours that differentiate it from the dominant culture.
Freegans are people that limit their consumption (buying)
Are “freegans” a subculture? YES and NO
* Yes, can be seen as an ideological statement
* No, could be done due to financial issues
Are “freegans” deviant?
* Freegans are deviant in the sense that they reject societal norms, but whether they are negatively deviant or agents of social change depends on perspective.
* They can be seen as deviant due to their unconventional practices (i.e. dumpster-diving), but it may be seen as a form of ethical activism against waste and capitalism
Elite and Corporate Deviance (streets vs. suites)
Violent crime and property-related offences receive significant attention.
Corporate (white-collar) crime receives less attention, acts include economic domination, governmental control, and the denial of human rights.
* Even though victims can be harmed physically, financially, and morally
Ex. Ford Pinto Case
Ford Pinto Case (the curious case of the car named after beans)
There were risks associated with the fuel tank (would ignite upon crash), but Ford continued to release it to market knowing the risks from their safety testing.
Did the case impact Ford as a company?
* It invites people to question Ford’s safety protocols now
* It was 50 years ago so most people have forgotten about the incident and continued to rely on the company
Types of Deviance
Negative Deviance: Associated with criminal activity
* Ex. Vandalizing property
Positive Deviance: Unusual behavior with positive effect
Ex. Paying for next person in the drive-thru
Norms
Rules or behaviours that guide people’s actions.
3 types:
* Folkways - Everyday norms that do not generate much uproar if they are violated
* Mores - “moral” norms that may generate more outrage if broken
* Law - Strongest norm because it is backed by official sanctions (or a formal response)
Sexual Deviance
like any other deviance, determined by community, culture, and context.
Ex. strippers, exotics dancers, anonymous sex in public washrooms, bisexuality, online sexual predators, prostitutes, pre marital chastity, etc.
Polygamy
Men taking upon multiple wives.
- Deviance in many communities, cultures, and contexts.
Types of Deviance discussed
- Physical Deviance - Tattoos
- Sexual Deviance - Strippers
- Subculture Deviance - Freegans
- Employee Deviance - Late to work, reselling discounted goods
- Positive Deviance - Paying for the next person in drive-thru
- Elite/Corporate Deviance - 3 types of acts:
- Economic domination
- Governmental control
- Denial of basic human rights
Ex. Ford Pinto Case:
Falls under denial of human rights as they chose profits over human safety
Guerrilla Gardening in Low-Income Areas
Guerrilla gardening in low-income areas refers to the unauthorized cultivation of plants, fruits, or vegetables on vacant or neglected land to improve urban environments, provide food, and promote community engagement.
Ex. of Positive Deviance
Takeaway - Who are the deviants?
We cannot emphasize enough how much context matters in any discussion or expla-
nation of deviant behavior. You simply can’t discuss forms of deviance without some
reference to culture, context, and historical period. What some people regard as devi-
ant, others regard as virtuous. What some might praise, others condemn. To say that
deviance exists does not specify which acts are considered deviant by which groups, in what situations, and at any given time.
Deviant Careers and Career Deviance
3 factors my influence deviant careers and career deviance:
* The onset of deviance
* Continuation or escalation of deviance
* Desistance from deviance
Desistance: the process of stopping or reducing criminal behavior over time.
Development of Deviant career approach
- Chronic offenders: There are certain groups of offenders who consistently offend over time.
- The process of desistance—getting out of the business or “out of the life”—is one of the most interesting aspects of the sociological study of deviance.
Onset of Deviant career
The entrances to deviant careers vary considerably depending on the behavior in question
Risk and Protective factors for onset
4 domains of Risk factors:
* Individual and peer factors - rebelliousness
* School - lack of commitment
* Family - conflict
* The community - alcohol/drugs
Protective factors:
* Community level
* Healthy family/friend relationship
* School-based programs
Escalation, persistence, and specialization in Deviance
Deviance initiated due to lack of social controls.
- Specialization in deviant careers is often anticipated, expected, and assumed by much of society.
Specialization in deviant careers: an offender focuses on one specific type of crime or deviant behavior, rather than engaging in many different kinds.
Research on specialization and the generality of deviance supports the idea
that deviants tend to be generalist and engage in a multitude of deviant activities.
Case Study: Correctional Planning and Criminal Profiling
- Correctional planning: the process of developing a plan to manage and rehabilitate an offender while they are in custody or under community supervision.
goal: Reduce reoffending and support successful reintegration.
- Criminal profiling: the practice of analyzing crime scenes and patterns to identify likely traits of the offender.
Help law enforcement understand and catch the offender.
Desistance from career deviance
Social controls or bonds can emerge by entering a solid relationship - helping desist from deviance
* escape situations that produce strain
But… Exiting a deviant career can be difficult.
Criminal career paradigm
a way of studying crime by looking at offending as a “career” — focusing on how criminal behavior starts, continues, and stops over a person’s life.
