Mid term 1 Flashcards
Objective scholars define deviance using four criteria. Describe these four criteria.
1- Statistical Rarity
> Deviance = people, behaviours or characteristics that are statistically rare in populations
> Limitation:
- Criteria for “rare” are ambiguous
- Common acts may be considered unacceptable
- Rare characteristics may be considered acceptable
2- Harm
>Deviance = people, behaviours or characteristics that cause harm
>Limitations:
- Perceptions of harm vary over time
- Perceptions of harm are subjective
3- Negative Societal Reaction
>Deviance = people, behaviours or characteristics that societies “masses” dislike, hate, fear, district, etc
>Limitations:
- The criteria for determining society’s “masses” is unclear
- Some people’s reactions have greater impact than others
- People may be deviantized even when society’s masses react positively
4- Normative Violation
>Deviance = people, behaviours, or characteristics that violate societal norms
Changing views of norms
>Limitations:
- Lack of consensus over norms
- Does the criminal law reflect consensus?
Subjective scholars define deviance as behaviours that those in power say need to be controlled. Explain this. How does it differ from objective definitions of deviance ?
- Objective define deviance in terms of specific quality (ex- harm)
- Subjectivists argue that it is not the quality that lies at the core of deviance but rather a process. Groups with some influence on society have told us that certain people, behaviours, or characteristics are deviant
Who are agents of power or moral entrepreneurs?
Who in society has the ability to shape what is considered deviant or normative :
- Politicians
- Scientists
- Religious institutions
- Media
- Commercial enterprise
Explain the social typing process. how do people become ‘deviant’? Give an example to illustrate your answer
Three step process to becoming deviant:
> Description (the label)
- a label is placed on an individual because of an observed or presumed behaviour or characteristic
- ex: in contemporary Canada we are more likely to label someone as a ‘terrorist’ than a ‘heretic’
> Evaluation (the judgement)
- occurs when a judgement is attached to the individual by virtue of the label that was previously given or the category that individual was placed in under the description component
- ex: if someone is labeled a ‘terrorist’, in the first step of social typing process, than a corresponding judgement might be ‘dangerous’
> Prescription (social control)
- this is where the process of social control or regulation emerge. because of the label that has been given and the resulting judgement that occurs, the individual is treated in a specific way. individuals are subject to a range of social treatments designed to regulate or control their deviance.
- ex: someone who is a ‘terrorist’ and therefore ‘dangerous’ may face arrest or imprisonment
Social control can be formal or informal; retroactive or preventative; of others or, of the self. Explain and provide an example for each
Formal - in a sense it is formal rules ( laws, school or work dress code, hunting permits, school policies)
informal - informal rules such as social norms (how to dress in a club, how to act in different social situations)
Retroactive - treating a known deviant in a certain way
Preventative - trying to prevent deviance in the first place (through socialization for example)
Of others vs Of self - social control may be directed by an individual by someone else (ex: doctor, parent, judge) or may occur at the level of self regulation and control, where people regulate their own behaviours (dieting, joining a self help group, hiding characteristics bc they are frowned upon)
Functionalist theories are based on a consensus view of society. Explain what this means
A consensus view of society assumes there is an agreement on what is considered right and wrong held by the majority of society
- concerned with maintaining social order
- Rules & institutions (family, education, political) are necessary for a smooth-running society
Durkheim argued that some deviance and crime is to be expected in society and can actually be functional. Explain. provide examples for each of the four functions of crime
(1) increase social solidarity
> When people break the law other people come together, creates social bond (school shooting)
(2) Determine moral boundaries
> Makes us aware of what happens when someone breaks the law
(3) Tests society’s boundaries
> makes us look at what’s happening and the boundaries of normal and acceptable behaviours - harsher rules against drunk driving
(4) Reduce societal tensions
> Happens individually - shoplifting
> Things can go back to normal after something terrible happens
Explain the concept of anomie. How does it relate to crime
Anomie is a social condition in which there is a disintegration or disappearance of the norms and values that were previously common to the society – lack of normality
> The idea of anomie in regards to crime is that the person chooses criminal activity because the individual believes that there is no reason not to
Explain Merton’s theory
"The gap between aspirations and means"
> society puts pressure on individual to achieve socially accepted goals, though they lack the means. This leads to strain which may lead to deviance.
- Modes of Adaptation to strain
- conformity
- innovation
- ritualism
- retreatism
- rebellionExplain how Agnew expanded on Merton’s theory
linked strain with emotions, negative effect, experienced by those deviant people. Deviant behaviour is a coping mechanism for problems generated by negative social relations
- Cognitive, your response
- Emotional, management
- Behavioural, change the source of the strain
How has Merton’s theory been used to explain frame-seeking?
- Opportunity structures - goals outside of economic realm
- Media saturated goal - pursuit of fame = institutionalized goal*
Explain what factor Cloward and Ohlin incorporated into their theory as they expanded on classical strain theory
- Lack of legitimate opportunities to achieve goals
- People under strain cannot become any kind of criminal they choose
- They are limited by the opportunities available to them
- Need to have the skills, know how or the connections to engage in illegal activity
- Ex- joining gang more likely if various gangs exist in one’s community/city
- Ex - pretty young girl could become a sugar baby, but older not as pretty women would not have that opportunity
What does Cohen mean by ‘middle-class measuring rod’. how does that relate to deviance/crime?
The structure of society is reproduced in the classroom
- Children face the middle-class measuring rod
- lower - class boys will engage in:
- Reaction formation
- Mutual Conversion
Boys from a lower class do not see values as important in there family Ex- delayed gratification and politeness
what does ‘master status’ refer to? Given an example
A result of secondary deviance - when deviant acts are caught by authorities and agents of social control and then lead deviant label to by applied to that person. This then causes Rejection by conventional society & acceptance by “deviant” society, Deviance becomes a part of their identity, Results in change in a person’s master status (Becker, 1963)
Master status = new label that people start to solely view themselves as
ex- teenage girl steals alcohol story
What did the PMRC achieve?
PMRC - parental music resource center
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